What shows are opening and closing this month? (January 2020)

Posted on Jan 13, 2020 | By Jade Ali

Out with the old and in with the new! It’s a new month, a new year, a new decade… but for show business, this is just the same old. The West End is constantly seeing shows come and go. Of course, it’s always great to have fresh new shows or revivals of old favourites, but that comes with having to wave goodbye to others. Perhaps January 2020 will see the back of your favourite show or maybe you will be introduced to something new. Here is a list of shows that have left and will leave, as well as what has opened and will open this month, so you know which show to catch before its too late and simultaneously see what will replace them.

What shows are opening and closing this month? (January 2020) — Coming Clean recently opened at London's Trafalgar Studios

Opening in January 2020

Coming Clean (opened 8 January)
From the writer of My Night with Reg (Donmar Warehouse/Apollo Theatre) Kevin Elyot comes the return of his successful show Coming Clean. It had a sell-out run at King’s Head Theatre and an equally as successful transfer to London’s Trafalgar Studios for its initial run. Now the production is at Trafalgar Studios 2 for a strictly limited season. This compelling and funny play follows Tony and Greg who are in a committed but atypical relationship. There’s room in their relationship for people to come and go but what will happen when the dashing Richard comes and doesn’t go? Will their love stand the test as everything they thought they knew about each other is thrown into jeopardy? Don’t miss Coming Clean which must come to an end on 1 February 2020.
🎫 Book your Coming Clean tickets here.

Rags the Musical (opened 9 January)
The new and revised version of Joseph Stein’s Rags The Musical made its London premiere on 9 January and will play at Park Theatre for a strictly limited run. You have until 8 February 2020 to see it and you’ll want to make sure you do. The musical had a warm reception in Manchester and is likely to be received well in London too, seeing tickets in high demand. Rags is a story of undying hope and unconditional love. It follows a group of Russian immigrants who are struggling to achieve the American dream. A young mother and her son head to Manhattan in order to find a better life but dreams aren’t always what they seem.
🎫 Book your London Rags the Musical tickets here.

Frank Skinner: Showbiz (opens 13 January)
Legendary comedian Frank Skinner is returning to the West End for a month-long run at the Garrick Theatre following his sell-out national tour. Don’t let the January blues get you down and book tickets for Frank Skinner: Showbiz for an hour-long show packed full of irresistible one-liners and hilarious storytelling. Skinner returns to stand-up comedy for the first time in five years, so it comes as no surprise that his shows are selling out. Book your Showbiz tickets whilst availability lasts!
🎫 Book your Frank Skinner: Showbiz tickets here.

Kunene and the King (opens 24 January)
Following its hugely successful run at Swan Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon and a sell-out run at The Fugard Theatre, Cape Town, the Royal Shakespeare Company present Kunene and the King. The production comes to the West End’s Ambassadors Theatre for a limited 9-week run. This vivid new play follows the story of two men who are from the same country but different worlds and when they come together, they discover one thing that brings them unexpectedly closer - a passion for Shakespeare. This dazzling new play has already made a name for itself and is set to see tickets in high demand so be sure to book yours now to avoid missing out!
🎫 Book your Kunene and the King tickets here.

Leopoldstadt (opens 25 January)
Tom Stoppard’s new play will be premiering at the West End’s Wyndham’s Theatre on 25 January for a strictly limited run of 16-weeks. Book your tickets now for Leopoldstadt and be sure you don’t miss out on Stoppard’s first play in five years. For the first time ever, Stoppard draws from his personal life experiences and tells the story of a Jewish family across three generations. Set in Vienna in the early 1900s, the place a haven for many Jewish families, who sought to escape segregation and targeted attacks in the East. This intimate and heartbreaking story of love, loss and endurance follows a family who rediscovers what it means to be Jewish at the beginning of the 20th century.
🎫 Book your Leopoldstadt tickets here.

Also opening this month (January 2020)…

English National Ballet 70th Anniversary Gala opens at London Coliseum on 17 January 2020.
🎫 Book your English National Ballet 70th Anniversary Gala tickets here.

The Ballet Icons Gala opens at London Coliseum on 26 January 2020.
🎫 Book your The Ballet Icons Gala tickets here.

Carmen opens at London Coliseum on 29 January 2020.
🎫 Book your Carmen tickets here.

Galactic Ensemble – Optraken opens at Peacock Theatre on 29 January 2020.
🎫 Book your Galactic Ensemble – Optraken tickets here.

The Gift opens at Theatre Royal Stratford East on 29 January 2020.
🎫 Book your The Gift tickets here.

Poet in Da Corner opens at Royal Court Theatre on 30 January 2020.
🎫 Book your Poet in Da Corner tickets here.

Closing in January 2020

Measure for Measure (closes 16 January)
Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure is directed by the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Artistic Director Gregory Doran at London’s Barbican Centre. Tickets are a must for any fan of riveting drama, the best of which comes from the world’s most renowned playwright Shakespeare himself. Don’t miss out on this provocative play that despite being written in the early 1600s has themes of corruption and morality at its core that are just as relevant today.
🎫 Book your tickets for Measure for Measure here.

A Christmas Carol (closes 18 January)
You might have just settled back into reality, but if you want to hold onto the holidays a little longer then there’s nothing more perfect than a last-minute trip to A Christmas Carol at London’s Old Vic. The themes of Dickens’ tale not only stand the test of time but are so relevant that they transcend the Christmas period despite its apt title. Following the high demand and huge acclaim, this Matthew Warchus adaptation comes back year after year (and of course with plans to return for Christmas 2020) becoming ever more popular with each revival. Catch it whilst you can and book your A Christmas Carol tickets now.
🎫 Book your A Christmas Carol tickets here.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea (closes 19 January)
One of Britain’s most popular children’s book has come to life live on stage at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket once again to dazzle families with its magical stage adaptation. Judith Kerr’s The Tiger Who Came to Tea delights audiences with songs, magic and a very hungry tiger. This Olivier Award-nominated, beloved show has just a handful of performances left, so act quickly to be sure you don’t miss out!
🎫 Book your The Tiger Who Came to Tea tickets here.

Fame (closes 26 January)
Fame is going to live forever but sadly this run at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre won’t, so if you want to catch the 30th-anniversary production then book your tickets whilst you still can! Based on the film of the same name, the stage show has been wowing audiences for three decades, which has seen eight West End runs, and there are just under two weeks left to experience this electric, smash-hit show!
🎫 Book your Fame tickets here.