Ah, the theatre. Such an awe-inspiring art that touches the lives of millions each year. That’s why we have picked out 5 of the most awesome London shows for kids for you to go and see this year.
With the art form continuously evolving, branching out into new genres, bringing our favourite on-screen characters to life, and telling stories we love, both new and classics, a trip to the theatre is always a memory you’ll hold dear in your heart.
And with it constantly growing, the West End is better at catering to families than ever before, so there’s no better time than now to see what’s on offer and introduce your children to the wonders and thrill of a theatre show.
To help you find the perfect West End show for you and your little ones, we gathered five of the best shows this year, all in one place. Here are some of the best theatre shows in London for families.
The SpongeBob Musical: A London shows for kids you cannot miss!
When: Wednesday 26th July – Sunday 27th August 2023
Where: Southbank Centre in London
Ohhhh! Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? A classic kids’ show that adults can equally enjoy, you can’t go wrong with SpongeBob!
Recommended for those 5+, the story follows our favourite underwater sea sponge as he and his friends unite to save Bikini Bottom from a volcano that’s about to erupt. Starring natural-born performers including a RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant and the runner-up in the UK’s first Pop Idol, you know it’s going to be fab.
Even better still, many of the world’s biggest music stars have contributed to the soundtrack including Steven Tyler, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, and The Flaming Lips, with songs by David Bowie.
The world’s favourite kids’ TV character, song-writing champions, and talented performers – it’s a recipe for perfection. You never know – seeing their favourite character from TV on stage, might just get your kids into acting too. Acting is great for their confidence, imagination, and resilience.
The Tiger Who Came To Tea
When: Monday 10th July – Sunday 3rd September 2023
Where: Theatre Royal Haymarket in London
The Olivier-Award-nominated smash hit show based on the country’s best-loved storybook returns to the West End!
Everyone’s familiar with The Tiger Who Came To Tea. The iconic book with lessons on kindness and overcoming problems has been transformed into a stage production to spread even more joy.
The story starts with Sophie, who hears the doorbell ring as she’s sitting down for tea with her mum. Of course, they’d never expect it to be a huge, stripy, tea-loving tiger!
Join Sophie, her mum, and the big, friendly tiger for sing-a-longs, chaos, and magic this year on London’s West End.
if you like Judith Kerr, you are going to LOVE Julia Donaldson, so do check out some of our activity sheets for her books on the site too.
Peter Pan Goes Wrong
When: Thursday 23rd November 2023 – Sunday 14th January 2024
Where: The Lyric Theatre in London
The mischievous writers behind the hilarious, multi-award-winning play, The Play That Goes Wrong, are back with Peter Pan… but with a twist!
Suited for those 8+, Peter Pan Goes Wrong is, of course, a “gut-busting” comedy take on the timeless classic that has been praised for its universal appeal across the globe. Join the characters you know and love – Pan, Wendy, Tinkerbell, and crew – to see if they can make it to Neverland!
Coming to the stage later this year, it’ll make the perfect Christmassy day out with all the family.
We do love a spot of Disney on KiddyCharts, and we have even got some ideas for activities based on some of the Disney films, so why not check some of these out too, from Toy Story 4 to Moana? Movies CAN be educational you know!
Mrs. Doubtfire
When: Friday 12th May – Thursday 31st August 2023
Where: Shaftesbury Theatre in London
Yet another feel-good comedy classic we all know and love that’s been revitalised for the stage!
We all know the story of Mrs Doubtfire. But we’ll remind you, just in case it’s been a while. Daniel absolutely adores his children. But after his messy divorce, he’s no longer allowed in their lives. To get past his ex-wife and closer to his children, he creates an alter ego to spend more time with them. He becomes Scottish nanny Mrs Doubtfire!
Crafted by a team of award-winning artists, and following standing ovations to sold-out crowds in Manchester, the show now comes to London to teach the valuable lesson of never letting go of your loved ones while being knee-slappingly hilarious.
My Neighbour Totoro
When: Monday 27th November 2023 – Thursday 29th February 2024
Where: Barbican Centre in London
If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll know it was about time this truly wonderful piece of art came to the theatre.
This “huge, healing hug of a show” (The Stage) is based on the film, which tells the story of two Japanese girls in the 1950s. After their mum becomes ill, they move to a countryside village in a house that’s haunted by soot spirits. They meet Totoro, a big, cuddly spirit. And we’ll leave it there. We don’t want to spoil anything!
The Olivier-Award-winning production got plenty of rave reviews from Time Out, The Guardian, Metro, The Financial Times, and just about anyone who was lucky enough to see it. So now, with a strictly limited 18-week season, My Neighbour Totoro really is one of those that is too good to miss.
Theatre is constantly growing and evolving. And with more people interested in checking out some of the truly dazzling performances, there are more and more family-friendly shows for you and your family to enjoy than ever before. It’s incredibly exciting, so if you’re ready to check these shows out yourself, then…
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You can also check out some of these other fun ideas for kids – this time focused on the movies:
More film worksheets
Let the kids enjoy some of their favourite films whilst working on these fun film worksheets! Print them out today and join the fun.
Dora and the Lost City of Gold activity sheets
Join Dora, Backpack, Boots and the rest of the cast of Dora and the Lost City of Gold with this fantastic activity pack for the kids to work through.
Abominable activity sheets
From colouring in sheets to a word search, we have this free printable Abominable activity pack for your kids!
Spies in Disguise activity pack
Join the Spies in Disguise characters with this amazing and fun activity pack!
Thanks as always for taking a look at our site, and we’d love to have you again.
Helen
This is a collaborative post.
Helen
Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, and website editor; and this site is (we think) the only Social Enterprise parenting magazine! Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, and use those grey cells at the same time. KiddyCharts has reach of over 1.1million across social and the site. The blog works with big family brands (including travel) to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10. It gives 51%+ profits to Reverence for Life, who fund a number of important initiatives in Africa, including bringing running water and basic equipment to a school in Tanzania. Helen has worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on. Get in touch TODAY!