{"id":21309,"date":"2022-11-07T14:32:58","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T13:32:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/?p=174908"},"modified":"2022-11-07T14:44:13","modified_gmt":"2022-11-07T13:44:13","slug":"west-end-musicals-the-10-best-london-shows-to-see-in-december-2022","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/west-end-musicals-the-10-best-london-shows-to-see-in-december-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"West End musicals: the 10 best London shows to see in December 2022\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Michael Beek\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 07 November 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

There\u2019s something about seeing a musical in the lead up to Christmas, especially in the West End. Stepping out into the cold, taking in the festive lights and window displays, partaking in a drink of something warming\u2026 it\u2019s all part of it. But what should you choose to see, if you\u2019re lucky enough to be able to?<\/p>\n

The West End is full to the brim with world-class musicals this December, some popping by for the season, others in it for the long haul. Here\u2019s ten of the best to check out next time you\u2019re in town.<\/p>\n

Best West End musicals to see in December<\/h2>\n

& Juliet <\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n
\u00a0Shaftesbury Theatre<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p style=\""font-weight:\">A fabulous Pop fantasy, <em>& Juliet<\/em> is an alternate sequel-of-sorts to <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/classical-music-inspired-shakespeare\/"\">Shakespeare<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s classic <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/romeo-and-juliet-music\/"\">Romeo and Juliet<\/a><\/strong>. What if Juliet hadn\u2019t copped it at the end of the story? What would she do next? With a set list of classic pop tracks penned by Swedish songwriter Max Martin, it\u2019s a memorable (and terribly catchy) musical. Martin is responsible for some of the biggest hits recorded by artists such as Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, C\u00e9line Dion, Demi Lovato and Katy Perrty (to name but a few!), so expect songs like \u2018Oops!\u2026I did it again\u2019, \u2018As Long As You Love Me\u2019 and \u2018I Kissed a Girl\u2019\u2026<\/p>\n<section class=\""highlight\"><div class=\""highlight__content\" editor-content=\"\"> \n<ul><li><strong><a href=\"\/\/www.ticketmaster.co.uk\/and-juliet-shaftesbury-theatre-london-tickets\/venueartist\/451071\/5291326"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""noopener" noopener noreferrer\">Buy tickets for<em> & Juliet\u00a0<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section><h3 style=\""font-weight:\"><strong><em>Back to the Future \u2013 The Musical <\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\""font-weight:\"><strong>Adelphi Theatre<br\/><\/strong><br\/>\nRobert Zemeckis and Bob Gale\u2019s 1985 film classic, about a time-travelling teenager who finds himself inadvertently scuppering his own existence, takes to the stage in this epic musical rendering. Featuring original songs by the film\u2019s composer Alan Silvetstri, with lyricist Glenn Ballard, the show features knockout performances by a brilliantly funny cast and some mind-blowing visual effects. It\u2019s a journey back in time that you won\u2019t forget in a hurry.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Find out more about<\/strong> <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/tv-and-film-music\/back-to-the-future-musical-guide\/"\"><em>Back to the Future \u2013 The Musical<\/em><\/a> in this guide<\/strong><\/p>\n<section class=\""highlight\"><div class=\""highlight__content\" editor-content=\"\"> \n<ul><li><strong><a href=\"\/\/www.londontheatredirect.com\/musical\/back-to-the-future-tickets"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""nofollow noopener noreferrer\" noopener=\"\">Buy tickets ton <em>Back to the Future \u2013 The Musical<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section><p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 style=\""font-weight:\"><em><strong>Elf the Musical\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p style=\""font-weight:\"><strong>\u00a0Dominion Theatre<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Elf\" the=\"\" musical=\"\" official=\"\" trailer=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/K5IN5H41YLU?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p>Back in the West End for a limited eight-week run, <em>Elf<\/em> has won the hearts of audiences around the world. Based on the hilarious film, it tells the story of a man raised by Elves in the North Pole who comes to New York to find his father. It has quietly become a classic of the Christmas season (both on screen and stage), with original songs by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin and brilliantly colourful set pieces. You\u2019d be a cotton-headed ninny muggins to miss it\u2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>We named<em> Elf the Musical <\/em>one of the <a href=\"\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/best-christmas-musicals\/"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""nofollow noopener noreferrer\" noopener=\"\">best Christmas musicals to see<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<section class=\""highlight\"><div class=\""highlight__content\" editor-content=\"\"> \n<ul><li><a href=\"\/\/www.londontheatredirect.com\/musical\/elf-tickets"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""noopener" noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Buy tickets to Elf the Musical\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section><h3 style=\""font-weight:\"><em><strong>Frozen<\/strong> <\/em><\/h3>\n<p style=\""font-weight:\"><strong>\u00a0Theatre Royal Drury Lane<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Disney's\" frozen=\"\" west=\"\" end=\"\" trailer=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IYryppT1oP4?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p style=\""font-weight:\">Disney\u2019s uber-popular animated feature, based on <em>The Snow Queen<\/em>, gets the blockbuster musical treatment in this lavish production currently installed at the legendary Drury Lane theatre. The original songs by husband-and-wife songwriting partners Kristen and Robert Lopez are probably already engrained in your brain if you\u2019ve got little ones in your life; if not, they soon will be\u2026 you just have to \u2018Let It Go\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<section class=\""highlight\"><div class=\""highlight__content\" editor-content=\"\"> \n<ul><li><a href=\"\/\/www.ticketmaster.co.uk\/disneys-frozen-theatre-royal-drury-lane-london-tickets\/venueartist\/451122\/5356104"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""nofollow noopener noreferrer\" noopener=\"\"><strong>Buy tickets to <em>Frozen<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section><h3 style=\""font-weight:\"><em><strong>The Lion King<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p style=\""font-weight:\"><strong> Lyceum Theatre<br\/><\/strong><br\/>\nStill a roaring success after 23 years at the Lyceum, Disney\u2019s <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/guide-music-disneys-lion-king\/"\"><em>The Lion King<\/em> <\/a><\/strong>remains one of the most popular tickets in town. Based on the 1994 animated feature, the show features stunning puppetry and beautiful vocal performances by the cast. The score features the original \u2013 and some additional \u2013 songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, Mark Mancina, Lebo M and Jay Rifkin plus music by<strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/all-the-oscar-winners-and-nominees-for-best-original-score\/"\"> Oscar-winning composer<\/a><\/strong> <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/hans-zimmer\/"\">Hans Zimmer <\/a>\u2013 <\/strong>one of the <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/top-film-composers-ever\/"\">best film composers in the world<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul><li><strong><a class=\""standard-card-newarticle-title"\" href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/what-does-hakuna-matata-from-the-lion-king-mean\/"\">What does \u2018Hakuna matata\u2019 from \u2018The Lion King\u2019 mean?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><section class=\""highlight\"><div class=\""highlightcontent\" editor-content=\"\"> \n<ul><li><a href=\"\/\/www.ticketmaster.co.uk\/disney-s-the-lion-king-uk-tickets\/artist\/975016"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""nofollow noopener noreferrer\" noopener=\"\"><strong>Buy tickets to <em>The Lion King<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section><h3 style=\""font-weight:\"><em><strong>Mary Poppins<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p style=\""font-weight:\"><strong>Prince Edward Theatre<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Mary\" poppins=\"\" official=\"\" trailer=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6xbqa76NdiI?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p style=\""font-weight:\">Everyone\u2019s favourite Edwardian Nanny will soon be flying out of the Prince Edward Theatre, with the current run of Disney\u2019s <em>Mary Poppins<\/em> ending on 8 January. So if you haven\u2019t seen it, \u2018spit spot\u2019 and grab a ticket. It features original and specially composed songs by the legendary Sherman Brothers, dynamic dance sequences and more than a little stage magic. It\u2019s practically perfect in every way\u2026<\/p>\n<section class=\""highlight\"><div class=\""highlight__content\" editor-content=\"\"> \n<ul><li><strong><a href=\"\/\/theatre.ticketmaster.co.uk\/city\/2957-london\/VV3L-mary-poppins\/"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""nofollow noopener noreferrer\" noopener=\"\">Buy tickets to Mary Poppins<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section><h3 style=\""font-weight:\"><em><strong>Moulin Rouge! The Musical<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n<p style=\""font-weight:\"><strong>Piccadilly Theatre<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Baz Luhrman\u2019s <em>Moulin Rouge!<\/em> was made for the stage, and this eye-popping musical extravaganza doesn\u2019t disappoint. Like the film it takes in the story of a young writer who falls in love with a courtesan at the famous Paris night spot with comical and devastating results. And like the film it features a dizzying array of familiar tunes from Bowie to the Beatles, with plenty of additions for this new live incarnation by the likes of Adele, Katy Perry and Beyonc\u00e9. It\u2019s clever and colourful.<\/p>\n<section class=\""highlight\"><div class=\""highlight__content\" editor-content=\"\"> \n<ul><li><a href=\"\/\/www.londontheatredirect.com\/booking\/moulin-rouge-tickets\/11-2022"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""nofollow noopener noreferrer\" noopener=\"\"><strong>Buy tickets to <em>Moulin Rouge! The Musical\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section><p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 style=\""font-weight:\"><strong><em>Only Fools and Horses the Musical\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\""font-weight:\"><strong>Theatre Royal Haymarket<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Only\" fools=\"\" and=\"\" horses=\"\" official=\"\" trailer=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lqLeK7yC6Lw?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p style=\""font-weight:\">One of the most surprising West End hits in recent years, <em>Only Fools and Horses the Musical<\/em> takes its lead from the brilliant BBC sitcom written by the late John Sullivan and features music and lyrics by Sullivan\u2019s son Jim and original star Paul Whitehouse. The story of wheeler-dealer brothers Del and Rodney Trotter might be a very British brand of musical, but it\u2019s done with great love for the characters. If you\u2019re a fan of the show (and who isn\u2019t in the UK?), it\u2019ll tickle the funny bone and make you appreciate the original even more.<\/p>\n<section class=\""highlight\"><div class=\""highlight__content\" editor-content=\"\"> \n<ul><li><strong><a href=\"\/\/www.londontheatredirect.com\/musical\/only-fools-and-horses-tickets"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""nofollow noopener noreferrer\" noopener=\"\">Buy tickets to <em>Only Fools and Horses the Musical\u00a0<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section><h3 style=\""font-weight:\"><strong><em>Matilda the Musical<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>\u00a0Cambridge Theatre\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Matilda\" at=\"\" the=\"\" cambridge=\"\" theatre=\"\" trailer=\"\" width=\""200"\" height=\""113"\" src=\""https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9q6N4zxbkWs?feature=oembed"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allow=\""accelerometer;\" autoplay=\"\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" gyroscope=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<p style=\""font-weight:\">The multi-award winning musical based on <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/fantastic-mr-dahl\/"\">Roald Dahl<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s much-loved book about a downtrodden little girl with magical powers has been in the West End for over a decade. In that time it has become a firm favourite with musical fans, largely thanks to its winning songs by Tim Minchin. It has just been transformed into a film musical which has a limited cinema run ahead of its premiere on Netflix this Christmas.<\/p>\n<section class=\""highlight\"><div class=\""highlight__content\" editor-content=\"\"> \n<ul><li><a href=\"\/\/www.londontheatredirect.com\/musical\/matilda-the-musical-tickets"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""nofollow noopener noreferrer\" noopener=\"\"><strong>Buy tickets to <em>Matilda the Musical<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section><h3 style=\""font-weight:\"><strong><em>Six The Musical<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\""font-weight:\"><strong>Vaudeville Theatre<br\/><\/strong><br\/>\nThe Tony Award-winning musical about <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/musical-life-king-henry-viii\/"\">Henry VIII\u2019<\/a><\/strong>s six wives continues to draw audiences in the West End, on Broadway and also on tour here in the UK recently. It\u2019s a sensational show with brilliant songs by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss that gives the late Queens a moment in the spotlight to share their side of the story. Backed by an all-female band called \u2018The Ladies in Waiting\u2019, it\u2019s a brilliantly riotous night out. Just don\u2019t lose your head.<\/p>\n<section class=\""highlight\"><div class=\""highlight__content\" editor-content=\"\"> \n<ul><li><a href=\"\/\/www.ticketmaster.co.uk\/six-the-musical-tickets\/artist\/5263549"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""nofollow noopener noreferrer\" noopener=\"\"><strong>Buy tickets to <em>Six the Musical<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section><section class=\""highlight\"><div class=\""highlight__content\" editor-content=\"\"> \n<h4><strong>All you need to know about the best musicals<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul><li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/10-of-the-best-songs-from-musicals\/"\">10 of the best songs from musicals<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/best-stage-musicals-of-all-time\/"\">10 of the best stage musicals of all time<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/tv-and-film-music\/best-film-musicals-of-all-time\/"\">15 of the Best Film Musicals of All Time<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/best-musical-theatre-composers\/"\">10 of the best musical theatre composers<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section><p>Main image: Scene from <em>Elf<\/em> \u00a9 Getty Images<\/p><\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Michael Beek Published: Monday, 07 November 2022 at 12:00 am There\u2019s something about seeing a musical in the lead up to Christmas, especially in the West End. Stepping out into the cold, taking in the festive lights and window displays, partaking in a drink of something warming\u2026 it\u2019s all part of it. But what […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":21310,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"6"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/west-end-musicals-the-10-best-london-shows-to-see-in-december-2022-scaled.jpg",2560,1696,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/west-end-musicals-the-10-best-london-shows-to-see-in-december-2022-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/west-end-musicals-the-10-best-london-shows-to-see-in-december-2022-300x199.jpg",300,199,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/west-end-musicals-the-10-best-london-shows-to-see-in-december-2022-768x509.jpg",768,509,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/west-end-musicals-the-10-best-london-shows-to-see-in-december-2022-1024x679.jpg",800,530,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/west-end-musicals-the-10-best-london-shows-to-see-in-december-2022-1536x1018.jpg",1536,1018,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/11\/west-end-musicals-the-10-best-london-shows-to-see-in-december-2022-2048x1357.jpg",2048,1357,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Michael Beek Published: Monday, 07 November 2022 at 12:00 am There\u2019s something about seeing a musical in the lead up to Christmas, especially in the West End. Stepping out into the cold, taking in the festive lights and window displays, partaking in a drink of something warming\u2026 it\u2019s all part of it. But what…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/21309"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}