The enchanting children’s book by Michael Morpurgo is brought to life on stage
Join Tomas on a magical adventure to discover the joy of reading in I Believe in Unicorns at the Apollo Theatre. This adaptation of the beloved Michael Morpugo story features an incredible, engrossing performance from Danyah Miller in an intimate production that makes the entire Apollo Theatre feel like story-time at your local library.
In the midst of war-torn Europe, 8-year-old Tomas hates reading and doesn’t get on at school. This is until a visit to his local library introduces him to ‘the Unicorn Lady’, who shows him that the books all around them hold more than just words within their pages.
Cast Information
Danyah Miller is an international storyteller, solo performer and theatre producer with a long and varied career. She has produced musicals such as Soul Sister and Pippi Longstocking the Swashbuckling Musical Adventure and has been a featured storyteller on BBC Three Counties Radio. Her work in I Believe in Unicorns has been seen by 80,000 people worldwide.
Show Length and Times
The runtime for I Believe in Unicorns is 55 minutes (without an interval).
This sensational new musical based on the bestselling book by Audrey Niffenegger will leave you spellbound
This beloved story of romance and magical realism is brought to the stage in a stunning new musical at the Apollo Theatre. Clare and Henry are a married couple whose relationship is tested by a bizarre condition. Henry is frequently thrown through time in a manner he cannot control, only to reappear. Can their love endure these prolonged absences and sporadic reunions?
The Time Traveller’s Wife features music from acclaimed musician and songwriter Joss Stone and Eurythmics guitarist Dave Stewart. Chris Fisher, whose work on Back to the Future the Musical has won much critical praise, provides a dazzling array of stage effects.
Cast Information
The cast for The Time Traveller’s Wife includes David Hunter (Waitress) as Henry and Joanna Woodward (Pretty Woman: The Musical) as Clare. Further casting is to be announced.
The chilling West End phenomena continues to haunt audiences in London
A show to make you question what you believe in, 2:22 A Ghost Story is a spine-tingling drama that has kept London audiences on the edge of their seats since its premier at the Noel Coward Theatre in 2021, which starred Lily Allen in her West End debut.
Married couple Jenny and Sam have recently moved into a new house. Jenny believes it to be haunted but Sam is sceptical. When friends Ben and Lauren arrive for a dinner party, talk turns to the supernatural and differing opinions are shared leading up to the moment, at 2:22AM, when the truth will be revealed…
Playwright Danny Robins of The Battersea Poltergeist podcast fame, brings his knowledge and enthusiasm into all-things supernatural into a taught, intelligent thriller that is a must-see for lovers of great drama. Previous runs of 2:22 have attracted surprising cast members including Tom Felton (The Harry Potter film series), Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn 99) and former popstar Cheryl.
Cast Information
Casting for the Apollo Theatre run includes Jaime Winstone (Kidulthood), Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill), Ricky Champ (EastEnders) and Clifford Samuel (The Changeling).
Show Length and Times
Performances of 2:22 A Ghost Story last approximately 2 hours, including an interval. Performance times are 7.30pm Tuesday-Sunday with a 2.30pm matinee on Saturdays and Sundays.
The educational antics of YouTube favourite Blippi come to the West End stage with Blippi The Musical at the Apollo Theatre.
Blippi takes to the stage with a delightful and fun production that will take your kids on an educational adventure. Blippi The Musical features audience engagement, wonderful music and a healthy dose of curiosity to keep the little ones captivated from start to finish.
Any 2 to 7 year old with an appetite for learning will adore seeing Blippi come to life like never before. As he learns about the world around him, they will too through sing-a-longs, dancing and interaction.
Blippi, created by Steve Johns, first debuted on YouTube in 2014 and has become a favourite among young kids. The curious, bespectacled Blippi encourages children to explore the world around them and gives entertaining lessons on nature, animals, vehicles, museums and more. Please note that in this production, Blippi will be played by professional stage performers. Steve Johns will not appear in the show.
Show Length and Times
Performances of Blippi The Musical last approximately 65 minutes, and do not include an interval. Performance times are 10.30am and 1.00pm Sunday – Friday. Saturday performances are 10.30am and 12.30pm.
Master of mind games Derren Brown is back in the West End with SHOWMAN, which will have audiences at the Apollo Theatre questioning everything
Legendary psychological illusionist Derren Brown makes his highly-demanded return to the London Stage with his latest production, SHOWMAN. The contents of the show are a tightly controlled secret, but expect to be left speechless by the mental trickery of a true master.
Derren Brown is a staple of UK television and theatre tours, having left sold-out audiences spellbound since his first tour in 2003. By using a mix of traditional stage magic, memory techniques, hypnosis, cold reading and cognitive psychology, he demonstrates both the power and fragility of the human mind, while debunking those that claim supernatural or otherworldly powers.
With his live tours, Derren Brown has won more Olivier Award wins and nominations than any other individual in the award’s history. SHOWMAN is guaranteed to be one of the most astonishing productions of the year and is not to be missed.
Show Length and Times
Performances of Derren Brown – SHOWMAN last approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes, including a 20 minute interval. Evening performances start at 7.30pm every night from Tuesday to Saturday, and matinees begin at 2.30pm every Saturday. There are no Monday performances.
Ben Elton’s Hilarious historical farce The Upstart Crow returns to the West End with David Mitchell as William Shakespeare
Beloved primetime comedy Upstart Crow is given the full West End treatment with this standalone play featuring all your favourite characters. David Mitchell takes to the stage as William Shakespeare in this laugh-out-loud production penned by Ben Elton.
Shakespeare is desperate for a hit and thinks his latest work, King Lear, may be just the ticket. However, with the zany characters loitering around his house, including wannabe actress Kate, puritan physician (and his own son-in-law) John Hall as well as two demanding daughters, Will seems to have plenty to deal with already!
The Upstart Crow was an immediate hit when it first opened in 2020, but its initial run was cut short by the Covid pandemic. Expect this madcap troupe of players to receive the same warm reception when their highly-anticipated return opens at the Apollo Theatre on 23rd September 2022.
Cast Information
British TV staple David Mitchell (Peep Show, That Mitchell & Webb Look) plays William Shakespeare with Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones) as Kate.
The script is written as a standalone story by Ben Elton and is not a direct adaptation of the TV show, but will feature many of the characters you know and love.
Show Length and Times
Performances of The Upstart Crow last approximately 100 minutes, including an interval. Evening performances start at 7.30pm every night from Monday to Saturday, and matinees begin at 2.30pm every Wednesday and Saturday. There are no performances on Sundays.
This Olivier Award nominated tribute to the LGBTQ community returns to the West End
Inspired by a true story, this poignant, vibrant play celebrates and examines queer culture in the late 1980s under the looming threat of the HIV epidemic. Cruise tells a passionate, personal story that is guaranteed to move audiences at the Apollo Theatre.
It is 1988 and in London’s Soho, Michael expects his life to end in the immediate future. He has lived with HIV for four years and lost his partner Dave to the disease two years ago. When to his own surprise, Michael doesn’t die, he is faced with the unexpected prospect of life and must finally decide what it means to have a future.
Cruise is set to a soundtrack of incredible ’80s hits, all performed live, and takes viewers on an emotional rollercoaster through London’s vibrant queer culture. This powerful play is not to be missed.
Cast Information
Jack Holden (War Horse) is writer and star of Cruise and Bronagh Lagan (Broken Wings) directs, bringing her extensive experience with new writing to this exciting production.
All music is performed live by London-based composer and musician John Patrick Elliot.
Show Length and Times
Performances of Cruise last approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes, and do not include an interval. Evening performances start at 8.00pm every night from Monday to Saturday, and matinees begin at 4.00pm every Saturday and Sunday, with one 5.30pm matinee on Friday 2nd September.
Due to the national lockdown, all performances for Adam Kay’s This is Going to Hurt after 4th November are cancelled. However, his follow-up show Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas is currently booking at London’s Palace Theatre from 21st December until 3rd January.
Award-winning comedian and former junior doctor Adam Kay welcomes a socially distanced audience to hear his eye-opening and often hilarious stories about his time in the NHS. This is Going to Hurt opens for a limited season at the Apollo Theatre from the 23rd October until 8th November.
Adapted from Kay’s Sunday Times best-selling novel of the same name, This is Going to Hurt is an informative and often moving stand-up show that offers a unique insight into the life of a young medical professional. This show mixes gory hospital stories, witty songs, and first-hand observations that will make you laugh, squirm, and learn more about what working as part of the NHS is like.
This socially distanced run at the Apollo follows several years of success for This is Going to Hurt, having sold out at the Edinburgh Fringe for three years running, then moving to the Soho Theatre in 2017, followed by a UK tour that featured performances at the Garrick and Vaudeville Theatres in London’s West End.
Cast & Creative
Adam Kay is an award-winning comedian and writer who held a former career as a junior doctor. While studying, Kay founded the musical parody band ‘Amateur Transplants’, who are most famous for ‘London Underground’, a parody of ‘Going Underground’ by The Jam. Kay has written for television shows including Mrs Brown’s Boys, Very British Problems and Mitchell and Webb.
Important Information
To assist with track and trace the venue are introducing an airline-style check-in.
48 hours before your performance you will receive a pre-visit email with a check-in link from Nimax Theatres
You will be required to confirm that members of your party do not have Covid-19 symptoms – if you cannot confirm this you will be given details on how to exchange (this must be completed no later than 10am on the morning of your performance).
Email address – this will be used to communicate pre-show procedures to you, assist with track and trace and provide e-tickets on completion of check-in.
The venue will only accept E-ticket for admittance
Nimax Theatres will provide you with a contactless e-tickets upon completion of “check-in”.
Note that while London remains under Covid High-Level restrictions, by continuing with your booking you agree that the seats you are purchasing will enable only members of your household or support bubble to sit together.
Running Times
The performance is approximately an hour and ten minutes, with no interval.
Suitable for Children?
This is Going to Hurt is recommended for ages 12+.
Tickets
Use the search form at the top of the page to access tickets.
Reviews
Have you seen This is Going to Hurt? If so then share your thoughts in the comments below!
Take your little princes and princesses on a tour of Britain’s crazy past with Horrible Histories tickets
We all want to meet people from history. The trouble is everyone’s dead! Well fear not – the Horrible Histories gang are back to introduce you to a whole new series of rude rulers and kooky characters.
That’s right, Britain’s favourite history show is back in the West End! Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain – Part 5 is a brand new production of the perilous past, arriving at the Apollo Theatre on 29th July 2021.
Get ready to be conquered by King William, go house hunting with King Henry VIII, join the gorgeous Georgians as they take over England, and break into Buckingham Palace and hide from the Queen!
Cast and Creative
Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain – Part 5 is written and directed by Neal Foster, a prolific theatre writer, director and actor who also directed The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Tom’s Midnight Garden and previous Horrible Histories shows. Jaqueline Trousdaleis set & costume designer. Her credits include The Jungle Book and Treasure Island.
The Horrible Histories books were created by Terry Deary and have become a British institution, spawning the highly popular TV-series, which remains a favourite for children and teachers.
Show Length & Times
Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain – Part 5 runs for 1 hour and 10 minutes with no interval.
Suitable For?
Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain – Part 5 is recommended for ages 5+
Tickets
Tickets for Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain – Part 5 are on sale now. Book online here.
All tickets include a £1.25 Theatre Restoration Levy.
The Horrible Histories brand has educated, delighted and disgusted (in the best possible way) children in book, television and live performance form for more than two decades now. Known for its ability to entertain kids and their parents alike, the Horrible Histories live shows have become a staple of the Summer Holiday theatre season.
Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain, Part Four is currently playing at the Apollo Theatre in London after a wide-ranging UK tour. Theatre critics have had their say, but we know the most important opinions for a show such as this are those of the parents, and the kids they take to see it.
Here’s what a selection of popular parent bloggers wrote about their experiences seeing Horrible Histories Barmy Britain, Part Four with their children.
Kids are the only reliable critics for a show like Horrible Histories!
“The show is a riot from start to finish, incredibly squeezing centuries of history into just 65 minutes. As promised, there are plenty of yucky bits (mostly about bodily functions) and the audience were in stitches throughout.”
“The songs are witty and informative and toilet humour abounds which has the audience in hysterics. With political and Brexit jokes popped in for good measure, you’ll leave the theatre feeling enlightened and most probably relieved to see that the British have always been a little bit barmy.”
Kiddo Adventures, a blog to help parents discover fun things to do out of the house with their kids, with a big emphasis on child-friendly theatre, also reviewed the 2018 Apollo Theatre, London production and wrote:
“This show is a great way to get kids interested in history and I can honestly say I learnt a few new things myself. Although we are looking at historical figures, there were many modern twists added which filled the room with laughter.”
“The two cast members use their giant dressing up box to morph seamlessly from one character to the next, with plenty of songs, disgusting bits, toilet humour – everything you’d expect from Horrible Histories. It’s silly enough to entertain kids of all ages, but there are plenty of grown up jokes that will have the adults chuckling too.”
She also added:
“Needless to say, my boys had a blast and did a rap about poo all the way home. #soproud 😂”
If that isn’t proof of Horrible Histories’ power to
entertain kids, what is?!
The verdicts are in: Kids love Horrible Histories!
