If you’re looking for fabulous West End shows for teens you’ve come to the right place. London is one of the true theatre capitals of the world.
It’s the home of Shakespeare and the West End, boasting exciting new musicals and famed long-running productions.
Seeing theatre and musicals is also a magical experience. Through song, dance, and performances, it transports you to another place and you may want to share that experience with your children.
To help you decide which play or musical to choose for you and your child, we’ve put together a list of the best West End shows for teens in London. We hope it helps you choose the right show for you.
1. Phantom of the Opera
His Majesty’s Theatre, St James’s, SW1Y
Book from £25.00: Phantom of the Opera
Reviews: 4.8 out of 5 stars from 7,799 London Theatre Direct reviews
Ages: 8 years+
Running Time: 2 hours & 30 minutes (including a 20 min interval)
About Phantom of the Opera
Phantom of the Opera tells the story of the Phantom who dwells beneath the Paris Opera House. Ashamed by his physical appearance, he is feared by all. The musical reveals his love for his protégée Christine Daaé and the following drama as he pursues her.
It is one of the West End’s longest-running shows. It has been popular with audiences since opening at His Majesty’s Theatre in 1986. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical has won 70 major theatre awards and is one of the highest-grossing shows of all time.
Cheap tickets to Phantom of the Opera
Tickets to Phantom of the Opera start at £25.00 from official ticket providers.
2. Clueless
Trafalgar Theatre, Whitehall, SW1A
Book from £29.50: Clueless the musical
Reviews: 4.9 out of 5 stars from 29 London Theatre Direct reviews.
Ages: 12 years+
Running Time: To be confirmed
Description of the show
Clueless follows rich and popular high schooler Cher Horowitz as she attempts a makeover project for her new friend Tai. As she tries to set Tai up with a boy at school, not everything goes to plan, and Cher starts to realise feelings of her own.
It’s a new musical comedy based on the 1995 film of the same name. The musical brings the story to the stage, complete with original songs in this modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma.
Clueless opens at the Trafalgar Theatre in February 2025.
Cheap tickets to Clueless
Get tickets to Clueless starting at £29.50 from official ticket providers.
3. Wicked
Apollo Victoria Theatre, Victoria, W1D
Book from £28.25: Wicked
Reviews: 4.7 out of 5 stars from 3,060 Google reviews.
Ages: 7 years+
Running Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes (including a 15 minute interval)
About Wicked
Wicked takes audiences back to the Land of Oz to follow the journey of two university friends. It explores their relationship and the decisions that lead them to becoming ‘Glinda The Good’ and the ‘Wicked Witch of the West’. Two well-known characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Wicked has become a musical classic, winning multiple awards in its 18th year at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. The musical includes the song ‘Defying Gravity’, one of the most famous in musical theatre.
Cheap tickets to Wicked
Get tickets to Wicked starting at £28.25 from official ticket providers.
4. Six the musical
Vaudeville Theatre, Covent Garden, WC2R
Book from £39.68: Six the musical
Reviews: 4 out of 5 stars from 195 TripAdvisor reviews.
Ages: 10 years+
Running Time: 80 minutes (no interval)
About Six the musical
Six the musical is a retelling of the historical figures Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr: the six wives of Henry VIII. In the style of a pop concert, each tells their stories of love, loss, and their infamous ex.
Created in 2022 by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, Six has been one of the most exciting new musicals of recent years.
Cheap tickets to Six the musical
Get tickets to Six starting at £39.68 from official ticket providers.
5. Hamilton
Victoria Palace Theatre, Victoria, SW1E
Book from £24.00: Hamilton
Reviews: 4 out of 5 stars from 762 TripAdvisor reviews.
Ages: 10 years+
Running Time: 2 hours 45 minutes (including interval)
About Hamilton
Hamilton tells the story of one of America’s founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies. It explores how Hamilton became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and shaped America.
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit musical has won 11 Tony Awards and 7 Olivier Awards. It’s a musical about American history that has captivated a generation. It blends genres of hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B, and Broadway to offer something a little different to what we might expect from a musical.
Cheap tickets to Hamilton
Tickets to Hamilton start at £24.00 from official ticket providers.
6. MAMMA MIA!
Novello Theatre, Covent Garden, WC2B
Book from £14.70: MAMMA MIA!
Reviews: 4.5 out of 5 stars from 3,242 TripAdvisor reviews.
Ages: 5 years+
Running Time: 2 hours 35 minutes, including interval
About MAMMA MIA!
MAMMA MIA! is a feel-good musical based on the songs of ABBA. Set on an idyllic Greek island, it tells the story of Sophie, who wants her dad at her wedding. The problem is, she doesn’t know who he is. The musical sees Sophie invite three men from her mum’s past to the island to try to discover the truth. Who will walk her down the aisle?
MAMMA MIA! was first performed in 1999. It has since been made into two successful films, MAMMA MIA! The Movie and MAMMA MIA! Here We Go Again. T
his musical features all the ABBA hits, including ‘The Winner Takes It All’, ‘Take a Chance on Me’, ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’, ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘Super Trouper’, ‘Thank You for the Music’, and of course ‘Mamma Mia’.
Cheap tickets to MAMMA MIA!
Tickets to MAMMA MIA! start at £14.70 from official ticket providers.
7. My Neighbour Totoro
Gillian Lynne Theatre, Holborn, WC2B
Book from £30.00: My Neighbour Totoro
Reviews: 4.9 out of 5 stars from 700 London Theatre Direct reviews.
Ages: 6 years+
Running Time: 2 hours 45 minutes (including interval)
About My Neighbour Totoro
My Neighbour Totoro is a coming-of-age story exploring the magical world of childhood. Sisters Satsuki and Mei move to the countryside with their father to be closer to their mother as she recovers from illness. In the countryside, the sisters discover magical creatures and adventures in a fantasy realm.
After sell-out runs at the Barbican, this production by the RSC and Joe Hisaishi transfers to the West End in March 2025. The play has won multiple awards, adapting Studio Ghibli’s 1988 animated film My Neighbour Totoro for the stage.
Cheap tickets to My Neighbour Totoro
Tickets to My Neighbour Totoro start at £30.00 from official ticket providers.
8. Back to the Future The Musical
Adelphi Theatre, Covent Garden, WC2R
Book from £19.55: Back to the Future The Musical
Reviews: 4.8 out of 5 stars from 218 Google reviews.
Ages: 6 years+
Running Time: 2 hrs 40 minutes (including interval)
About Back to the Future The Musical
Back to the Future The Musical brings the classic 1985 film to the stage with new music and spectacular special effects. It’s a fun, exciting musical loved by new audiences and original film fans.
Marty McFly is transported back to 1955 by Doc Brown’s time machine, the DeLorean car. He accidentally changes history and races against time to make things right.
Cheap tickets to Back to the Future The Musical
Tickets to Back to the Future start at £19.55 from official ticket providers.
9. Mean Girls
Savoy Theatre, Covent Garden, WC2R
Book from £29.50: Mean Girls
Reviews: 4.5 out of 5 stars from 70 London Theatre Direct reviews.
Ages: 10 years+
Running Time: 2 hours 30 minutes (including interval)
About Mean Girls
Mean Girls is set in North Shore High, where The Plastics – Regina, Gretchen, and Karen rule the school. That is until home-schooled Cady Heron arrives and devises a plan to end Regina’s reign.
Tina Fey, writer of the original film, is part of the exciting team presenting this new musical. It brings the film’s iconic characters and high school drama to the stage, complete with original songs. You are also encouraged to come dressed inspired by Mean Girls and wear pink!
Cheap tickets to Mean Girls
Tickets for Mean Girls start at £29.50 from official ticket providers.
10. Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Phoenix Theatre, Covent Garden, WC2H
Book from £35.40: Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Reviews: 4.1 out of 5 stars from 11 Google reviews.
Ages: 12 years+
Running Time: 3 hours (including interval)
About Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Stranger Things: The First Shadow is a prequel to the Netflix series Stranger Things. It takes audiences back into the world of Stranger Things, exploring the story’s beginning.
It’s set in the town of Hawkins, with the Creel family and their son Henry arriving to settle there. However, they find that the shadows of the past still reach them.
The creative team for the play includes the show’s original creators the Duffer Brothers and Kate Trefry. It’s also directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Jack Thorne.
Cheap tickets to Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Tickets for Stranger Things: The First Shadow start at £35.40 from official ticket providers.
11. Operation Mincemeat
Fortune Theatre, Covent Garden, WC2B
Book from £20.00: Operation Mincemeat
Reviews: 4.5 out of 5 stars from 45 Google reviews.
Ages: 6 years+
Running Time: 2 hours 35 minutes (including interval)
About Operation Mincemeat
Set in 1943, when Britain is losing the war, Operation Mincemeat is based on a true story. It sets the scene for a secret mission involving a well-dressed corpse that may have won World War II.
Operation Mincemeat won Best New Musical at the Olivier Awards in 2024. It is a new musical that has the theatre world talking. It’s extending its run at the Fortune Theatre for the ninth time.
Cheap tickets to Operation Mincemeat
Tickets for Operation Mincemeat start at £20.00 from official ticket providers.
12. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Palace Theatre, Soho, W1D
Book from £31.50: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Reviews: 4.7 out of 5 stars from 1,947 London Theatre Direct reviews.
Ages: 10 years+
Running Time: Part 1 is 2 hours 40 minutes (including interval), and Part 2 is 2 hours 35 minutes (including interval)
About Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child takes audiences back to Hogwarts in a play set after the Harry Potter books, when Harry is grown up with three children. It explores the relationship between Harry and his youngest son, Albus, who is about to start at Hogwarts. As the story unravels, truths of the past are revealed, and relationships are tested.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is an original story set in the Wizarding World by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany. This eighth story in the Harry Potter series has won a record‐breaking nine Olivier Awards.
Cheap tickets to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Tickets for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child start at £31.50 for Parts 1 & 2. Book online from official ticket providers.
Best theatre shows for teenagers in London
The best musical for teenagers in London is Wicked if you are looking for a classic musical. Its story of friendship, along with recognisable songs, will be something many teens connect with.
For a new musical, the best show for teens would be Clueless or Mean Girls, both in a high school setting. These fun, new musicals explore friendship and school life that will be relatable for teens.
Hamilton is a huge favourite among young people thanks to its creative music, which blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B, and Broadway genres.
The best theatre shows for teenagers in London are Harry Potter and the Cursed Child as it returns to the Wizarding World. It’s a real, staged spectacle with an exciting story and special effects.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow is also a good choice for teens as it brings the Netflix series to the stage. It’s a gripping play with relatable characters mixed with supernatural drama.
You could also consider the adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbour Totoro. This is a beautiful coming-of-age story about the magic of childhood and our imagination.
What’s on for teens in London
London is one of the best cities in the world to see theatre and musicals. If you want to see more events and activities for teens you can also search Loopla and see what’s on near you.
FAQs
What is the best theatre show for a 13-year-old?
The best theatre shows for a 13-year-old are Back to the Future The Musical, My Neighbour Totoro, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and Wicked. These tell relatable stories with engaging performances, special effects and music.
What is the best theatre show in London for children?
The best theatre shows in London for children are Matilda and The Lion King. These stories will engage children, while the musical performances will amaze them.
In our article ‘10 Best West End Shows for Kids‘, you can find more shows in London for kids.
What age are West End shows for?
There are West End shows for all ages. Every show will have different age restrictions and recommendations. You can find shows that are for all different ages, such as Stick Man for 3 years+ and Matilda for 6 years+.
