Check out West End matinees currently running in London.
Matinees are a crucial part of London’s theatreland — and a treat all of their own. For many, these afternoon shows are a scheduling lifeline, especially if you’re travelling in and out of the city or have young children. Matinees in the West End can also be a great family occasion, or a fun way to have a special day out, accompanied by shopping, sightseeing and a meal.
But not all shows have matinees on the same days or at the same times, which can make planning your outings something of a challenge. So, we’ve assembled a guide to some of London’s top shows and all of their upcoming matinees. Get inspired and get booking!
Book West End theatre tickets to weekday matinees.
& Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre
Shakespeare meets pop bangers in this jubilant musical. Juliet embarks on her own adventure, accompanied by songs written for the likes of Katy Perry, Ariana Grande and the Backstreet Boys.
& Juliet matinees: Fridays and Saturdays at 2:30pm
A Number, Old Vic
Lennie James and Paapa Essiedu star in this thought-provoking revival of Caryl Churchill’s cloning play. What really makes us who we are – and how much are we shaped by our parents?
A Number matinees: Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm
After The End, Theatre Royal Stratford East
Two colleagues are stranded in a fallout shelter in Dennis Kelly’s post-apocalyptic play. Surviving nuclear devastation is one thing; now, they have to survive each other.
After the End matinees: Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm
Anyone Can Whistle, Southwark Playhouse
Alex Young stars in this revival of Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents’ off-the-wall satirical musical about government control, nonconformity, sanity and fake miracles.
Anyone Can Whistle matinees: Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm
Anything Goes, Barbican
Cole Porter’s glorious ocean-liner musical is back for a second summer, and with new cast members: Kerry Ellis, Denis Lawson, Simon Callow and Bonnie Langford. All aboard for escapist bliss.
Anything Goes matinees: Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm
Back to the Future: The Musical, Adelphi Theatre
Great Scott! The 80s sci-fi film phenomenon is now a spectacular stage musical, complete with a flying car. Can Marty McFly save his family and make it back home in time?
Back to the Future: The Musical matinees: Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm, Sundays at 3pm
Bloody Difficult Women, Riverside Studios
Tim Walker’s new political play explores the power struggle between two determined women, Theresa May and Gina Miller – and the Brexit divisions that still define our nation.
Bloody Difficult Women matinees: Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30pm
But I’m A Cheerleader: The Musical, Turbine Theatre
This stage adaptation of the cult black-comedy film follows high school student and suspected lesbian Megan to a rehabilitation camp, where she discovers who she truly is.
But I’m A Cheerleader: The Musical matinees: Sundays at 4pm
Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Willkommen to Rebecca Frecknall’s thrilling revival of Kander and Ebb’s musical, which places you right in the heart of the club – and amidst the rise of a far-right power.
Cabaret matinees: Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2pm
Cinderella The Musical, Gillian Lynne Theatre
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s latest West End show is a witty revamp of the classic fairy tale, starring Carrie Hope Fletcher as a rebellious Cinderella who lives in a shallow community.
Cinderella The Musical matinees: Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm, Sundays at 3pm
Clybourne Park, Park Theatre
Bruce Norris’s Olivier, Tony and Pulitzer-winning play is back, once again depicting racial and housing tensions to painfully funny effect. Imogen Stubbs stars.
Clybourne Park matinees: Thursdays and Saturdays at 3pm
COCK, Ambassadors Theatre
Marianne Elliott directs Jonathan Bailey, Taron Egerton, Jade Anouka and Phil Daniels in Mike Bartlett’s provocative play about relationships, sexuality and identity.
COCK matinees: Thursdays and Saturdays at 3pm
Come From Away, Phoenix Theatre
This heartfelt Canadian musical tells the astonishing true story of plane passengers stranded in a small Newfoundland town on 9/11, and the great friendships they struck up with their generous hosts.
Come From Away matinees: Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm
Dear Evan Hansen, Noel Coward Theatre
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s Tony-winning musical about a socially anxious teenager and a grieving family is hugely resonant in the age of the internet and isolation.
Dear Evan Hansen matinees: Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm
Death Drop, Criterion Theatre
It’s Drag-atha Christie time! This murder mystery-meets-RuPaul’s Drag Race sensation is back by popular demand, now starring Jujubee and Kitty Scott-Claus.
Death Drop matinees: Saturdays and Sundays at 4pm
Dirty Dancing, Dominion Theatre
Have the time of your life at this loving re-creation of the great 80s movie on stage, complete with your favourite scenes, lines, songs and dances – including that lift…
Dirty Dancing matinees: Saturdays at 3pm
Disney’s The Lion King, Lyceum Theatre
The animated film is reborn as an epic family musical. The catchy songs are all there, along with incredible puppets evoking the animals of the African Pride Lands.
Dirty Dancing matinees: Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30pm
Doctor Who: Time Fracture, Immersive LDN
The Doctor needs you! Join UNIT and help them defeat a dangerous weapon – while travelling through time, and encountering some familiar heroes and villains along the way.
Doctor Who: Time Fracture matinees: Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 12pm and 12:45pm, Saturdays at 1:30pm
Faulty Towers the Dining Experience, President Hotel
Enter the world of one of the greatest ever sitcoms, as Basil, Sybil and Manuel try to serve you a three-course meal – while getting caught up in madcap comic hijinks.
Faulty Towers the Dining Experience matinees: Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30pm
Frozen the Musical, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Let it snow! The Disney megahit is now a family-friendly stage musical, with jaw-dropping theatrical design and special effects conjuring up Elsa’s magic and companions like Olaf.
Frozen the Musical matinees: Thursdays and Saturdays at 2pm, Sundays at 1pm
Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Lyric Theatre
This exciting tribute to the Jamaican reggae legend supplies all of the great man’s indelible hits, while also exploring his home life and his inspiring political activism.
Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical matinees: Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30pm
Grease the Musical, Dominion Theatre
Grease is the word once again, as Nikolai Foster brings you the one that you want. Join Danny and Sandy at Rydell High for some summer lovin’ in this exhilarating revival.
Grease the Musical matinees: Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Palace Theatre
Harry Potter’s wizarding adventures continue in this spellbinding two-part play. Now it’s his son Albus heading off to Hogwarts, but a new dark power is rising.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child matinees: Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 2pm, Sundays at 1pm
Heathers the Musical, The Other Palace
How very! Veronica is a reluctant part of the Heathers clique in this musical version of the 80s movie, but everything changes when the mysterious rebel JD arrives.
Heathers the Musical matinees: Wednesdays and Saturdays at 3pm, Sundays at 1pm
Henry VIII, Shakespeare’s Globe
Amy Hodge and Hannah Khalil offer a female perspective on Shakespeare and John Fletcher’s collaborative play about a king desperate to secure a male heir.
Henry VIII matinees: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 2pm
Jersey Boys, Trafalgar Theatre
Follow the gripping story of how Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons rose to stardom – and then fell apart. This popular musical is teeming with incredible hits.
Jersey Boys matinees: Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm, Sundays at 4pm
King Lear, Shakespeare’s Globe
Kathryn Hunter reprises the role of Lear, alongside the Globe’s Artistic Director Michelle Terry, in Shakespeare’s tragic depiction of a family and a nation torn asunder.
King Lear matinees: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 2pm, Sundays at 1pm
Life of Pi, Wyndham’s Theatre
This dazzlingly inventive adaptation of Yann Martel’s philosophical novel puts a shipwrecked boy on stage along with a Bengal tiger: true theatre magic.
Life of Pi matinees: Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm
Mamma Mia!, Novello Theatre
A fantasy Greek island, a heartfelt tale of family and friendship, and the indelible songs of ABBA: it’s an irresistible combination. Mazz Murray leads the current West End cast.
Mamma Mia! matinees: Thursdays and Saturdays at 3pm, Sundays at 2:30pm
Matilda the Musical, Cambridge Theatre
The anarchic spirit of Roald Dahl lives on in Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin’s enjoyably naughty family musical. It’s also a real love letter to storytelling.
Matilda the Musical matinees: Wednesdays at 2pm, Saturdays at 2:30pm, Sundays at 3pm
Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Piccadilly Theatre
Baz Luhrmann’s unforgettable movie is now a red-hot stage musical, once again mixing a lavish Belle Époque Parisian romance with a mega mash-up of modern pop hits.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical matinees: Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm
My Fair Lady, London Coliseum
Bartlett Sher’s loverly Broadway revival comes to the West End, starring Amara Okereke as Eliza Doolittle, Harry Hadden-Paton as Henry Higgins and Vanessa Redgrave as Mrs Higgins.
My Fair Lady matinees: Thursdays and Saturdays at 2pm
Only Fools and Horses – The Musical, Theatre Royal Haymarket
Mais oui, mais oui: Del Boy, Rodney and Grandpa are back. Jim Sullivan and Chas Hodges supply cushty new songs for this stage version of the classic sitcom.
Only Fools and Horses: The Musical matinees: Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm
Pretty Woman: The Musical, Savoy Theatre
Missing this one would be a big mistake. Big. Huge! The Julia Roberts and Richard Gere-starring movie is now a romantic stage musical, with songs from Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance.
Pretty Woman: The Musical matinees: Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30pm
SIX, Vaudeville Theatre
Henry VIII’s wives tell their own stories in this smash-hit herstory musical – and in the guise of pop divas like Adele and Beyoncé. It’s the ultimate girl power outing.
SIX matinees: Saturdays and Sundays at 4pm
Straight Line Crazy, Bridge Theatre
Ralph Fiennes stars in David Hare’s play about the limits of democracy. Fiennes plays the real-life New York city planner Robert Moses, whose power went unchecked for decades.
Straight Line Crazy matinees: Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm
The 47th, Old Vic
Bertie Carvel plays Donald Trump in Mike Bartlett’s new blank-verse, future-history play. Can the right-wing populist forces that won Trump the Presidency do it a second time?
The 47th matinees: Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm
The Book of Mormon, Prince of Wales Theatre
Two naïve missionaries travel to Africa in this hilarious and outrageous musical satire from South Park’s Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Frozen’s Robert Lopez.
The Book of Mormon matinees: Fridays and Saturdays at 2:30pm
The Choir of Man, Arts Theatre
It’s the ultimate lock-in. Head to the West End’s most welcoming pub, where you’ll find a group of guys with stories to share through covers of chart-topping songs.
The Choir of Man matinees: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 3:30pm
The Drifters Girl, Garrick Theatre
Beverley Knight plays the trailblazing music manager Faye Treadwell, who ensured the legacy of band The Drifters. This stirring show is packed with their phenomenal hits.
The Drifters Girl matinees: Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm
The Glass Menagerie, Duke of York’s Theatre
Jeremy Herrin revives Tennessee Williams’s semi-autobiographical memory play, with Hollywood star Amy Adams making her West End debut as Amanda Wingfield.
The Glass Menagerie matinees: Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm
The Human Voice, Harold Pinter Theatre
Ruth Wilson reunites with director Ivo van Hove for a fresh take on Jean Cocteau’s one-woman show about communication, technology, love and loneliness.
The Human Voice matinees: Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm
The Mousetrap, St Martin’s Theatre
The longest-running show in the West End, Agatha Christie’s fiendish whodunit is still puzzling and thrilling audiences. Can you best the Queen of Crime?
The Mousetrap matinees: Thursdays and Saturdays at 3pm, Sundays at 2pm
The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Duke of York’s Theatre
Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel has become a beguiling stage play. A boy battles otherworldly monsters with his new friend, while also fighting demons at home.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane matinees: Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30pm
The Play That Goes Wrong, Duchess Theatre
The amateur Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society are attempting to stage a murder mystery, but, in this side-splitting comedy, they are constantly besieged by disasters.
The Play That Goes Wrong matinees: Saturdays at 2:30pm, Sundays at 3pm
The Seagull, Harold Pinter Theatre
Jamie Lloyd revives Chekhov’s play with an intriguing cast, including Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke, Indira Varma and Daniel Monks, and Anya Reiss’s contemporary script.
The Seagull matinees: Saturdays at 2:30pm
The Southbury Child, Bridge Theatre
Alex Jennings plays the controversial vicar of a small rural parish in Stephen Beresford’s new play exploring faith, community and tolerance, directed by Nicholas Hytner.
The Southbury Child matinees: Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm
The Woman in Black, Fortune Theatre
Susan Hill’s unnerving novel becomes a play full of ghostly chills and thrills. This West End staple is only for the most courageous of theatregoers…
The Woman in Black matinees: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 3pm
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical, Aldwych Theatre
From humble beginnings in Nutbush, Tennessee, to success with Ike Turner and then breaking free to become a solo rock ‘n’ roll legend, this musical recounts an amazing life story.
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical matinees: Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm, Sundays at 3pm
To Kill A Mockingbird, Gielgud Theatre
Aaron Sorkin supplies a new adaptation of Harper Lee’s seminal novel about lawyer Atticus Finch defending a falsely accused black man in court. Rafe Spall stars.
To Kill a Mockingbird matinees: Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm
Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre
This twist on the Wizard of Oz story, featuring Stephen Schwartz’s soaring music, explores the complex friendship between the so-called Wicked Witch, Elphaba, and Good Witch Glinda.
Wicked matinees: Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30pm
Witness for the Prosecution, London County Hall
This riveting site-specific production places you right in the court room with Leonard Vole, accused of murder, in Agatha Christie’s twist-packed tale.
Witness for the Prosecution matinees: Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm, Sundays at 3pm
https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/west-end-matinee-guide
