The best UK theatre to see in July 2023

From musicals to plays – here’s a neat round-up of the best theatre you can get in the UK this July.

Happy July!

Crazy for You

To witness Charlie Stemp dancing is to behold one of the wonders of the theatrical world. Fresh from a rave-reviewed run at Chichester Festival Theatre, he stars as a caddish charmer sent to foreclose on a rundown theatre in a small Nevada town, only to end up putting on a show there. As I said in my original review, it’s the finest staging of a musical you could ever hope to see.

Crazy for You is at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, London, until 20 January 2024. Get tickets here.

Sh!t-Faced Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing

The irreverent troop are back with an all-new production featuring seven actors and a hacked-to-bits Shakespeare script of one of the Bard’s most popular comedies. The ‘sh!t-faced’ bit refers to the fact that before each performance one of the actors is given four hours to down as much booze as they can get their mitts on before going on stage completely pissed. What could possibly go wrong?

Sh!t-Faced Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing is at the Leicester Square Theatre, London, from 5 July to 9 September. Get tickets here.

The Crown Jewels

Al Murray stars as King Charles II and Mel Giedroyc as a French noblewoman in this new, based-on-truth comedy about one of the most audacious heist attempts in British history as a rogue named Colonel Blood hatches a plan to steal the Crown Jewels. It’s written by Simon Nye and directed by Sean Foley, with Al and Mel on double duty as the keepers of the national treasures.

The Crown Jewels is at the Garrick Theatre, London, from 7 July. Get tickets here.

Miss Saigon

Boublil and Schönberg’s musical (which is tons better than Les Misérables in my opinion) gets a re-imagining. Based on Madama Butterfly and set during the last days of the Vietnam War in 1975, it’s the heart-tearing story of an ill-fated union between a Vietnamese bargirl and an American GI. The cast includes Jessica Lee, Christian Maynard, and Joanna Ampil as the show’s first female Engineer.

Miss Saigon is at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, from 8 July to 19 August. Get tickets here.

Peter Smith’s Diana

Hailed as “the most luminous performer” on NYC’s comedy scene and making their London debut, Peter Smith uses music, monologues, humour, and dance to dissect the persona of Princess Diana. A one-person show, it examines her life, relationships, and her soul-baring TV interview as well as the themes of idol worship and self-love.

Peter Smith’s Diana is at the Soho Theatre, London, from 14 to 29 July. Get tickets here.