The Theatre Shows & Exhibitions To Book Now
Image: Marilyn: The Exhibition/Ted Stampfer
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The Theatre Shows & Exhibitions To Book Now

There are plenty of exciting events to mark on your calendar in the coming months. From an exhibition at a new museum to buzzy theatre shows, here’s what to keep an eye on…
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Image: Marilyn: The Exhibition/Ted Stampfer

EXHIBITIONS

Francis Bacon: Human Presence

National Portrait Gallery

This exhibition is the first in nearly 20 years to focus on the portraits of Francis Bacon, considered one of the greatest 20th-century painters. His early works depict disconcerting, screaming figures as he explores humanity in a post-war world. Featuring over 50 pieces from global collections, as well as photographs of the artist, the exhibition spans the late 1940s to the final, unfinished portrait that was left on his easel.

Until 19th January

Visit NPG.ORG.UK

Definitely Maybe: A View From Within Lands

Town Hall Hotel

You might have heard, Oasis are back together and touring. Even if you didn't get tickets, there’s an exhibition at the Town Hall Hotel in Bethnal Green which is free to attend. It features the photography of Michael Spencer Jones, who made the cover photographs for the band’s first three albums, Definitely Maybe, Morning Glory and Be Here Now. The exhibition also includes many famous images and previously unseen snaps of the band.

Until 24th January 

Visit TOWNHALLHOTEL.COM

Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers

National Gallery

To mark its 200th anniversary, the National Gallery has a major exhibition on Vincent Van Gogh. It’s the first to focus on Van Gogh’s imaginative transformations, featuring over 50 works and loans from museums and private collections around the world, including pictures from the Kröller Müller Museum, Van Gogh Museum and the Musée d’Orsay. Focusing on Van Gogh’s time in Arles and Saint-Rémy in the south of France, the exhibition investigates the artist’s fascinating practice of turning the places he encountered into idealised spaces in his art.
Until 19th January

Visit NATIONALGALLERY.ORG

Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers, National Gallery
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers, National Gallery

Healing Frequency

Moco Museum

Moco Museum is a recognisable name for connoisseurs of the European art scene. Hosting the likes of Banksy, Tracey Emin, Andy Warhol, Basquiat and more, the contemporary art museum has attracted over five million visitors to its original Barcelona and Amsterdam locations – and has already made a splash in London since opening this summer. Now, it’s pulling out the big guns with a performance art exhibition led by the revered artist Marina Abramović. Called Healing Frequency, it collates 12 works from Abramović’s Transitory Objects for Human Use, including beds, chairs and benches, alongside a collection that spans five decades of her impactful work.

Until 11th March 

Visit FEVERUP.COM

The 80s: Photographing Britain

Tate Britain

Race riots, miner strikes, Section 28 and the AIDS pandemic marked the turbulent landscape of 1980s Britain. The Tate’s upcoming exhibition highlights the vibrant work of photographers, collectives and publications that fought back against Thatcherism and the societal norms of the era. Through powerful art and photography, this exhibition showcases striking images that narrate the stories of underrepresented communities, including the Black arts movement, women in photography, queer narratives and the South Asian diaspora.

21st November-5th May 

Visit TATE.ORG.UK

Marilyn: The Exhibition

Arches London Bridge

Making its UK debut, this exhibition allows attendees a glimpse into the inner life of one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. It features 250 extraordinary items – from love letters and satin robes to vintage shoes and make-up – from the private collection of Ted Stampfer, the world’s most prominent collector of Monroe memorabilia. 

Until 23rd February

Visit MARILYNLONDONBRIDGE.CO.UK

Marilyn: The Exhibition
Marilyn: The Exhibition, Bert Stern

THEATRE

The Devil Wears Prada

Dominion Theatre

If you enjoy revelling in noughties nostalgia, you’ll love this musical adaptation of the unequalled The Devil Wears Prada. Featuring an original score by Elton John, with direction and choreography by three-time Tony award winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde, Pretty Woman, Hairspray), it’s set to be a hit. Even better, the star of the show is Vanessa Williams – one of the editors from another of our favourite fictional magazines (Mode in Ugly Betty).

Until 31st May

Visit TICKETMASTER.CO.UK

The Importance Of Being Earnest

The National Theatre

Having won hearts as Eric in Sex Education, Ncuti Gatwa is the perfect choice to play Algernon Moncrieff in the National Theatre’s splashy new staging of The Importance of Being Earnest. This version of Oscar Wilde’s classic features Gatwa as the witty, hedonistic bachelor and sidekick to Jack Worthing (Hugh Skinner, Fleabag). Jack leads a double life: in Hertfordshire, he’s a respectable landowner; in London, he’s the scandalous Ernest, who leads a life in pursuit of pleasure. With humour, hijinks and duplicitous lies, the play explores identity, friendship and love. While it has been staged countless times, director Max Webster injects fresh energy and flamboyance.

20th November-25th January

Visit NATIONALTHEATRE.ORG.UK

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

Almeida Theatre

Following in the footsteps of her Normal People co-star Paul Mescal, Daisy Edgar-Jones will be taking to the stage in a reimagining of another Tennessee Williams play. Instead of A Streetcar Named Desire, Daisy will be taking on another classic, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, alongside Kingsley Ben-Adir (Bob Marley: One Love) and Lennie James (Mr Loverman, The Walking Dead). This play, which scored Williams his second Pulitzer Prize for drama, follows a wealthy but disintegrating Southern family who have gathered to celebrate bullying patriarch Big Daddy’s birthday. Rebecca Frecknall – who has made her name reviving Williams’ classics – directs, bringing new levels of social insight to the 1955 play. 

10th December-1st February 

Visit ALMEIDA.CO.UK

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Almeida Theatre
Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Almeida Theatre, Danny Kasiry

The Tempest

Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Jamie Lloyd's rise in British theatre has been meteoric. Known for his bold, divisive interpretations of classics and for attracting major stars – some even out of retirement – his recent accolades include The Effect at the National, featuring Paapa Essiedu and Taylor Russell; Cyrano de Bergerac with James McAvoy; The Seagull starring Emilia Clarke; and Romeo & Juliet with Tom Holland. Now, he's pulled off a major coup by casting screen legend Sigourney Weaver in her UK stage debut as exiled magician Prospero in The Tempest, the first Shakespeare play at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in over 50 years.

7th December-1st February 

Visit LWTHEATRES.CO.UK

Much Ado About Nothing

Theatre Royal Drury Lane

In the second half of Jamie Lloyd’s season at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Tom Hiddleston (The Night Manager) and Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter, Black Mirror) star as the bickering lovers Benedick and Beatrice. Filled with love, deception and plenty of misunderstandings, their story features sharp dialogue and comedic moments. While Lloyd is known for his bold celebrity castings – like his upcoming US production of Waiting for Godot with Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter – Hiddleston and Atwell are two of his most trusted actors. Hiddleston previously appeared in Lloyd’s revival of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal in the West End and on Broadway, while Atwell graced the stage in two of Lloyd’s earlier productions, The Faith Machine and The Pride.

10th February-5th April

Visit LWTHEATRES.CO.UK

Richard II

Bridge Theatre

Tickets are now on sale for Bridge Theatre’s 2025 production of Richard II. Shakespeare's tale of feuds and tyranny is one of his greatest history plays – a story of England on the cusp of all-out war due to a politically incompetent king. Heartthrob Jonathan Bailey is taking on the title role, having become known for his work on Bridgerton and Fellow Travellers

10th Feb-10th May 2025

Visit BRIDGETHEATRE.CO.UK

Richard 11
Richard 11

The Seagull

Barbican

Many have taken on Chekhov’s The Seagull, but few have nailed it. This time, the play is in capable hands with Duncan Macmillan (People, Places & Things) and Thomas Ostermeier (An Enemy of the People) directing. The two promise to deliver a fresh take on the timeless themes of vanity, power and artistic sacrifice. Cate Blanchett returns to the stage as Arkadina, a celebrated actress whose larger-than-life presence dominates both the spotlight and her personal life. Meanwhile, Tom Burke plays her writer lover Trigorin and Emma Corrin stars as the infatuated young actress Nina. 

26th February-5th April

Visit THESEAGULLPLAY.CO.UK

Punch

Young Vic

James Graham is the playwright everyone’s talking about. His recent work, Dear England, commissioned by the National Theatre, explored Gareth Southgate’s transformation of the national football team. After a sold-out run in 2023, the play moved to the West End, attracting over 200,000 viewers, and is set to return in 2025. Graham is also adapting it for TV with the BBC. In early 2024, he scored another hit in his near hometown of Nottingham with Punch, a gripping true story of violence and redemption that will transfer to the Young Vic early next year. Based on Jacob Dunne's book Right from WrongPunch follows Jacob, who kills a promising young paramedic with a single punch, and how his bereaved parents help him turn his life around. With sensational reviews from Nottingham, this powerful tale highlights the devastating consequences of one reckless moment.

1st March-12th April 

Visit YOUNGVIC.ORG

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