While it's true that the West End draws many a thespian eye for its lavish production values and star-studded casts, hopping on the train to zone 1 for a night’s entertainment can often be time-intensive and costly investment. It’s fortunate then that Surrey has so many theatres scattered across the county.
Below are just some of the stellar shows coming to theatres near you - be sure to check out what else is coming down the line, as there’s always something of note on the horizon.
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1
'Closer'
- Venue: Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
- Dates: 14 July - 13 August
- Price: Tickets from £10
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First performed in the National Theatre in 1997, with none other than Ciarán Hinds and Clive Owen forming half of the leading line-up (with Clive later reprising his role in the 2004 film adaptation), Patrick Marber’s hilarious and salacious story of sex, lust and desire has captivated audiences the world over.
Reimagined and redefined, Closer is brought to the Lyric by Olivier Award-winning director Clare Lizzimore.
It follows four Londoners as their love lives tangle and intertwine, creating a cacophonous, calamitous comedy that won The Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy and was listed as “one of the best plays of sexual politics in the language” by The Sunday Times.
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2
'Joseph Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat'
New Victoria Theatre Peacocks Centre, Victoria Way, Woking, GU21 6GQ- Venue: New Victoria Theatre
- Dates: 2 - 6 August
- Price: Tickets from £13
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“A feast for the eyes” might be an overused cliche, but in the case of this particular production, I can think of a no more fitting description. Having found its home in the London Palladium some 50 years ago, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s theatrical reimagining of the biblical tale of Joseph is on the move, promising to bedazzle audiences across the UK.
To have such a staple of the West End show vacate its throne is a rare occurrence so, make the most of the opportunity and catch it and I strongly recommend making the most of the opportunity to see this iconic production.
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3
'Billionaire Boy'
- Venue: Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
- Dates: 4 - 6 August
- Price: Tickets from £18
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From the mind of comedian, bestselling children’s author and television extraordinaire, David Walliams, comes Billionaire Boy, a tale about a boy with all of the money and none of the friends.
As Gangsta Granny, another of Walliams’s works, continues to draw audiences in their masses, the producers promise that this will be another magnetic display. At a runtime of under two hours, the show is bound to be a great night out for all the family.
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4
'Peter Pan'
- Venue: Rhoda McGaw Theatre
- Dates: 4 -6 August
- Price: Tickets from £19
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After nearly 26 years on the move, Peter Pan and The Lost Boys are flying inbound to Surrey. Brought to the Rhoda McGaw by Rare Productions, a youth-focused theatre group, the talent on stage will be some of the best and brightest upcoming stars and, as Rare Productions seek to source talent from local areas when on tour, you may well recognise some faces on stage!
With music provided by George Styles, a seasoned composer with scores such as Mary Poppins, Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Wind in the Willows to his name, this magical musical will leave audiences feeling as though you too can fly.
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5
'The Gruffalo'
- Venue: Rose Theatre
- Dates: 24 August - 3 September
- Price: Tickets from £15
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Having honed the craft of family storytelling over the last 25 years, seeing their productions performed across the globe, Tall Stories brings their musical adaptation of The Gruffalo to the Rose Theatre.
We all know of The Gruffalo with its terrible claws, terrible tusks and terrible jaws, but thankfully this production, boasting over twenty years on the stage, is far from terrible!
A fun and interactive introduction to the magic of the theatre for the little ones and a trip down memory lane for those grown-ups chauffeuring them.
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6
'Yellowman'
- Venue: Orange Tree Theatre
- Dates: 5 September - 8 October
- Price: Tickets from £15
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Distanced performances are available on 27 September and 3 October.
Dael Orlandersmith’s Susan Smith Blackburn Prize-winning and Pulitzer Prize-nominated drama about colour-blind love in the Deep South in the 1960s is making its way to Richmond.
Directed by Diane Page, whose recent credentials include hits such as Out West, Ghost Stories and Love and Information, the play promises to be an emotional tour-de-force.
Last year, Page won the James Menzies Kitchen award for her work on Statements after an Arrest under the Immorality Act, a tale about an interracial relationship under threat in Apartheid South Africa, making her the perfect director to do this story justice.
Finally, if you cannot make the dates above, you will still be able to stream the performance on demand via Orange Tree On Screen from the comfort of your living room between 11 - 14 October.
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7
'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'
- Venue: The Richmond Theatre
- Dates: 5 - 10 September
- Price: Tickets from £13
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Richmond Theatre is rolling out its red carpet for the debut theatrical performance of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
Adapted from the 2011 box-office sensation of the same name, this play boasts Academy, BAFTA and Golden Globe-Award winner Hayley Mills (Wild at Heart, Pollyanna, The Parent Trap), alongside household favourites such as Paul Nicholas (Just Good Friends), Rula Lenska (EastEnders) and Andy de la Tour (Notting Hill, Star Wars), to name just a few.
The show transports audiences to India, where an eccentric and eclectic group of retirees discover that the luxurious life of opulence they were promised was more than a little overstated.
As they seek ways in which to build the retirement they were looking for, they find love and courage in the face of second chances, all embroiled with a decent helping of humour along the way.
As you’ll be amongst the first to see the show, why not seize the opportunity to squeeze in a viewing before it becomes yet another box-office sensation!?
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8
'Black Is The Color Of My Voice'
- Venue: The Exchange
- Date: 9 September
- Price: Tickets from £20
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Written and first performed in Shanghai in 2013, Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show about a jazz musician seeking redemption after her father's untimely death has been a sell-out venue in the West End and around the globe.
Heavily inspired by the life and times of Nina Simone, the world-renowned singer/songwriter and activist, the play takes a harsh look at racial violence and is recommended for an audience of 12+.
Featuring a selection of Simone’s hit singles, the play promises to be an emotional and nuanced journey of struggle and determination.
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'The Two Popes'
- Venue: Rose Theatre
- Dates: 9 - 23 September
- Price: Tickets from £15
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Directed by James Dacre, The Two Popes is a theatrical adaption of the 2019 film by the same name, exploring the drama of the Vatican leaks through a comedic lens. Dacre's past work includes the direction of Shakespeare’s As You Like It and Tennessee Williams’s Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, and was the first to bring Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World to the stage.
Written by Anthony McCarten, who not only penned the 2019 film but has cinematic juggernauts such as Bohemian Rhapsody and The Darkest Hour to his name, the production has received rave reviews and is one not to be missed!
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10
'An Inspector Calls'
- Venue: New Wimbledon Theatre
- Dates: 9 - 17 September
- Price: Tickets from £15
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A staple of secondary school reading, there is scarcely a 16-year-old who hasn’t at least heard of J.B. Priestley’s seminal work.
First featuring in the West End in 1946, the murder mystery received a second life in 1992 when director and producer, Stephen Daldry, brought it back to the National Theatre.
Daldry’s production is seeing a revival of its own and begins its tour across Great Britain here in Wimbledon. In what is assured to be another sell-out venue, make sure to catch your seat in a theatre near you!
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11
'The Merry Mikado'
1 High Street, Cranleigh, GU6 8AS- Venue: Cranleigh Arts
- Date: 16 September
- Price: £21.50
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Whilst traditional opera may be an acquired taste, The Merry Opera Company is looking to break down some of those barriers to entry.
In operation for 15 years, these touring tenors are on a mission to show that opera can thrill, delight and devastate, without the price tag and prior knowledge of the story to truly grasp the premise of a scene.
The company are bringing their unique and quirky take on the savoy classic, The Mikado, to Cranleigh, filling it with their own particular brand of hilarity.
So, whether you’re entirely new to opera, have had some middling interest in checking it out, or are in fact an operatic connoisseur, The Mikado might be just the show for you!
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12
'Miss Julie'
The Embankment (off Church Street) Twickenham, Surrey, TW1 3DU- Venue: Mary Wallace Theatre
- Dates: 17 - 24 September
- Price: £17
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First brought to bear in Sweden in 1888, Miss Julie has made its way around the world. Telling the tale of a Count’s daughter who entangles herself with one of the servants, and the two explore what it means to step into the other’s world for an intimate midsummer's night.
The timeless nature of Miss Julie’s subject matter has seen it adapted many times over, taking place in South African apartheid, post-WW2 Hong Kong, or on a plantation in Mississippi, 1964, to name just a few.
This adaptation, written by Howard Benton, famous for his plays The Romans in Britain and Pravada, promises to be yet another prominent take on the story, so if classic drama is up your street, then be sure to give the Mary Wallace Theatre a look.
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13
'Hellfire Comedy Club'
- Venue: G Live
- Date: 22 September
- Price: £35
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If it’s comedy you’re after, look no further than the Hellfire Comedy Club. Running circuits in and around London, the Hellfire Comedy Club (not to be mistaken with the ‘devil worshippers’ of Stranger Things) will be stopping in the heart of Guildford’s arts scene to offer locals the chance to see some of the best up and coming stand-up artists the nation has to offer.
The night is catered for by the Hellfire chefs who prepare a select and scrumptious curry dish per stop, making each dish a scrumptious surprise. Accompanied with an array of traditional Indian sides, rice and naan, as well as an ice-cold beer or a glass of wine, this experience is sure to delight!
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14
'Beauty & The Beast: Guardian Of The Forest'
- Venue: The Leatherhead Theatre
- Date: 23 September
- Price: £18
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In this reimagining of Beauty & the Beast, Chantry Dance has given a suitably enchanting makeover to the plot, producing the classic fairy tale with an environmental twist. A Lord, cursed by ‘The Green Lady’ for his rampant city expansions further and further into the forest, becomes the fearsome Guardian of the Forest before he happens upon a familiar Beauty.
We may have seen the eponymous duo dance before, but never quite like this. Combining the arts of contemporary dance, ballet and circus, Co-directors Paul Chantry and Rae Piper have helped choreograph a wealth of productions over the years, including Cinderella, Peter Pan and Tom’s Midnight Garden. With decades of experience, Chantry Dance’s production promises to be an unforgettable experience.
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'Noughts & Crosses'
- Venue: Richmond Theatre
- Dates: 27 September - 1 October
- Price: Tickets from £13
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When seeking to publish her alternate history/dystopian love story in which people are racially and socially divided by the tone of their skin, Malorie Blackman was advised against it, due to its sensitive subject material. It has since become a world-renowned bestseller, seeing significant success on stage and screen alike.
This theatre adaptation, helmed by poet and playwright, Sabrina Mahfouz, breathes life into a play that has much to teach audiences of all ages (of 12 and above)!
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