Robert Jackman

The top theatre shows to see in London

  • From Spectator Life
Saoirse Ronan will star in Macbeth (Getty)

After the usual slow summer, the West End will return to action this autumn – as several more theatres reopen their doors. Here’s our pick of shows to book ahead for:

The Shark is Broken

Ambassadors Theatre, 9 October – 15 January
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Ian Shaw (Image: Nick Driftwood)

A smash hit at the Edinburgh Festival back in 2019, The Shark is Broken goes behind the scenes during the filming of Stephen Spielberg’s Jaws, revealing how the timeless blockbuster nearly never got made in the first place. Based on first-hand accounts from those who were there at the time, the play is also written by Ian Shaw – whose late father, Robert, starred in the film as shark-hunter Quint. Given the reviews from its Edinburgh run, there’s a serious buzz around this one already.

Hamlet

Young Vic, 25 September – 13 November
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Lucca Quinn (Image: Dean Chalkley, Young Vic)

It’s now more than two years since Cush Jumbo – Lucca Quinn in The Good Wife and The Good Fight – announced she would be returning to the stage to take on the role of the Danish prince at Southwark’s Young Vic theatre.

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