Theatre to watch in London and beyondFT critics review the latest and best shows in the West End, across the capital and the UKAndrew Scott, brilliance and dark mischief in Present Laughter at the Old VicSuperb performances and comic timing in Noël Coward’s bittersweet takedown of fameBest new London theatre shows: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Wife and The Sweet Science of BruisingGwendoline Christie in a joyous, immersive take on Shakespeare; time-travelling twist on Ibsen; Victorian women come out fightingRutherford and Son, National Theatre, London — a pressure cookerGitha Sowerby’s drama has drawn comparisons with Ibsen and Shaw, but she brings sharp humour and quiet empathy to the taskLenny Henry stars in King Hedley II, August Wilson’s epic drama of African American family lifeThe play pulses with humanity and rage at London’s Theatre Royal, Stratford EastAnna — binaural mics play a role in this ingenious cold war thriller at the National Theatre, LondonTheatre-going becomes hi-tech surveillance in Ella Hickson’s drama, set in 1968 East GermanyThe rise of the angry young women — two new plays at London’s Royal Court tackle racism and the legacy of inequalitySelina Thompson’s salt. and Anchuli Felicia King’s White Pearl continue the theatre’s tradition of pioneering new dramaMore from this SeriesShakespeare’s Globe celebrates the joy of theatre with its history playsHenry IV Parts 1 and 2 and Henry V are performed by a versatile cast, led by Sarah Amankwah’s charismatic HalAfrican-American twist on Death of a Salesman is a revelationA production at London’s Young Vic that finds fresh meaning in Arthur Miller’s playThe Provoked Wife — a boisterous staging of Vanbrugh’s cynical comedy at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-AvonThis Restoration comedy is hilariously frank, but problematicHoward Brenton’s new drama Jude is ambitious but overloadedThe playwright’s problematic response to Thomas Hardy’s novel has its world premiere at the Hampstead Theatre, LondonHayley Atwell stars in a glowing production of Rosmersholm at the Duke of York’s Theatre, LondonIbsen’s drama is given sharp contemporary relevance in this stagingSmall Island brings Windrush to the stage at the National Theatre, LondonAndrea Levy’s novel of arrivals and departures becomes a sweeping romanceKelsey Grammer stars in a creaking Man of La Mancha at the London ColiseumThe musical based on Don Quixote comes to the West End for the first time in half a centuryLet them Roar — the London matinee attended by 200 babiesThe Vaudeville Theatre staged the first ever baby-friendly performance in the West End this weekArthur Miller’s All My Sons is quietly devastating at the Old Vic, LondonBill Pullman and Sally Field star in a production that reminds us why Arthur Miller’s questions about moral compromise still resonate todayYoung lovers are the beating heart of Noughts & Crosses at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, LondonHeather Agyepong is the star of this adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s young adult novelAnne-Marie Duff is irresistible in the Donmar Warehouse’s revival of Sweet CharityDuff excels in Josie Rourke’s London revival of the classic 1966 musicalA dreamlike production of Three Sisters at the Almeida Theatre, LondonRebecca Frecknall’s staging of Chekhov’s play creates a mood of drifting strangenessA brilliant performance from Maggie Smith in A German Life at the Bridge Theatre, LondonMaggie Smith plays Joseph Goebbels’ former secretary in this chilling one-woman showA handsome revival of Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls at the National Theatre, LondonKatherine Kingsley excels in fantasy dinner party dramaChild-sex offenders — and their antagonists — are the subjects of Bruce Norris’s new play DownstateThe performances at London’s National Theatre are largely flawless, though the play has its problemsAlexandra Palace Theatre reopens with a shambling Richard IIIHeadlong production fails to light up £18.8m restored spaceTom Hiddleston gives a powerfully brittle performance in Betrayal at the Harold Pinter TheatreThe final production of London’s magnificent Pinter at the Pinter season digs deep into ideas of identity, need and certaintyAdmissions — a tricky exploration of race and identityAt London’s Trafalgar Studio 1, Joshua Harmon’s play sets out to examine of the difficulties of liberalismLearning to love American pie in Waitress at the Adelphi Theatre, LondonBouncy tunes and a strong narrative propel this musical set in a dinerShowstoppers, defiance and flair: Sondheim’s Follies returns to the National TheatreDominic Cooke’s production combines rousing musical numbers with an expertly conjured atmosphereCome From Away — a moving new musical at the Phoenix Theatre, LondonThe story of airline passengers stranded by the September 11 attacks makes an uplifting show9 to 5: The Musical — Dolly Parton movie gets workaday stage makeoverNew songs by singer enliven reworked story of office sexism and revenge at Savoy Theatre, LondonAn acting masterclass from Gillian Anderson in All About Eve at the Noël Coward Theatre, LondonAnderson plays the star usurped by Lily James’s Eve in Ivo van Hove’s video-heavy production
