If you needed an excuse to leave the house in October’s gloomy weather, here you have it. London’s theatre stages are packed this month. It’s the kind of month where you could watch a Pulitzer-winning playwright one night and a four-hour Polish avant-garde epic the next.
Between the final echoes of the summer fringe and the looming festive blockbusters, this is the sweet spot for theatre lovers. It’s strange, stylish, and full of unexpected comebacks. There’s a Hamlet with mischief in its bones, Susan Sarandon’s long-awaited UK stage debut, and a folk musical that made Edinburgh audiences weep. Ready to see what else is in store?
Top 7 theatre openings in London in October
1. Ohio
Young Vic, Maria Studio | Sep 30 – Oct 24
After selling out at the Edinburgh Fringe, Ohio by US duo The Bengsons comes to London with its intimate blend of folk music and personal storytelling. The piece traces how the couple’s experience of deafness reshaped their relationship. It uses live music to explore connection, sound and silence in deeply personal ways.
2. Troilus and Cressida
Shakespeare’s Globe | Now – Oct 26
Director Owen Horsley takes on one of Shakespeare’s strangest plays – part war epic, part love story, and rarely staged for good reason. Set during the Trojan War, Troilus and Cressida balances romantic tragedy with biting satire and features Samantha Spiro, Lucy McCormick and Jodie McNee in the lead roles.
3. Hamlet
National Theatre, Lyttelton | Now – Nov 22
The National Theatre’s first Hamlet in over a decade sees Hiran Abeysekera take on the title role, directed by Robert Hastie. This new staging brings a sharper focus to the humour and humanity in the text, exploring the play’s enduring questions of loyalty, grief and revenge.
4. Bog Witch
Soho Theatre Walthamstow | Oct 9 – 25
Performance artist Bryony Kimmings returns with her first solo work since the pandemic. Bog Witch draws from her time living off-grid and her interest in environmental activism, mixing storytelling, music and comedy to reflect on personal change and climate anxiety.
5. The Unbelievers
Royal Court Theatre | Oct 10 – Nov 29
Playwright Nick Payne’s long-awaited return to the stage reunites him with director Marianne Elliott. The Unbelievers stars Nicola Walker as a mother experiencing overlapping moments in time after her son’s disappearance. It continues Payne’s fascination with science, emotion and human connection.
6. The Maids
Donmar Warehouse | Oct 13 – Nov 29
Australian director Kip Williams, known for his high-tech reinterpretations of the classics, stages Jean Genet’s The Maids at the Donmar. Lydia Wilson leads as Madame, with Yerin Ha and Phia Saban as the two maids whose fantasies blur dangerously with reality.
7. Wendy & Peter Pan
Barbican Centre | Oct 21 – Nov 22
Ella Hickson’s modern retelling of Peter Pan reimagines the story from Wendy’s perspective. The Royal Shakespeare Company production finally reaches London, with Toby Stephens taking on the role of Captain Hook. It’s an energetic, family-friendly version that rebalances the classic tale.
See also the launch of Clays Soho, our review of Sabrage, and all about the new Titanic immersive exhibition.