What’s On Stage In London: March 2014

Ruth Hargreaves
By Ruth Hargreaves Last edited 121 months ago
What’s On Stage In London: March 2014

Welcome to March’s edition of our What’s On Stage In London series, where we look at the month ahead to give you our pick of new openings. Organised by (very general) category and opening date, we hope this will allow you to browse and book ahead of time so you don’t miss out on seeing your favourite London shows. Useful? Missing something? Pile of crap? Please let us know.

The Prince of the Pagodas, at London Coliseum

Musicals and Opera

Treat your ears with: Donizetti, Strauss, Jekyll & Hyde and a bunch of theatre ushers ...

3 March - La Fille Du Régiment at Royal Opera House — Donizetti's opera marches onto the stage in this Laurent Pelly production, promising humour, patriotism and catchy melodies. £9-£195 , until 18 March

4 March - Le Docteur Miracle at various — Pop Up Opera bring this comic operette by French composer Georges Bizet to venues including the Bull in Highgate, The Running Horse in Mayfair, Drink Shop & Do in King's Cross and The Electric Cinema in Notting Hill. £20-£40, until 20 March

7 March - Ushers: The Front of House Musical at Charing Cross Theatre — Front of house comes to the stage in this new musical that focuses on the people who usually reside in theatre's dimmed lights: the ushers. £17, until 19 April

10 March - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at Savoy Theatre — Having toured the world, this musical comedy, starring Robert Lindsay, Samantha Bond and Rufus Hound, is based on the 1988 film of the same name. £31-£114, until 29 Nov

12 March - The Man Inside at Landor Theatre — The complex character of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is brought to life in this new British musical, focusing on one man's descent into the dark side. £20, until 29 March

13 March - La Clemenza di Tito at Cadogan Hall — Classical Opera presents its first performance of Mozart’s opera, allegedly written within eighteen days during the composer’s final months.£15-£35

14 March - Jersey Boys at Piccadilly Theatre — OK, not strictly speaking a 'new' opening, but Jersey Boys is upping sticks from Prince Edward Theatre (its home since 2008) and from today can be found at Piccadilly Theatre (from what we can tell, the tickets are slightly cheaper too). £22.50-£85, until 26 October

14 March - Die Frau Ohne Schatten at Royal Opera House — Director Claus Guth reveals the darker elements of Strauss’s morally demanding fairytale opera in a new production. £13-£185, until 2 April

25 March - Thérèse Raquin at Finborough Theatre — The world premiere of a new musical adaptation of the French novel of the same name, about a Parisian woman whose life is suddenly overwhelmed by a passionate and unforeseen love affair. £16/£14, until 19 April

Dance

Fairytales, shadows, motion-sensing technology and a celebration of the Kings of dance.

2 March - Caramel at Chelsea Theatre — An unusual production could quite easily come under the 'Alternative' heading too, Caramel is a cross between a dance-making session and the process of cooking caramel, calling itself "edible choreography". Sounds sticky. £12/£10, 7.30pm

5 March - Crazy Glue at Pleasance Theatre — Inspired by Etgar Keret’s short story, Crazy Glue is a tragicomedy about loss told through clowning, mime, dance and sound effects, all accompanied by a 1930s soundtrack. £5+bf, until 6 March

8 March - Darren Johnston: Zero Point at Barbican — British choreographer Darren Johnston showcases new software that uses motion-sensing technology to create graphic texture and light through dance . Free (pre-booking essential)

11 March - Shadowland at Peacock Theatre — Dance troupe Pilobolus Dance Theatre fuse shadow theatre, dance, circus and concert to create a visually rich performance set alongside an original score. £15-£40+bf, until 30 March

11 March - The Falling Song at Laban Theatre — Four dancers, a children's choir, ladders, ropes and hundreds of apples. Dublin dance company Junk Ensemble make their UK touring debut with this physical dance/theatre/music production. £15/£10

19 March - Kings Of The Dance at London Coliseum — The critically-acclaimed Kings of the Dance makes its London debut showcasing the phenomenal artistry, style and power of today’s most celebrated male dancers. £79/£69, until 22 March

20 March - Sun at Sadler’s Wells — The international dancers of Hofesh Shechter Company perform an emotive and chaotic work by the man himself. £12-£29, until 23 March

26 March - The Prince Of The Pagodas at London Coliseum — With spectacular and imaginative costumes from War Horse designer Rae Smith and inspired by Benjamin Britten's only full-length ballet score, we're excited about this fairytale UK ballet premiere. £59.50-£69.50, until 29 March

Kings of the Dance, at London Coliseum

Contemporary

The more unusual subject matters: broken glasses, gay football and SUPERMAN!

3 March - Each of Us at various — Ben Moor's solo comedy show hops between London theatres (Tristan Bates, Pleasance, Southwark Playhouse, Canal Cafe and Arcola), asking how can you stop yourself creating a social catastrophe of your own life. £8-£10 depending on venue, until 16 March

4 March - N.O.W ‘14 collection at Yard Theatre — Over 10 weeks, 20 companies perform their work as part of Yard Theatre's politically engaged collection. From £10 per night, weekly until 12 April

4 March - Heaven Can Wait at Bridewell Theatre — Theatre company Sedos present this 1938 play about an ethereal place between heaven and earth, and one man's refusal to come to terms with his own recent death. £13.50/£11, until 8 March

6 March - Sprint Festival at Camden People's Theatre — With 30 shows over three weeks, Sprint Festival celebrates new and unusual theatre. £9 before March or £18-£40 thereafter, prebook, until 30 March

6 March - The City and Iris at Pleasance Theatre — Glass-Eye Theatre company use physical storytelling to tell the tale of Iris, whose day takes a very unexpected turn after her glasses break. £11/£9, until 8 March

6 March - The Unremarkable Death of Marilyn Monroe at Greenwich Theatre — A radical interpretation of a Hollywood legend, Marilyn Monroe ditches the glamour and dons her slippers as we're led to the moment of her death. £18.50/£16, until 8 March

7 March - IT’S A BIRD… IT’S A PLANE… IT’S SUPERMAN at Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre — Superman, as a "sparkling musical comedy". What else is there to say? £15/£12.50, until 22 March

10 March - Major Tom at Battersea Arts Centre — The true story of how an average 34 year-old and her unruly Basset Hound, Major Tom, became a beauty queen and a champion show dog. £12/£9, until 15 March

11 March - Companion Piece at Pleasance Theatre — The first producton of Concorde Theatre Company, a transatlantic theatre exchange bringing the best American new writing to the UK and vice versa, Companion Piece by American writer Kevin Armento is about the struggle of making online love work in the flesh. £12/£10, until 30 March

11 March - Picasso’s Arftul Occupation at Barons Court Theatre — How does the world's most famous artist cope with a German army who are suspicious of modern art? Ian Buckley's play looks at the place of art in an occupied territory. £10-£12, until 30 March

11 March - Bunker Girls at Waterloo East Theatre — A dark comedy-thriller, set in Berlin 1945, concerning two German secretaries preparing for a daring escape. £15/£13, until 30 March

11 March - The Gut Girls at Jack Studio Theatre — Spend some time with the foul mouthed, beer-swilling Gut Girls of Victorian London, either ankle deep in blood or delighting in the East End’s most notorious dance halls. £14/£11, until 29 March

11 March - Away From Home at Jermyn Street Theatre —  An edgy one-man show that tackles the taboo of homosexuality in football. £18/£15, until 28 March

18 March - Rift Zone at New Diorama — Interweaving saga and folklore, music and visual theatre, Night Light Theatre brings us Iceland on election night, as a new political force rips through the country. £12.50/£10.50, until 5 April

18 March - Angel & Now We Are Pope at The London Theatre — A double-bill of one-man plays, one about faith and the other about exile. £12.50/£10, until 23 Marcch

23 March - Kingdom of Fire and Clay (Iran vs Israel) at The Cockpit — A storytelling and music performance about animosity and friendship that combines classical Jewish and Iranian tales. £12/£10

26 March - Inner Voices (Le Voci Di Dentro) at Barbican — Eduardo De Filippo’s 1948 black comedy highlighted the corruption of human relationships in the aftermath of the Second World War and now, Toni Servillo brings it back the stage. £16-£30, until 29 March

The City and Iris, at Pleasance Theatre

Alternative

Think you’ve already seen it all? Give these more unusual productions a go.

5 March - Quit Playing With Yourself at Ovalhouse — "A series of provocative Queer commissions asking how we can expand the boundaries of what one person can do on stage". £8/£5, until 8 March

7 March - An Awfully Big Performance at Chickenshed, Rayne Theatre — To celebrate their 40th festival year, Chickenshed have selected an array of moments from their previous shows to take audiences on a journey through 40 years of performance. £5-£15, until 23 March

11 March - Pim & Theo at Unicorn Theatre — Sound, imagery and live action combine in this immersive promenade show, to tell the story of two murdered political characters who fight and remember, but can't go home. £10-£16, until 16 March

11 March - Beulah at Greenwich Theatre — The Flanagan Collective set up shop at Greenwich Theatre for a dream-story using storytelling, puppetry, projections and live music. £13.50/£11, until 15 March

12 March - The Eradication of Schizophrenia in Western Lapland at Shoreditch Town Hall — This premiere splits the audience in two to experience auditory hallucinations in a new work inspired by a treatment method for psychosis that has virtually eradicated schizophrenia in Western Lapland. ££15/£12, until 15 March

14 March - Philip Pullman’s Grimm Tales at Shoreditch Town Hall — This sounds BRILLIANT. For the first time, author Philip Pullman's Grimm Tales for Young and Old are brought to life in an immersive storytelling experience in the beautiful space of Shoreditch Town Hall. Should be magical. £19.50-£35, until 24 April

18 March - Father Nandru & the Wolves at Wilton's Music Hall — Another fantastic venue. This folktale, based on a true story and told through puppetry, engineering and dream-like design, was written especially for Wilton’s Music Hall by award-winning playwright Julian Garner. £13-£25, until 18 April

26 March - CircusFest at Roundhouse (and others) — Run away with the circus for a month of bold performances, ranging from high-energy acrobatics to artificial light experimentation, street dance to hair hanging. Fans of physical theatre should not miss out. See website for full details, until 27 April

31 March - Lunchtime FourPlay at St James' Theatre — Stuff some culture into your lunchtime with a 'menu' of four ten-minute comedy plays daily, plus the occasional drama. £10/£8, until 4 April

Drama

Focused, thoughtful or hard-hitting, these productions look set to provide high drama.

2 March - Mrs Roosevelt Flies to London at King's Head Theatre — Granted special permission to use Eleanor's writings, Alison Skilbeck's new one-woman show follows Eleanor Roosevelt during her 1942 trip to wartime London. £12-£25, until 23 March

2 March - The Hard Man at Finborough Theatre — Based on a true story, The Hard Man is a compelling study of a brutalised man in the brutalising system of a 1970s Glaswegian prison. £18/£16, until 18 March

6 March - Visitors at Arcola Theatre — A family is falling apart when the appearance of a stranger prompts them to look at whether they have been living the way they wanted to. £12-£17, until 29 March

6 March - Hurried Steps at Finborough Theatre — A powerful hour-long play inspired by real testimonies from Amnesty International returns  for a one-off at Finborough Theatre as part of New Shoes Theatre's 2014 International Women’s Day tour. £5

11 March - The Husbands at Soho Theatre — Set in rural India, The Husbands looks at love, jealousy and a woman's right to choose . £10-£15, until 23 March

17 March - Bash: Latterday Plays at Old Red Lion Theatre — Neil Labute's Bash is a collection of three one act plays that paint a picture of the evils found in everyday life. £10-£15, until 12 April

17 March - Chewing Gum Dreams at The Shed — The 67 bus, friendship, sex, UK garage, white boys, God, money: a one-woman play that recalls those last days of innocence before adulthood. £12, until 5 April

18 March - The Accrington Pals at Bridewell Theatre — Accrington was the smallest town in England to raise a volunteer Pals Brigade to fight in World War One and this  play centres on the fate of this tight community. £11-£14, until 22 March

18 March - Blithe Spirit at Gielgud Theatre — Angela Lansbury returns to the West End this spring for the first time in nearly 40 years, in a new production of Noël Coward's supernatural Blithe Spirit. £12.25-£61.25, until 7 June

20 March - In The Vale of Health: Japes / Michael / Japes Too / Missing Dates at Hampstead Downstairs — Experience four Simon Gray plays based on the same characters, in the same situation but all telling a different story with opposite conclusions. £12-£20, until 5 May

24 March - Other Desert Cities at The Old Vic — A UK premiere, by playwright  Jon Robin Baitz, exploring family politics, love, loss and redemption as one woman decides to publish a family memoir. £10-£75, until 24 April

26 March - Another Country at Trafalgar Studios — What would lead a man to betray his country? In Julian Mitchell’s award-winning play which has starred Kenneth Branagh, Daniel Day-Lewis, Rupert Everett and Colin Firth over the years, this question is answered. £19.50-£70, until 21 June

26 March - Eldorado at Arcola Theatre — Married bliss in meltdown. Eldorado asks what happens when the drive for success carries us past our coping point. £15-£20, until 3 May

27 March - Pests at Royal Court Theatre — Sisters from the same nest. Both trapped in a tiny rotting world. One wants out. The other needs her in. £20/£10, until 3 May

28 March - Kingston 14 at Theatre Royal Stratford East — Award-winning playwright Roy Williams returns to Theatre Royal Stratford East with a police corruption drama set in Kingston, Jamaica, starring Goldie. £7-£22.50, until 26 April

30 March - Almost Near at Finborough Theatre — Exploring themes of war, trauma, kinship and empathy, Almost Near is a new play by Pamela Carter, set in Afghanistan and the UK, about  what it means to be alive. £18/£16, until 15 April

31 March - Home at The Shed —  Nadia Fall’s critically acclaimed new play returns to The Shed, telling real-life stories about homelessness in London. We saw it last year and loved it. £12, until 30 April

Goldie in Kingston 14, at Theatre Royal Stratford East

Classic

Still going strong after all this time: Shakespeare, Stoker, Marlowe and... Fatal Attraction.

2 March - Bronte at The Space — The story of the Bronte family, showing the actual events which helped to inspire some of the most famed stories and characters of English literature. £10/£7

4 March - The Tempest at The London Theatre — Oxford Chamber Theatre, a professional classical company, present this Shakespeare production. £12/£10, until 16 March

6 March - King Lear at The Cockpit —  David Ryall leads Darker Purpose Theatre's production of King Lear, which uses Shakespeare’s own performance practice of “coded” directions to his actors. £15/£12, until 29 March

8 March - Fatal Attraction at Theatre Royal Haymarket — Natascha McElhone, Mark Bazeley and Kristin Davis all star in this re-interpretation of the 1987 classic film thriller . £10-£65, until 21 June

11 March - The Massacre at Paris at Rose Theatre Bankside — For the first time in over four centuries, Christopher Marlowe's brutal last play, dramatising the St Bartholomew's Eve Massacre and its aftermath, returns to the Rose. £12/£10, until 29 March

12 March - Jane Eyre at Rosemary Branch — Part ghost story, part Gothic romance, part religious tract, Jane Eyre is back at Rosemary Branch follow last year's sell-out run. £10-£13, until 30 March

11 March - Riverrun at The Shed — Olwen Fouéré, one of Ireland’s leading theatre-makers, performs her acclaimed new adaptation of the voice of the river in James Joyce's Finnegans Wake. £12, until 22 March

18 March - Dracula at Greenwich Theatre — Adapted by John Ginman, this theatrical treatment of Bram Stoker’s adventure blends specially commissioned live music, ensemble performances and innovative design. £18.50/£16, until 22 March

19 March - A Study in Scarlet at Southwark Playhouse — Tacit Theatre return to Southwark Playhouse with a brand new adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective classic. £18/£16, until 12 April

25 March - Lolita at The London Theatre — This production follows the Stanley Kubrick take on Lolita, with Clare Quilty, a lesser character in the book taking on a more active role. £12.50, until 30 March

Kids

Sunflowers, rabbits and a bear in desperate need of a hug.

1 March - Sally and the Sunflower at Lyric Hammersmith Studio — One very small girl. One very tall sunflower. One big adventure. £8

1 and 8 March - Meeting Mr. Boom at Greenwich Dance Agency (1 March) and Stratford Circus (8 March) — An ingenious set grows before the audience's eyes as dancers and live music tell the story of a young girl who is magically transported to an exciting new world. £5-£10

2 March - Tomten at Greenwich Theatre — Viktor Rydberg’s well-loved poem about a secret presence on a family farm is brought to life in a new puppetry show for children aged 3+. £11/£8.50

12 March - Momo at Polka Theatre — Songs, puppetry and storytelling come together to tell this musical fantasy, based on the novel by Michael Ende. £12.50/£9, until 22 March

21 March - The Velveteen Rabbit at Unicorn Theatre — Oh goodness we're feeling weepy already. Join Unicorn Theatre for a heartwarming story about a little shy toy who longs to be real. £10-£16, until 19 April

23 March - Hugless Douglas at Greenwich Theatre — Join Hugless Douglas (a brown bear who needs a hug) as he searches for the perfect one. £13.50/£8.50

29 March - At the End of Everything Else at Unicorn Theatre — Performed with puppetry, animation and music, this show about a young girl who finds her little yellow bird has gone missing, sounds unique and very very sweet. £10-£16, until 19 April

At the End of Everything Else, at Unicorn Theatre

What are you planning on seeing on stage in London this March? Any of the above tickle your fancy? Seeing something not listed here? Tell us in the comments.

Last Updated 13 February 2014