WHAT'S ON IN THE WEST END: BWW's Recommendations For Autumn

OUR TOP TEN

Legally Blonde is this year's hot ticket. Although it doesn't start previews till December 5, the buzz surrounding the show is magnificent, with casting coups including Sheridan Smith as Elle, Duncan James as Warner and We Will Rock You's Alex Gaumond as Emmett, with Jill Halfpenny just announced as Paulette alongside Peter Davison as Callahan.

The Menier is bringing back Sweet Charity for Christmas. Starring Tamsin Outhwaite, this is sure to be a high-quality production of the musical from this intimate venue. The revival, the first since 1998, will be directed by Matthew White (click here for Carrie's interview with him) and runs from November 21.

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, hitting the Novello on December 1, is getting the punters talking thanks to the celebrity casting. Phylicia Rashid and James Earl Jones are coming over from the States to star alongside the brilliant Nina Sosanya and Adrian Lester.

Already earning great reviews, Prick Up Your Ears is headed to the Comedy sharpish (September 17) after a regional tour. With Little Britain's Matt Lucas showing previously unplumbed dramatic depths in the lead role of Kenneth Halliwell, tickets will be selling like hot cakes for this one.

The latest in a long line of adaptations, The Shawshank Redemption has just kicked off at the Wyndham's. This is worth seeing for the excellent leads of Kevin Anderson and Reg E Cathey, while it's worth noting the script isn't based on the film, but rather on the original book.

If you're a fan of the Wire but don't fancy seeing Shawshank, why not try de la Barca's Life Is A Dream at the Donmar on October 8? This darkly dramatic Spanish epic stars Dominic West in the lead role of the complex Segismundo.

One of the most highly anticipated shows making its London debut is Enron, based on the 2001 collapse of the energy company. Lucy Prebble's critically acclaimed production, starring Sam West, will move from Chichester to the Royal Court on September 17.

Anna Friel plus Holly Golightly seems a match made in heaven - so Breakfast At Tiffany's at the Haymarket from September 29 should rake it in - especially as it's directed by Sean Mathias, who's just finished a sold-out run of Waiting For Godot.

Meanwhile, at the Young Vic, which has had a run of brilliant smaller-scale musicals recently, Irving Berlin's ever-popular Annie Get Your Gun is being revived with Jane Horrocks in the lead role on October 3.

The fabulous David Troughton joins Kevin Spacey for evolution play Inherit The Wind, telling the tale of a teacher persecuted for his decision to try and teach his pupils about evolution, an issue that still resonates today in much of the US. Trevor Nunn's production comes to the Old Vic on September 18.

BEST OF THE REST

The Bush is always a safe bet for an interesting night out, so why not try comedian Stefan Golaszewski's self-focused play duo from December 2?

Othello, which has already played venues such as Kingston's Rose Theatre and which stars Lenny Henry in the lead role, comes to the Trafalgar Studios on September 11.

Meanwhile, if you like safe bets, The Pitmen Painters returns to the National Theatre on December 2, having already enjoyed a successful run at the venue, while Alan Bennett's new play The Habit Of Art debuts there on November 5.