THE DOCTOR Leads August's Top 10 New London Shows

London is never short of temptations, whether splashy West End shows, epic dramas or bold fringe offerings. From Robert Icke's latest to Fleabag, Evita and witchy adventures, here are some of this month's most eye-catching openings. Don't forget to check back for BroadwayWorld's reviews, interviews and features!

1. The Doctor, Almeida Theatre

Robert Icke and Juliet Stevenson reunite for the former's loose take on Arthur Schnitzler's Professor Bernhardi, about a physician's controversial handling of a terminally ill patient. This is Icke's final production as Associate Director of the Almeida; his cast also features Ria Zmitrowicz, Paul Higgins, Oliver Alvin-Wilson, Kirsty Rider and Naomi Wirthner.

10 August-28 September. Book tickets here

2. Fleabag, Wyndham's Theatre

Phoebe Waller-Bridge's lauded sitcom began as a one-woman show, directed by her DryWrite partner Vicky Jones. Following a sold-out New York run, Waller-Bridge brings Fleabag back home - and this is the last time she'll perform the piece live. Tickets are, unsurprisingly, scarce, but there's also an NT Live broadcast, lottery and standing tickets.

20 August-14 September. Find ticket help here

3. Evita, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

This opening takes Andrew Lloyd Webber's concurrent London productions up to five, with Regent's Park's superb Jesus Christ Superstar now playing at the Barbican. There are high hopes for Jamie Lloyd's revival as well: American actress Samantha Pauly makes her UK debut as Eva Peron, alongside Trent Saunders, Frances Mayli McCann and Ektor Rivera.

2 August-21 September. Book tickets here

4. The Worst Witch, Vaudeville Theatre

Emma Reeves' adaptation of Jill Murphy's beloved books, about Mildred Hubble's adventures at Miss Cackle's Academy, has been touring the UK and now flies into the West End - perfect for the school holidays. Theresa Heskins directs Danielle Bird, Polly Lister, Rosie Abraham, Consuela Rolle, Emma Lau, Lauryn Redding, Rebecca Killick and Rachel Heaton.

24 July-8 September. Book tickets here

5. A Very Expensive Poison, Old Vic

Lucy Prebble's TV hit Succession returns soon for a second series, and she's also back with a new play based on Luke Harding's exposé of the events behind the assassination of Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko. John Crowley directs Tom Brooke, MyAnna Buring, Reece Shearsmith, Michael Shaeffer, Peter Polycarpou and Gavin Spokes.

20 August-5 October. Book tickets here

6. Hansard, National Theatre

Simon Godwin helms actor Simon Woods' debut play about a Thatcher-era Tory politician doing battle on the home front when he reunites with his wife in the Cotswolds (the title refers to the official report of parliamentary debates). Promising a witty skewering of the governing classes, it stars Alex Jennings and Lindsay Duncan.

22 August-25 November. Book tickets here

7. Tree, Young Vic

Can the onstage action possibly match the offstage drama of Tree? Kwame Kwei-Armah and Idris Elba's project, with competing authorship claims from Sarah Henley and Tori Allen-Martin, combines theatre, music and dance in its exploration of South African heritage; the cast features Alfred Enoch, Sinéad Cusack, Joan Iyiola, Kurt Egyiawan and Lucy Briggs-Owen.

29 July-24 August. Book tickets here

8. Appropriate, Donmar Warehouse

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (whose An Octoroon and Gloria have already crossed the pond) puts his spin on the American family reunion drama with this provocative ghost story. Ola Ince directs the UK premiere, and the cast includes Monica Dolan, Edward Hogg, Steven Mackintosh, Isabella Pappas, Charles Furness, Jaimi Barbakoff and Tafline Steen.

16 August-5 October. Book tickets here

9. Matthew Bourne's Romeo and Juliet, Sadler's Wells

The first new production from New Adventures since 2016's The Red Shoes, Bourne's reimagining of Shakespeare's tragic love story sets the action in a dystopian future - with a touch of political satire. The cast features Andrew Monaghan, Cordelia Braithwaite, Bryony Harrison, Paris Fitzpatrick, Seren Williams, João Carolino, Harrison Dowzell and Bryony Wood.

7-31 August. Book tickets here

10. Queen of the Mist, Charing Cross Theatre

Dom O'Hanlon helms Michael John LaChiusa's musical, based on the astounding true story of 63-year-old Anna Edson Taylor, who set out to become the first person to ride over Niagara Falls in a barrel. The cast features Trudi Camilleri, Will Arundell, Emily Juler, Emma Ralston, Tom Blackmore, Conor McFarlane and Andrew Carter.

15 August-5 October. Book tickets here

Want more recommendations? Find previous Top 10 lists here

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