CRUEL INTENTIONS Leads Our Top Ten Shows for January

We begin the new year with a bang in theatreland. With nineties musicals, queer cowboys and new works bursting from every side, the future looks bright.

Here are our top ten West End recommendations for January. Make sure you check back for all our news, reviews and features.

Welcome to 2024!

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1. Cruel Intentions, The Other Palace Theatre

On the 25th anniversary of the cult film, Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical, finally hits London.

Manipulative step-siblings Sebastian and Kathryn, flushed with their own sexual prowess, engage in a cruel bet: Kathryn goads Sebastian into attempting to seduce Annette, the headmaster’s virtuous daughter, all set to a soundtrack of the greatest ‘90s pop classics. For anyone who loved The Verve, Ace of Base and Boyz II Men, this show is for you.

Cruel Intentions is at The Other Palace Theatre from 11 January – 14 April. Book tickets here.

2. Cowbois, Royal Court Theatre

The Royal Court hosts the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Charlie Josephine’s fantastic queer cowboy romp. 

In a sleepy town in the Wild West, the women drift through their days, almost cut off from outsiders entirely, with only one drunken sheriff for protection. Then handsome bandit Jack Cannon swaggers up to the town’s saloon, looking for a place to hide from the bounty hunters on his tail.

Jack’s explosive arrival inspires a gender revolution, and starts a fire under the petticoat of every one of the town’s repressed inhabitants.

Cowbois is at the Royal Court from 11 January - 10 February. Book tickets here.

3. Afterglow, Southwark Playhouse

When Josh and Alex, a married couple in an open relationship, invite Darius to share their bed for a night, a new and intimate connection is ignited. As all three men come to terms with their individual definitions of love, loyalty, and trust, relationships are challenged and futures are shaken.

Afterglow returns to London in a raw, funny, and sensual exploration of polyamory, commitment, and modern love. 

Afterglow is at Southwark Playhouse from 12 January – 10 February. Book tickets here.

4. La Strada, Sadler’s Wells

A must-see for ballet enthusiasts; world famous ballerina and former English National Ballet and Royal Ballet Principal Alina Cojocaru presents a full-length evening of exquisite dance based on Federico Fellini’s 1954 film La Strada.

Set to the poignantly timeless music of Nino Rota’s film scores, this major new ballet muses on how we choose to perceive the world and our place within it.

La Strada is at Sadler’s Wells from 25 -28 January. Book tickets here.

5. Northanger Abbey, Orange Tree Theatre

Writer Zoe Cooper returns to the Orange Tree Theatre, following the excellent Jess and Joe Forever and Out of Water, with an intriguing adaptation of Jane Austen’s iconic work.

Directed by Tessa Walker, we follow Catherine Morland as she seeks to escape her claustrophobic life and join the smart set in Bath. When she meets worldly Isabella Thorpe, her own adventure can begin.

Northanger Abbey, Orange Tree Theatre from 20 January – 24 February. Book tickets here

6. Alan Turing: A Musical Biography, Riverside Studios

Composed by Joel Goodman and Jan Osbourne, this musical journey takes us through the extraordinary life of Alan Turing, the man who helped save millions of lives through his skill of code-breaking.

His incredible life and achievements were overshadowed by his appalling treatment after the war when it was discovered that he was gay. A moving and important story.

Alan Turing: A Musical Biography is at Riverside Studios from 8 – 27 January. Book tickets here.

7. Kim’s Convenience, Park Theatre

This heartwarming comedy-drama about a family-run Korean store that inspired the Netflix hit, is a feel-good ode to generations of immigrants who have made Canada the country that it is today.

Mr. Kim works hard to support his wife and children with his Toronto convenience store. As he evaluates his future, he faces both a changing neighbourhood landscape and the gap between his values and those of his Canada-born children. Written by and starring, Ins Choi.

Kim’s Convenience is at the Park Theatre from 8 January – 10 February. Book tickets here.

8. The Most Precious Of Goods, Marylebone Theatre

Told with a fairy tale-like lyricism, this gripping story of love and hope, set against the terrible backdrop of the Holocaust, reminds us that humanity can be found in the most inhumane of places.

Jean-Claude Grumberg’s best-selling French language novella, The Most Precious of Goods, is story-telling at its most profound and has been translated into 20 languages. Allan Corduner stars in this one-man show, with a live score played by acclaimed cellist Gemma Rosefield.

The Most Precious Of Goods is at Marylebone Theatre from 22 January – 4 February. Book tickets here.

9. ALEGRIA, Cirque du Soleil, Royal Albert Hall

Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, this all-time classic has been reimagined for a new generation. With mesmerising acrobatics, surreal costume designs, vibrant sets, and playful humour, Alegría: In a New Lightunfolds a touching immersive experience filled with a joyous magical feeling – a quintessential Cirque du Soleil spectacle suitable for all the family.

ALEGRIA is at the Royal Albert Hall from 11 January – 3 March. Book tickets here.

10. Footprints Festival, Jermyn Street Theatre

The third Jermyn Street Theatre Footprints Festival showcases a wealth of young talent. This year it comprises a collection of six daring and electrifying works.  The month-long mini season includes the winner of the Woven Voices Prize for Playwriting, The E.U. Killed My Dad written by Aaron Kilercioglu and the hand-picked cohort of up-and-coming writers, directors, designers, and producers that make up the theatre’s Creative Associates. Other highlights include The Good John Proctor by Talene Monahon and Jaisal Marmion’s debut work Boy In Da Korma directed by Ben Grant.

Some must-see theatre from the West End’s tiny, but mighty, venue.

Jermyn Street Theatre Footprints Festival runs from 10 January - 10 February 2024.  Book tickets here.

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