New musical revivals still to arrive in 2025

Here at WhatsOnStage we do, of course, love a new musical. But similarly, we love a new staging of an old classic.

There’s a reason that so many creatives, producers, and casts are eager to put their spin on iconic titles from greats, including Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Jonathan Larson. Across the UK, there is ample opportunity to catch a fresh take on a beloved title, and here are our top picks!

The Mad Ones

It’s an internet sensation, and now the musical will be seen in the capital for the first time! Telling the story of Samantha Brown, a high school senior grappling with grief and the weight of her future after the death of her best friend, Kelly, The Mad Ones is written by Bree Lowdermilk and Kait Kerrigan.

Plays at The Other Palace from 7 May to 1 June

The Frogs

Kevin McHale will make his UK stage debut in a revival of the Sondheim, Burt Shevelove and Nathan Lane musical. The production will be directed by Georgie Rankcom, reimagining Aristophanes’ ancient Greek satire, which was originally written in 405 BCE. Most of the cast has been revealed, but the stars playing Pluto are yet to be confirmed. And that’s what you missed on Glee!

Plays at Southwark Playhouse Borough from 23 May to 28 June

tick, tick… Boom!

Time is ticking, and it isn’t long until you can catch Kate Wasserberg’s first season as artistic director, and the reopening of Theatr Clwyd! She’ll direct Larson’s musical, exploring the struggles of a young artist pursuing his dreams with a boom.

Plays at Theatr Clwyd from 2 to 28 June

42nd Street

If you want to meet those dancing feet, look no further than Leicestershire. Kilworth House Theatre will be in the money with their open-air revival of the 1980 stage musical about staging a musical.

Plays at Kilworth House Theatre from 3 June to 13 July

Grease

Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Blackpool Grand Theatre are joining forces to co-produce a new production of Grease! Tell me more, tell me more, you say? Well, you can find out about casting here!

Plays at Blackpool Grand Theatre from 4 to 14 June, then at Pitlochry Festival Theatre from 18 June to 27 September

London Road

The National Theatre is offering a bumper season in 2025, including the UK premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s final musical Here We Are, and a new play from the team behind Prima Facie starring Rosamund Pike. In the summer, Alecky Blythe and Adam Cork’s London Road – which follows a community coming together following the discovery of the bodies of five women – will return for a new run. Directed by Rufus Norris, it has already been confirmed that the run will be captured for a future streaming release on National Theatre at Home.

Plays at the National Theatre from 5 to 21 June

Evita

Director Jamie Lloyd takes on the Webber-Tim Rice musical about Argentina’s first lady. We’ve had it confirmed by Lloyd that this will be an “evolution” of his 2019 Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production, and Rachel Zegler will take on the role of the iconic Eva Perón, with Diego Andres Rodriguez as her Che.

Plays at The London Palladium from 14 June to 6 September

How to Win Against History

To mark the 150th anniversary of Henry Cyril Paget’s birth, the musical comedy about the fifth Marquis of Anglesey will enjoy another life in a new production. The Edinburgh Fringe hit has been reimagined for a larger space.

Plays at Bristol Old Vic from 19 June to 12 July

Jesus Christ Superstar

A brand-new actor-musician revival of the hit musical is headed to the Watermill Theatre! Artistic director Paul Hart will direct the piece, which will spill out of the intimate venue and into the garden in a semi-immersive staging.

Plays at the Watermill Theatre from 24 June to 21 September

Shout! The Mod Musical

Featuring over 30 1960s tunes, including “You’re My World”, “Downtown”, “Son of a Preacher Man”, and “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’”, the musical follows five women as they look to a magazine advice column for help.

Play Upstairs at the Gatehouse from 25 June to 20 July

Top Hat

Featuring some of Hollywood’s greatest songs, including “Cheek to Cheek”, “Let’s Face the Music and Dance”, “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails”, and “Puttin’ on the Ritz”,  Irving Berlin’s crowd-pleaser musical will spend the summer in Chichester – but who’ll don the top hats, we wonder?

Plays at Chichester Festival Theatre from 14 July to 6 September

Grease

Grease is the word, and the second offering of the upcoming season at the North Kilworth venue (not to mention the second entry for this popular musical on this very list)! Audiences will (hopefully) enjoy those “Summer Nights” in the unique open-air theatre.

Plays at Kilworth House Theatre, 29 July to 7 September

Brigadoon

For the first time in over 35 years, audiences in London will be able to see Lerner and Loewe’s classic musical. Already revealed to lead the cast are Danielle Fiamanya as Fiona and Louis Gaunt as Tommy; they’ll be joined by Gilli Jones, who will be playing the role of Charlie Dalrymple.

Plays at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre from 2 August to 20 September

Be More Chill

We can’t be chill! A Be More Chill revival is arriving this summer. Based on Ned Vizzini’s novel, the musical tells the story of Jeremy Heere, a high school student who takes a supercomputer pill called “The Squip” to gain popularity. The production is directed by James Edge, with musical direction by Callum Thompson.

Plays at Old Joint Stock from 6 to 31 August

Follies

The former Weismann’s Follies girls will be heading to Belfast next year! Northern Ireland Opera will revive the much-loved Sondheim-James Goldman musical in 2025, with artistic director Cameron Menzies directing, following his hit revival of Into the Woods.

Plays at Grand Opera House, Belfast from 13 to 20 September

The Harder They Come

Reggae musical The Harder They Come will return to Stratford East as part of the venue’s 140th anniversary season. Based on the cult film, the show features songs by Jimmy Cliff and a new book by Suzan-Lori Parks, with direction by Matthew Xia.

Plays at Stratford East from 13 September to 25 October

Bonnie and Clyde

Two of the world’s most infamous outlaws return in a brand-new production of Frank Wildhorn, Don Black and Ivan Menchell’s Bonnie and Clyde. It’s a fan-favourite for a reason!

The Last Five Years

If you can’t get to New York City to see Adrienne Warren and Nick Jonas in the new staging of Jason Robert Brown’s musical favourite, fear not. The two-hander will be staged in the Barn Theatre’s 2025 season. See, we’re smiling!

Plays at Barn Theatre from 17 October to 15 November

Miss Saigon

Miss Saigon will rise again! A new production, directed by Jean-Pierre van der Spuy, promises a “fresh look” at the musical, which follows Kim, a young girl who falls in love with an American GI. It’ll open its UK tour in Newcastle in October and visit “many theatres that the original was unable to.” 

On tour from October

My Fair Lady

We’ve grown accustomed to revivals of Lerner and Loewe’s loverly My Fair Lady, and this new one, directed by Joseph Pitcher, will see out the year in Sonning.

Plays at The Mill at Sonning from 20 November to 17 January 2026

The Sound of Music

Christmas at Curve is one of our favourite things, and this year will be no different! Nikolai Foster’s production will mark the 60th anniversary of the 1965 film adaptation of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II’s classic musical. Who would you like to see as Maria?

Plays at Curve, Leicester from 22 November 2025 to 11 January 2026

Singin’ in the Rain

The second revival of the classic show will celebrate Christmas in Manchester. While the northern city has quite the reputation for being wet, this time, they’ll be singin’ in the round at Manchester’s Royal Exchange, directed by Raz Shaw.

Plays at the Royal Exchange in Manchester from 29 November 2025 to 18 January 2026

Into the Woods

The beloved musical from Sondheim and James Lapine intertwines classic fairytales in the story of a baker and his wife attempting to lift a curse. Jordan Fein will direct the revival at the Bridge Theatre – with its staging designed by Tom Scutt, in a venue famed for its ability to be transformed!

Plays at the Bridge Theatre from 2 December to 18 April