Preview: The best UK theatre to see in August 2023
What to see this month around the UK.
By Simon Button
From the queens of Six on tour to The Way Old Friends Do getting a welcome West End transfer, Simon Button rounds up this month’s must-see theatre.
Check them out below!
Six
The sassy wives of Henry VIII make their way around the country so that everyone can get a taste of this celebration of girl power. Part musical, part concert, it’s all-parts fabulous. And let’s name-check all the Queens – Nicole Louise Lewis, Laura Dawn Pyatt, Erin Caldwell, Kenedy Small, Lou Henry, and Aoife Haakenson – as they welcome you to the histo-remix.
Six is currently touring the UK. Get tickets here.
Jersey Boys
The longest-running, and in my opinion best, jukebox musical is refreshed by an energised cast. Leading the pack is Luke Suri as the angel-voiced Four Seasons singer Frankie Valli with a fantastic falsetto to match. The show still tugs at the heart as it gets the feet tapping. And it’s hard to believe this is Suri’s theatre debut. Like Frankie, he’s gonna go far.
Jersey Boys is at the Trafalgar Theatre, London. Get tickets here.
The Way Old Friends Do
You can’t keep a good ABBA tribute down, as proven by the West End transfer of Ian Hallard’s joyous and riotously funny comedy after a run at the Park Theatre and a UK tour. Hallard also stars as one of a couple of old school pals who reunite to do Frida and Agnetha in drag. Mark Gatiss directs with a light, affectionate touch.
The Way Old Friends Do is at the Criterion Theatre, London, from 17 August to 9 September. Get tickets here.
Candy
Expanded by Tim Fraser from a ten-minute monologue into his first full-length play, Candy explores identity and toxic masculinity. It’s a one-man show starring Michael Waller as Will, a Northern fella who falls for a beautiful stranger who just happens to be his best friend in drag. A Reboot Theatre production directed by Nico Rao Pimparé.
Candy is at the Park Theatre, London, from 22 August to 9 September. Get tickets here.
Calendar Girls
The Gary Barlow/Tim Firth musical about Yorkshire Women’s Institute ladies stripping off for a charity calendar gets a reimagined book, reworked tunes, and some new ones too. The brilliantly named Honeysuckle Weeks is joined by the likes of Tanya Franks, Lyn Paul, Maureen Nolan, and Marti Webb. And the show is doing its own bit for charity by supporting Blood Cancer UK.
Calendar Girls tours the UK from 30 August. Check local venues for tickets.