Cats Returns to Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
The biggest theatrical event of August 2026 is the first-ever UK revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, running until September 12. Directed by Drew McOnie, this fresh production follows the original 1981 version that ran for over two decades in the West End and the immersive US adaptation Cats: The Jellicle Ball. The show adapts T.S. Eliot's feline poetry and promises a fresher take than the legwarmer-heavy original.
Greenwich + Docklands International Festival
The Greenwich + Docklands International Festival returns from August 21 to September 6, offering three weeks of free outdoor international theatre. A highlight is Efectos Especiales from Argentina (August 29-30), which creates a stunning action movie experience with weather, vehicles, and immersive effects. Multiple venues across the area host the festival.
Death Note the Musical at the Barbican
The Barbican Centre presents Death Note the Musical from July 30 to September 12, an all-singing adaptation of the Japanese anime about a boy with a notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it. This contrasts with the earlier summer musical High Society.
How the Other Half Loves at the Old Vic
Matthew Warchus's farewell season at the Old Vic includes a rare August opening: How the Other Half Loves by Alan Ayckbourn, starring Roger Allam and Dorothy Atkinson. The comedy revolves around two married people having an affair who enlist a third couple as an alibi, causing chaos. Runs July 29 to September 19.
Dog Man: The Musical at Queen Elizabeth Hall
Dog Man: The Musical, based on Dav Pilkey's silly kids' graphic novels, transfers from off-Broadway to Queen Elizabeth Hall from July 29 to August 16. It features the escapades of a policeman with a dog's head and is billed as the must-see kids' show of the summer.
Now You See Me Live at the London Coliseum
Now You See Me Live is a large-scale magic show using the film franchise's IP, casting performers as 'The Horsemen'. Expect chic illusions and jaw-dropping feats, suitable for ages five and above. Runs July 31 to September 6 at the London Coliseum.
As You Like It at Shakespeare's Globe
Shakespeare's Globe ends its outdoor summer season with As You Like It, directed by Sean Holmes and Charlie Josephine (who also stars as Orlando). The beloved mistaken-identity comedy runs from August 14 to October 25.
A Slow Fire at Jermyn Street Theatre
Playwright Simon Stephens returns with a new play, A Slow Fire, a post-apocalyptic three-hander set in a bunker at the edge of an imaginary city. Previously staged in Dublin, it transfers to Jermyn Street Theatre from August 20 to September 26.
I'm Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical
This musical about Chaka Khan, starring X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke, opens at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre until September 27. It features hits like 'Ain't Nobody' and 'I'm Every Woman', and focuses on Khan's early life and affiliation with the Black Panther party.
Love's Labour's Lost/Much Ado About Nothing at Thomas' College
The Orange Tree Theatre presents a rep season of Love's Labour's Lost and Much Ado About Nothing at Thomas' College in Richmond from July 31 to August 22. Directed by Tom Littler, the productions explore the theory that Much Ado was intended as a sequel, set in the same English country house on either side of World War II.
