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Opens 12 Nov A Christmas Carol
at Old Vic
The Old Vic's much-loved festive staging of Dickens's story of Ebenezer Scrooge.
- Opens 12 Nov 2026 · booking to 9 Jan 2027
- The Cut, SE1 8NB
- Waterloo (nearest station)
A mini guide to
The South Bank: theatre
Theatre and shows near The South Bank
Theatre
Shows near The South Bank
London's theatres are spread across the city, and the West End is usually only a short Tube ride away. This page shows productions at theatres within walking distance of The South Bank, where there are any.
For every show in London, see our full theatre guide.
Now playing
Shows nearby
Opens 12 Nov 
Playing now Cloud 9
at National Theatre – Lyttelton
Caryl Churchill's play about gender, power and desire, from colonial Africa to 1970s London.
- Booking to 13 Jan 2027
- Upper Ground, SE1 9PX
- Waterloo (nearest station)
Opens 13 Nov Eurotrash
at Young Vic
A production at the Young Vic. Check the theatre's website for full details and tickets.
- Opens 13 Nov 2026 · booking to 9 Jan 2027
- 66 The Cut, SE1 8LZ
- Southwark (nearest station)
Opens 25 Nov Fly, You Fools!
at Southwark Playhouse Borough
A live, shot-for-shot parody of the first film in a famous fantasy franchise, played by four performers.
- Opens 25 Nov 2026 · booking to 16 Jan 2027
- 77-85 Newington Causeway, SE1 6BD
- Elephant & Castle (nearest station)
Opens 21 Nov Fourteen Again
at Menier Chocolate Factory
A joyful new musical with a book by Tom MacRae and the songs of the late Victoria Wood.
- Opens 21 Nov 2026 · booking to 27 Feb 2027
- 53 Southwark Street, SE1 1RU
- London Bridge (nearest station)
Closing soon Girls
at Young Vic
A production at the Young Vic. Check the theatre's website for full details and tickets.
- Booking to 21 Nov 2026
- 66 The Cut, SE1 8LZ
- Southwark (nearest station)
Playing now Julius Caesar
at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Shakespeare's political tragedy in the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.
- Booking to 14 Feb 2027
- 21 New Globe Walk, SE1 9DT
- Blackfriars (nearest station)
Closing soon Martin Guerre
at Old Vic
A sweeping musical drama from the creators of Les Misérables, now at the Old Vic.
- Booking to 25 Nov 2026
- The Cut, SE1 8NB
- Waterloo (nearest station)
Opens 16 Nov Murder, She Didn't Write
at Duchess Theatre
An improvised comedy in which the audience's suggestions shape a brand-new murder mystery every night.
- Opens 16 Nov 2026 · booking to 19 Apr 2027
- 3-5 Catherine Street, WC2B 5LA
- Temple (nearest station)
Playing now Paddington The Musical
at Savoy Theatre
The beloved bear from Peru comes to the stage in a new family musical.
- Booking now
- Strand, WC2R 0ET
- Charing Cross (nearest station)
Opens 28 Nov Pinocchio
at Shakespeare's Globe
A festive family adaptation of the classic story at the Globe.
- Opens 28 Nov 2026 · booking to 3 Jan 2027
- 21 New Globe Walk, SE1 9DT
- Blackfriars (nearest station)
Closing soon Some Woman
at National Theatre – Dorfman
A new play by Helen Edmundson, starring Anne-Marie Duff.
- Booking to 21 Nov 2026
- Upper Ground, SE1 9PX
- Waterloo (nearest station)
Opens 13 Nov The Jungle Book
at National Theatre – Olivier
A big, theatrical staging of Kipling's story at the National Theatre.
- Opens 13 Nov 2026 · booking to 6 Feb 2027
- Upper Ground, SE1 9PX
- Waterloo (nearest station)
Playing now The Lion King
at Lyceum Theatre
Disney's stage version of the animated film, famous for its extraordinary puppetry and costumes.
- Booking to 16 May 2027
- 21 Wellington Street, WC2E 7RQ
- Covent Garden (nearest station)
Playing now The Play That Goes Wrong
at Duchess Theatre
A chaotic amateur drama society tries to stage a 1920s murder mystery, with everything going wrong.
- Booking now
- 3-5 Catherine Street, WC2B 5LA
- Temple (nearest station)
Opens 2 Dec The Rise and Fall of Little Voice
at National Theatre – Dorfman
Jim Cartwright's play about a shy girl with an extraordinary singing voice.
- Opens 2 Dec 2026 · booking to 3 Jan 2027
- Upper Ground, SE1 9PX
- Waterloo (nearest station)
Closing soon TRU
at Menier Chocolate Factory
Jesse Tyler Ferguson stars in a one-man portrait of Truman Capote.
- Booking to 14 Nov 2026
- 53 Southwark Street, SE1 1RU
- London Bridge (nearest station)
Venues
Theatres closest to The South Bank
Our London directory has 49 theatres within 2 km of the centre of The South Bank, 12 of them within 1 km. The nearest 8 are listed below, closest first. Distances are measured in a straight line from the middle of the area, and the walking time assumes 5 km/h with no detours, so allow longer on real streets.
-
Young Vic
An innovative, welcoming theatre that champions new directors and diverse stories.
Step-free (reported), according to OpenStreetMap. Check with the venue before you book.
-
The Calder Bookshop & Theatre
A theatre in Southwark, close to London Waterloo East.
Step-free (reported), according to OpenStreetMap. Check with the venue before you book.
-
Union Theatre
A theatre in Southwark, close to Southwark.
We hold no step-free information for this venue. Ask the box office before you book.
-
Cervantes Theatre
A theatre in Southwark, close to Southwark.
Partly step-free (reported), according to OpenStreetMap. Check with the venue before you book.
-
Waterloo East Theatre
A theatre in Lambeth, close to London Waterloo East.
We hold no step-free information for this venue. Ask the box office before you book.
-
The Old Vic
A 200-year-old theatre in the round, known for its Christmas Carol and major revivals.
Not step-free (reported), according to the venue's access page (checked 18 October 2026). Check with the venue before you book.
-
National Theatre
A concrete landmark housing three theatres — the Olivier, Lyttelton and Dorfman — on the South Bank.
Step-free (reported), according to OpenStreetMap. Check with the venue before you book.
-
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
A theatre in Southwark, close to London Bridge.
We hold no step-free information for this venue. Ask the box office before you book.
Each venue page gives the address, the official programme link and how to get there. Ask the box office about wheelchair spaces and captioned or audio-described performances when you book, and see accessible London for getting around. To compare every venue, open the full theatre directory.
Staying nearby? The theatre pages for Borough & Bermondsey, The City & Tower, Westminster & Whitehall and Bloomsbury & Fitzrovia list the venues closest to those areas: Borough & Bermondsey, The City & Tower, Westminster & Whitehall, Bloomsbury & Fitzrovia.
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