London theatre: the best plays and shows on now

In a nutshell: "This astonishingly assured debut from Joe White is set in the heart of Shropshire during a Sunday in May and has much to do with the death of a young boy. It's a warm, wise, sad, enthralling evening." 

The Way of the World ★★★☆☆

Where: Donmar Warehouse

Address: 41 Earlham St, London WC2H 9LX

Until: May 26

In a nutshell:"A serviceable revival of William Congreve's knotty 1700 Restoration comedy, with a tremendous supporting performance from Fisayo Akinade as the bumpkin-esque Sir Wilfull Witwoud. It's incredibly hard to follow, but that's partly a reflection of the world as Congreve saw it: beset by calculation and subterfuge." 

The Writer ★★★★☆

Where: Almeida Theatre

Address: Almeida St, London N1 1TA

Until: May 26

In a nutshell:  "Romola Garai stars in a play about feminism now, and the way a woman writer might endeavour (and struggle) to make a truthful piece of theatre in a male-dominated world. It proceeds as an ingenious series of ambushes; over two unflaggingly inventive hours, I found myself by turns goaded, irritated, delighted, challenged." 

Describe the Night ★★★★☆

Where: Hampstead Theatre

Address: Eton Ave, London NW3 3EU

Until: June 9

In a nutshell: "There’s a gap in the market for big plays about Russia and Vladimir Putin, and the way we seem to have sleep-walked back into the darkness of the Cold War. Describe the Night by Cleveland-born Rajiv Joseph is a hugely ambitious, manifestly flawed but still worthwhile attempt to focus attention on the rogue elephant in the geopolitical room. Daring to show a very thinly veiled Vlad on stage – here named Vova – it traces the origins of the Kremlin’s current disinformation binge right back to the early days of the Russian Revolution." 

Quiz ★★★★☆

Where: Noel Coward Theatre

Address: 85-88 St Martin's Ln, WC2N 4AP

Until: June 16

In a nutshell:"Prolific young playwright James Graham's account of the 'coughing Major' scandal that beset Who Wants to be a Millionaire? in 2001 locks its constituent elements of audience interaction together to form a dazzling examination of the way our choices – and lives – are manipulated." 

Mood Music ★★★☆☆

Where: Old Vic

Address: The Cut, Lambeth, London SE1 8NB

Until: June 16

In a nutshell: "A young female singer (Seana Kerslake) pens a chart-busting hit, but it’s her older male producer (Ben Chaplin) who demands the credit, claims it as his ‘baby’. Even if you’re not well-versed in tales of manipulated and exploited women recording artists down the years, it’s an eminently plausible scenario." 

An Ideal Husband ★★★★☆

Where: Vaudeville Theatre

Address: 404 Strand, London WC2R 0NH

Until: July 14

In a nutshell: "In Oscar Wilde's 1895 comedy, Sir Robert Chiltern has made his fortune by taking a back-hander for passing on classified government information. At the beginning of the play’s 24-hour cycle of action, his nemesis arrives at his grand house on Grosvenor Square in the shape of Mrs Cheveley, who has evidence of his past wrong-doing... but it's the brilliant (and incredibly funny) Freddie Fox as Sir Robert's friend Goring who steals the show." 

The Book of Mormon ★★★★★

Where: Prince of Wales Theatre

Address: Coventry St, London, W1D 6AS

Booking until: July 21

In a nutshell: "The songs may not be memorable, but it is exuberant, and, like the colourful extravaganza that the Africans put on at the end (stringing together all of the lies the naughty Mormon has told them) it works in a way that is rather mystifying... Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the fellows behind South Park) and Robert Lopez (the chap behind Avenue Q), have created something that, God have mercy upon my soul, I found very funny." 

Red ★★★★☆

Where: Wyndham's Theatre

Address: Charing Cross Rd, London WC2H 0DA

Until: July 28

In a nutshell: "This revival of John Logan’s transfixing portrait of the artist Mark Rothko in the late Fifties stars Alfred Molina as the pugilistic painter and Alfred Enoch as the assistant who challenges his beliefs. It’s an exhilarating showdown, as the lithe young protégé-cum-skivvy – asked to think for himself, but not too much – rips chunks out of his arrogant master, like a young lion challenging the head of the pride." 

Hamlet / As You Like It ★★★☆☆

Where: Shakespeare's Globe

Address: 21 New Globe Walk, London SE1 9DT

Until: August 26

In a nutshell: Michelle Terry’s inaugural two productions as artistic director at Shakespeare’s Globe are a mixture of the good, the bad and the plain cuckoo... Hamlet is played (very finely, actually) by a woman (Terry), Ophelia by a bloke (Shubham Saraf)... Over in As You Like It, answering the core identity confusions with a heap more, there’s an even more pronounced sense of switcheroo. The diminutive, boyish Bettrys Jones plays Orlando, while the gangly Jack Laskey is the heroine Rosalind." 

Brief Encounter ★★★★☆

Where: Empire Cinema, Haymarket 

Address: 63-65 Haymarket, St. James's, SW1Y 4RL

Booking until: September 2

In a nutshell: "Emma Rice's wonderfully romantic musical rendering of Noël Coward and David Lean's classic film - in which two strangers fall in fleeting love – returns to the West End. Staged in a Twenties' cinema, this production combines the magic of the silver screen with the camaraderie of theatre." 

Witness for the Prosecution ★★★★☆

Where: London County Hall

Address: Belvedere Road, London, SE1 7PB

Booking until: September 16

In a nutshell: "Lucy Bailey directs this entertaining adaptation of Agatha Christie's Twenties courtroom murder mystery, in which a man is accused of killing a widow in order to inherit her wealth. Staged in chambers at London's magnificent County Hall, this production puts the audience right at the heart of the action." 

Aladdin ★★★☆☆

Where: Prince Edward Theatre

Address: Old Compton St, Soho, London W1D 4HS

Booking until: September 29

In a nutshell: "There are some good gags and serviceable work from other leads, Jade Ewen’s plucky Jasmine and Don Gallagher’s cackling villain Jafar among them. The flying carpet hovers without a hitch. But you don’t need to be a patriotic nut to miss old Widow Twankey, Wishy-Washy and the time-honoured British slant on this tale." 

Young Frankenstein ★★★★☆

Where: Garrick Theatre

Address: 2 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0HH

Booking until: September 29

In a nutshell: "At the age of 91, Mel Brooks is still making people howl with laughter. Howl, you might say, like werewolves. Audiences are rising to their feet in thanks for the mirth he has given the world over the years, and for what he has now done with Young Frankenstein, his celebrated spoof Thirties horror film. So what has he done? Well, stuck songs in it, obviously. This is an entertaining musical rehash of a celluloid comedy masterpiece." 

The Lion King ★★★★☆

Where: Lyceum Theatre

Address: 21 Wellington St, London WC2E 7RQ

Booking until: September 30

In a nutshell: "In theory it should all feel contrived – you've got Elton John and Tim Rice's anthemic pop efforts sharing the same terrain as earthy, soul-stirring African arrangements. The human presence creating the animal magic is openly signalled in the costumes and puppetry. And yet, for all that calculation, the over-riding impression is one of freshness – of potentially incongruous elements flowing together quite naturally." 

Chicago ★★★★☆

Where: Phoenix Theatre

Address: Charing Cross Rd, WC2H 0JP

Until: October 6

In a nutshell: "In this 21st anniversary production of the hit musical, Oscar-winner Cuba Gooding Jr makes the well-worn role of Billy Flynn feel new-minted. Gooding is the real deal, making Flynn an anxious doodlebug who you feel could turn on a pin. When he agrees to take on murderous wannabe showgirl Roxie Hart, you really worry if he can save her from the gallows." 

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie ★★★★☆

Where: Apollo Theatre

Address: 31 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7ES

Booking until: October 6

In a nutshell:"Is Everybody’s Talking About Jamie the new Billy Elliot for our times? It tells the story of Jamie New (John McCrea: sharp, sassy, and delightfully out there and vulnerable), a gay teenager at a northern comprehensive, who, platinum-blond cropped hair shining like a beacon, decides to make his name as a transvestite." 

42nd Street ★★★★☆

Where: Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Address: Catherine Street, London, WC2B 5JF

Booking until: November 29

In a nutshell: "42nd Street is the tyrannosaurus rex of tap-dancing. What its creators did back in the day (1980) was take a neglected Warner Bros 1933 classic, strip it down its essentials and stuff in as many pleasure-giving songs from the gilded back-catalogue of Harry Warren and Al Dubin as possible, including that Depression-era paean to newfound wealth, We’re In the Money...  This is an American classic right royally revived. I loved it in the way one can’t help loving achingly beautiful things." 

Hamilton ★★★★★

Where: Victoria Palace Theatre

Address: 126 Victoria Street, SW1E 5EA

Booking until: December 15

In a nutshell:"Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical phenomenon – the most talked-about musical of the century – retells the life and times of Alexander Hamilton (c1755 – 1804), first Secretary of the US Treasury, using a predominantly non-white cast and a welter of rap music." 

Motown the Musical ★★★★☆

Where: Shaftsbury Theatre

Address: 210 Shaftesbury Ave, London WC2H 8DP

Booking until: January 5, 2019

In a nutshell: "Never mind the sometimes clunky script – superb performances and a gilded back-catalogue make this musical an urgent rallying cry for us all to rediscover our Motown mojo." 

Dreamgirls ★★★★☆

Where: The Savoy Theatre

Address: Savoy Court, Strand, London WC2R 0ET

Booking until: January 12, 2019

In a nutshell: "What does this show fundamentally offer? Tremendous gusto of soul and gaiety of spirit. Given the sort of jittery year we’ve had, who’d not want a piece of that?" 

School of Rock ★★★★★

Where: New London Theatre

Address: 166 Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5PW

Booking until: January 13, 2019

In a nutshell: "Andrew Lloyd Webber and Julian Fellowes have made the grade in turning this much-loved 2003 Hollywood comedy into a musical. The stage version cleaves closely to the celluloid storyline, following the misadventures of Dewey Finn, a rock-loving slob who wangles an illicit gig as a supply teacher (faking his best friend’s identity) at a posh prep school. Once there, he courts the risk of exposure while giving his over-regimented charges a liberating education in rock... It's the most enjoyable few hours money can buy."  

Matilda: The Musical ★★★★★

Where: Cambridge Theatre

Address: 32-34 Earlham Street, London, WC2H 9HU

Booking until: February 10, 2019

In a nutshell: "The RSC’s hilarious, moving and magical production of Matilda has now arrived in the West End, where I suspect it will delight audiences for years to come... It is the best new British musical since Billy Elliot. Dennis Kelly has adapted Roald Dahl's famous story for the stage, while Aussie comedian Tim Minchin has come up with a smashing score that combines take-home melodies with delicious lyrical wit."

Les Misérables ★★★☆☆

Where: Queen's Theatre

Address: 51 Shaftesbury Ave, Soho, London W1D 6BA

Booking until: March 2, 2019

In a nutshell: "The long evening commands respect for its size, scale of ambition and great Gallic reservoirs of rousing bombast. Yet aside from a handful of numbers, mostly concentrated early on, genuine pathos gets lost in the hurly-burly of undistinguished, if dramatically efficient, bits of filler music." 

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child ★★★★★

Where: Palace Theatre

Address: Shaftesbury Ave, London W1D 5AY

Booking until: April 7, 2019

In a nutshell: "Tremors of excitement at the premiere of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – the first Potter play, and the eighth story in the publishing phenomenon that made J K Rowling’s name and fortune – are being felt across the world... The big news is that this is just what was needed, will raise the benchmark for family entertainment for years to come and may even usher in a whole cycle of Potter-world stories." 

Wicked ★★★☆☆

Where: Apollo Victoria Theatre

Address: 17 Wilton Rd, Pimlico, London SW1V 1LG

Booking until: May 25, 2019

In a nutshell: "No one could accuse Wicked of being a great musical - indeed at times it's a bit of a mess - but it proves far more enjoyable than I had dared to hope, and deserves a wider audience than adolescent schoolgirls."