Top 5 Musicals To Beat Those End Of Summer Blues!
Published on 14 September 2015
Last updated on 28 August 2026
Summary
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Beat the autumn blues: The West End offers plenty of feel-good shows to brighten up shorter, colder days, from nostalgic musicals to laugh-out-loud comedies.
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Five top picks: High School Musical, Titanique, MAMMA MIA!, The Play That Goes Wrong, and SIX each bring their own mix of nostalgia, comedy, iconic music and uplifting energy.
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Something for everyone: Whether you want ABBA classics, Celine Dion-inspired chaos, historical pop anthems or hilarious theatre mishaps, there’s a West End show ready to put a smile on your face.
British summertime has its charms; lazy afternoons in pub gardens, river walks at golden hour, and endless blue skies. But when autumn rolls around, the days get shorter, the jumpers come out, and the sunshine fades. Luckily, the West End is the perfect antidote to grey skies. Packed with laugh-out-loud comedies, dazzling musicals, and uplifting classics, these shows guarantee to chase away the autumn blues.
Here are five fun and feel-good West End shows to book now:
1. High School Musical
It’s back to school season, and what better way to get in the mood than High School Musical. It’s cosy, nostalgic and all too familiar. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Disney Original Movie, High School Musical on stage is coming to the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre. Starring McFly’s Harry Judd as Coach Bolton and the original Martha returns, KayCee Stroh is Ms Darbus! There’s nothing better than taking it back to the good days when the days get shorter, so get your tickets and grab your lifelong bestie it’s time to go to East High.
2. Titanique
What happens when the story of Titanic gets retold through the music of Celine Dion? You get Titanique, one of the funniest, most original shows to hit the West End in years. Expect camp comedy, powerhouse vocals, and cheeky rewrites of iconic love scenes as Celine herself “narrates” Jack and Rose’s doomed romance. It’s outrageous, clever, and won the Olivier award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play! Guaranteed to leave you grinning from ear to ear, grab your door (that two people could fit on, fyi) and sail on down to the Criterion Theatre.
3. MAMMA MIA!
Okay so you’re not ready for those sunny days to be over. Make it last that little bit longer with MAMMA MIA! A firm favourite in the West End, with ABBA hits you’ll be bopping along to all night long. Head to Greece with Donna and the Dynamos, where it’s always summer for these dancing queens! Don’t let this show slip through your fingers, and see MAMMA MIA! At the Novello Theatre.
**4. The Play That Goes Wrong **
Bring some painkillers, because you’re going to laugh so much your face is going to hurt. Having played at the Duchess Theatre for the past 14 years, The Play That Goes Wrong is the longest running comedy in the West End. The multi award-winning show follows a disastrously amateur dramatic society trying to stage a murder mystery. Set pieces collapse, actors forget lines, and nothing goes to plan – except the perfectly timed comedy. It’s chaotic, ridiculous, and one of the most reliably funny shows in London.
5. SIX
See the electrifying pop concert sensation in the West End, with this Tony Award-winning hit retelling the herstory of Henry VIII’s six wives. It’s glamorous, it’s light-hearted and makes you feel like you’re in the exclusive girl’s group chat with the hottest gossip of the 1500s. You’re guaranteed to leave the theatre with a beaming smile on your face, and perhaps a newfound energy to dump that ex once and for all. See SIX at the Vaudeville Theatre for all the good feels.
Whether you want laugh-out-loud comedy, star-studded drama, or musical spectacle, the West End this autumn has something to lift your spirits. Book your tickets, wrap up warm, and let the theatre keep you glowing long after the curtain falls.
