Struggling to get into the festive mood this Christmas? Fear not! Read on for our top non-festive shows to see during the Christmas period.
Bah humbug! If you’re struggling to get in the festive spirit this year and want to see something other than a pantomime, children’s show or ballet, there are plenty of options on London’s stages. From dark plays such as The Duchess [of Malfi], to the political satire Dr Strangelove, and Greek musical Hadestown, choose from a variety of thrilling West End and Off-West End shows.
While festive fanatics should head over to our top 10 list of Christmas shows, all those looking for an escape from Yuletide need look no further than our round-up that breaks with Christmas tradition.
Blood, violence, revenge, and murder. What could be more festive? Jodie Whittaker returns to the stage for the first time in 12 years in Zinnie Harris’s modern adaptation of the classic tragedy about the ill-fated Duchess of Malfi, who is tormented by jealous and possessive brothers when she marries beneath her class. The show only runs until 20 December, so don’t miss your pre-Christmas revenge tragedy fix this winter.
Book The Duchess [of Malfi] tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk
Enjoy Samuel Beckett’s masterpiece of existentialism this winter with Waiting for Godot, running until 21 December at Theatre Royal Haymarket and starring Ben Whishaw and Lucian Msamati. The play follows Vladimir and Estragon, as they wait for a mysterious figure named Godot and question their purpose, identity, and the meaning of their existence. Beats sitting around waiting for the kids to scream “He’s behind you!”
Book Waiting for Godot tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk
The Young Vic’s exciting new revival of Lillian Hellman’s gothic drama is set at the turn of the 20th century in Alabama, and follows Regina Hubbard (played by the excellent Anne-Marie Duff) as she conspires to obtain substantial wealth. Greed, betrayal, and moral corruption follow — sounds like Christmas, right?
Book The Little Foxes tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk
Sigourney Weaver makes her West End debut in director Jamie Lloyd’s take on Shakespeare’s play of magic, revenge, and forgiveness. The Tempest begins with a shipwreck at the hands of Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, who wishes to exact revenge on his usurping brother Antonio. While the play tackles challenging themes of nature versus nurture, forgiveness versus revenge, and freedom versus confinement, there are still moments of lightness and comedy for those hoping for a little Christmas cheer.
Book The Tempest tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk
Steve Coogan, best known for his skilled impressions, specifically his creation of the character Alan Partridge, takes on a new challenge in Dr Strangelove, playing not one, not two, not three, but four parts in this explosively funny satire about the end of the world. The play focuses on a nuclear crisis triggered by a deranged U.S. Air Force general, Jack D. Ripper, who orders a preemptive nuclear strike on the Soviet Union without presidential approval. Celebrate Christmas in the Noël Coward Theatre’s Pentagon War Room this December.
Book Dr Strangelove tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk
Director Robert Icke’s modern retelling of Sophocles’s tale of tragedy features Olivier Award-winning actors Mark Strong (A View From the Bridge) as Oedipus and Lesley Manville (Ghosts, The Crown) as Jocasta. On election night, political contender Oedipus is on the brink of claiming victory, celebrating with his family. But as they await the results of his win, devastating revelations about Oedipus’s true parentage surface, with horrifying repercussions for both his family and the country. Icke masterfully streamlines this story of incest and power into a tense political thriller. No Christmas crackers will be shared during this family dinner.
Book Oedipus tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk
Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a feel-good musical, but have you considered a journey to the Underworld? Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown follows two sets of Greek lovers — Orpheus and Eurydice, and Hades and Persephone — in a post-apocalyptic, Depression-era-inspired world. With themes of love, sacrifice, and the struggle between life and death, Mitchell’s musical packs a punch this Christmas.
Book Hadestown tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk
Photo credit: Jodie Whittaker in The Duchess. (Photo by Marc Brenner)
