ANNIE Leads June's Top 10 New London Shows

London is never short of theatre temptations, whether splashy West End shows, epic dramas or bold fringe offerings. From a classic musical and acclaimed Shakespeare to buzzy history plays, here are some of this month's most eye-catching openings. Don't forget to check back for BroadwayWorld's reviews...

1. Annie, Piccadilly Theatre

Miranda Hart as Miss Hannigan is the big draw in Nikolai Foster's revival of Charles Strouse and Thomas Meehan's classic musical. The cast also includes Alex Bourne, Holly Dale Spencer, Jonny Fines and Djalenga Scott, plus three youngsters and one no doubt scene-stealing dog. Read our interview with Alex Bourne

23 May-6 January, 2018. Book tickets here

2. Hamlet, Harold Pinter Theatre

A welcome transfer for Robert Icke's lauded and sold-out Almeida production, starring Andrew Scott as Shakespeare's sweet prince, plus Juliet Stevenson (for the first four weeks), Jessica Brown Findlay, Angus Wright, Luke Thompson, David Rintoul and Peter Wight. Read our five-star review

9 June-2 September. Book tickets here

3. Common, National Theatre

DC Moore's epic new history play delves into the Industrial Revolution and the fraught battle for England's disappearing common land. In a Headlong co-production, Jeremy Herrin directs Anne-Marie Duff - playing liar, rogue, thief and faker Mary - Tim McMullan, Cush Jumbo, Trevor Fox and John Dagleish.

30 May-12 July. Book tickets here

4. Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill, Wyndham's Theatre

Six-time Tony Award winner and Queen of Broadway Audra McDonald makes her anticipated West End debut playing jazz legend Billie Holiday. Lanie Robertson's play, directed by Lonny Price, begins with one of Holiday's last performances in 1959 and tells a turbulent life story through her indelible music.

17 June-9 September. Book tickets here

5. Ink, Almeida Theatre

Political playwright extraordinaire James Graham's latest examines Sixties-era Fleet Street, the birth of The Sun and the rise of Rupert Murdoch - fiendish godfather of our current tabloid sensationalism and populist rhetoric. Rupert Goold directs a cast that includes Bertie Carvel, Richard Coyle, David Schofield, Tony Turner and Sophie Stanton.

17 June-5 August. Book tickets here

6. La Strada, The Other Palace

Sally Cookson helms this visually stunning adaptation of Fellini's cinematic masterpiece, about a girl sold by her penniless mother to the brutish strongman in a ragtag travelling circus. The company of actor-musicians, which includes Audrey Brisson, Stuart Goodwin and Bart Soroczynski, performs original songs by Benji Bower.

30 May-8 July. Book tickets here

7. Rotterdam, Arts Theatre

Fresh from its Olivier win, Jon Brittain's critically acclaimed, bittersweet comedy about gender, sexuality and identity returns for a West End encore. Anna Martine, Alice McCarthy, Ed Eales-White and Ellis Morris reprise their roles, directed by Donnacadh O'Briain. Read our interview with Jon Brittain

21 June-15 July. Book tickets here

8. Barber Shop Chronicles, National Theatre

Poet and playwright Inua Ellams' dynamic new play jumps between barber shop discussions across the world, from London to Johannesburg, Kampala, Harare, Lagos and Accra. Bijan Sheibani directs, and the cast includes Fisayo Akinade, Sule Rimi, Cyril Nri, Peter Bankole, Hammed Animashaun and Abdul Salis.

30 May-July 8. Book tickets here

9. Gloria, Hampstead Theatre

Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins's razor-sharp comedy, a finalist for the Pulitzer in 2016, explores ambition and office warfare via a ruthlessly competitive Manhattan magazine. Colin Morgan makes his Hampstead debut, and the cast - directed by Michael Longhurst - also includes Ellie Kendrick, Sian Clifford, Kae Alexander, Bayo Gbadomosi and Bo Poraj.

15 June-22 July. Book tickets here

10. Sand in the Sandwiches, Theatre Royal Haymarket

In Hugh Whitemore's play, directed by Gareth Armstrong, Edward Fox celebrates poet laureate John Betjeman - from his boyhood through to the creation of indelible verse conjuring a vanishing England. The show comes to the West End as part of a UK tour. Read our intervie with Edward Fox

30 May-3 June. Book tickets here

Want more recommendations? Find previous Top 10 lists here

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