This summer, Kids Week gives families the perfect excuse to discover the West End, says Chris Johnson.
What started as a week to promote theatre productions in London has become so popular it now runs throughout the school summer holidays (to 31 Aug). During Kids Week, a child aged 17 and under can go free to selected shows with a full-paying adult, with two additional children able to attend for half price. Discounts are applied automatically to the seating plan as you book. For further details, visit
Hercules the Musical
Disney’s bold stage musical transforms Greek mythology into a high-energy adventure packed with wisecracks, spectacle and heart. Hercules may possess godlike strength but defeating Hades means discovering who he truly is. Featuring Alan Menken’s soaring music and David Zippel’s witty lyrics, this epic journey follows Hercules’ transformation from outsider to hero, delivering dazzling entertainment, memorable songs and laughs for the whole family. To 5 Sep.
Theatre: Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Nearest Station: Covent Garden
To Book: herculesthemusical.co.uk
Matilda the Musical
Roald Dahl’s brilliant heroine Matilda continues to inspire audiences at the Cambridge Theatre, proving that courage has nothing to do with size. With Tim Minchin’s witty songs, Dennis Kelly’s sharp script and Matthew Warchus’s inventive production, Matilda the Musical celebrates imagination, intelligence and standing up to bullies. Now in its 15th year in London, it remains one of the West End’s finest family shows.
Theatre: Cambridge Theatre
Nearest Station: Covent Garden
To Book: matildathemusical.com
Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain – The Best Bits
History gets gloriously gruesome in this celebration of some of Britain’s barmiest moments. Meet gunpowder Guy Fawkes, battling Boudica, dastardly Dick Turpin and the terrible Night Soil Men as facts, gags and gore collide. Packed with songs, sketches and audience interaction, it’s educational theatre in disguise, with enough energy to keep everyone laughing from beginning to end (to 31 Aug).
Theatre: Apollo Theatre
Nearest Station: Piccadilly Circus
To Book: horriblehistories
The Lion King
Few family shows create wonder quite like The Lion King. From the unforgettable opening moments of Circle of Life, Julie Taymor’s extraordinary puppetry, masks and movement transform the Lyceum Theatre into the African savanna. Simba’s journey from curious cub to reluctant king is filled with courage, friendship and responsibility, and thanks to Elton John and Tim Rice’s memorable songs and Lebo M’s stirring African-inspired score, it’s a story that will stay with you.
Theatre: Lyceum Theatre
Nearest Station: Covent Garden
To Book: thelionking.co.uk
The Hunger Games: On Stage
Suzanne Collins’s dystopian phenomenon takes place in a purpose-built theatre, placing audiences at the heart of Katniss Everdeen’s fight for survival. Adapted by Conor McPherson, this groundbreaking production combines spectacular staging, immersive storytelling and live theatrical intensity, while keeping Katniss’s emotional journey firmly at its centre. Older children and teens can step into Panem for a gripping story of courage, sacrifice, resistance and resilience.
Theatre: Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre
Nearest Station: Canary Wharf
To Book: thehungergamesonstage.com
Paddington the Musical
Paddington, the nation’s best-loved bear, brings marmalade, mishaps and enormous charm to the Savoy Theatre in a major musical inspired by Michael Bond’s beloved stories and the award-winning films. Featuring original songs by Tom Fletcher, a book by Olivier Award winner Jessica Swale and direction by Luke Sheppard, this warm-hearted adventure promises catchy tunes, comic chaos, captivating choreography and a very London kind of magic.
Theatre: Savoy Theatre
Nearest Station: Charing Cross
To Book: paddingtonthemusical.com
Wicked
Long before Dorothy arrives in Oz, Elphaba and Glinda meet as two very different young women whose unlikely friendship changes both their lives forever. Wicked‘s soaring songs, spectacular staging and imaginative retelling of a familiar story have made it one of the West End’s most enduring family favourites – in fact, it’s now in its 20th year! At its heart lies a powerful message about friendship, acceptance and staying true to yourself.
Theatre: Apollo Victoria Theatre
Nearest Station: Victoria
To Book: wickedthemusical.co.uk
Beetlejuice The Musical
It’s showtime! The supernaturally hilarious Broadway sensation brings Tim Burton’s iconic movie to the West End stage in a wildly funny and weirdly life-affirming musical spectacular. Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager, finds herself caught between the living, the dead and the ghost with the most – Beetlejuice – in this sweetly outrageous musical bursting with songs that are out of this Netherworld. You’ll never feel so alive!
Theatre: Prince Edward Theatre
Nearest Station: Leicester Square
To Book: beetlejuicethemusical.co.uk
Brainiac Live!
Winner of the 2025 Olivier Award for Best Family Show, Brainiac Live! returns to the West End with a thrilling celebration of science. Expect explosive experiments, loud bangs, flashing lights, smoke and all the things you should never try at home. Noisy, anarchic and brilliantly energetic, this all-action spectacle offers curious children an unforgettable introduction to the weird and wonderful world of science. It’s highly entertaining. (To 30 Aug)
Theatre: Garrick Theatre
Nearest Station: Leicester Square
To Book: brainiaclive.com
Oliver!
Cameron Mackintosh’s dazzling revival of Lionel Bart’s classic musical brings Dickens’s London vividly to life for a new generation. Oliver’s search for kindness amid workhouses, thieves and shadowy streets is matched by one of British theatre’s most beloved scores, including Consider Yourself, Food Glorious Food and As Long As He Needs Me. Big-hearted, atmospheric and gloriously entertaining throughout.
Theatre: Gielgud Theatre
Nearest Station: Piccadilly Circus
To Book: oliverthemusical.com
A World Elsewhere
At Shakespeare’s Globe, the Olivier Award-nominated team behind Rough Magic and Midsummer Mechanicals returns with a funny, moving celebration of storytelling and imagination. Cass escapes into a world of Shakespearean adventures, where witches, ghosts and monsters spring to life. But when the stories stop making sense, he must navigate the mysterious Shakespearean Shadow Land. Recommended for everyone aged five to 105 (to 30 Aug).
Theatre: Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Nearest Station: Blackfriars
To Book: shakespearesglobe.com
The Gruffalo
A mouse takes a stroll through the deep dark wood in Tall Stories’ much-loved musical adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s bestselling picture book. Celebrating its 25th birthday, The Gruffalo follows Mouse as he outwits Fox, Owl and Snake with tales of a fearsome creature. Bursting with songs, laughter and gentle suspense, it’s the perfect theatrical adventure for children aged three and up (to 6 Sep).
Theatre: Lyric Theatre
Nearest Station: Piccadilly Circus
To Book: gruffalolive.com
