English (UK)
English (US)
Français
Deutsch
Español
Italiano
Nederlands
简体中文
Opens Nov 12 A Christmas Carol
at Old Vic
The Old Vic's much-loved festive staging of Dickens's story of Ebenezer Scrooge.
- Opens Nov 12, 2026 · booking to Jan 9, 2027
- The Cut, SE1 8NB
- Waterloo (nearest station)
A mini guide to
The South Bank: theatre
Theater and shows near The South Bank
Theater
Shows near The South Bank
London's theaters are spread across the city, and the West End is usually only a short Tube ride away. This page shows productions at theaters within walking distance of The South Bank, where there are any.
For every show in London, see our full theater guide.
Now playing
Shows nearby
Opens Nov 12 
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 Jan 13, 2027
- Upper Ground, SE1 9PX
- Waterloo (nearest station)
Opens Nov 13 Eurotrash
at Young Vic
A production at the Young Vic. Check the theater's website for full details and tickets.
- Opens Nov 13, 2026 · booking to Jan 9, 2027
- 66 The Cut, SE1 8LZ
- Southwark (nearest station)
Opens Nov 25 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 Nov 25, 2026 · booking to Jan 16, 2027
- 77-85 Newington Causeway, SE1 6BD
- Elephant & Castle (nearest station)
Opens Nov 21 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 Nov 21, 2026 · booking to Feb 27, 2027
- 53 Southwark Street, SE1 1RU
- London Bridge (nearest station)
Closing soon Girls
at Young Vic
A production at the Young Vic. Check the theater's website for full details and tickets.
- Booking to Nov 21, 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 Feb 14, 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 Nov 25, 2026
- The Cut, SE1 8NB
- Waterloo (nearest station)
Opens Nov 16 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 Nov 16, 2026 · booking to Apr 19, 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 Nov 28 Pinocchio
at Shakespeare's Globe
A festive family adaptation of the classic story at the Globe.
- Opens Nov 28, 2026 · booking to Jan 3, 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 Nov 21, 2026
- Upper Ground, SE1 9PX
- Waterloo (nearest station)
Opens Nov 13 The Jungle Book
at National Theatre – Olivier
A big, theatrical staging of Kipling's story at the National Theatre.
- Opens Nov 13, 2026 · booking to Feb 6, 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 May 16, 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 Dec 2 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 Dec 2, 2026 · booking to Jan 3, 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 Nov 14, 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 theater 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 theater in Southwark, close to London Waterloo East.
Step-free (reported), according to OpenStreetMap. Check with the venue before you book.
-
Union Theatre
A theater in Southwark, close to Southwark.
We hold no step-free information for this venue. Ask the box office before you book.
-
Cervantes Theatre
A theater in Southwark, close to Southwark.
Partly step-free (reported), according to OpenStreetMap. Check with the venue before you book.
-
Waterloo East Theatre
A theater 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 theater in the round, known for its Christmas Carol and major revivals.
Not step-free (reported), according to the venue's access page (checked Oct 18, 2026). Check with the venue before you book.
-
National Theatre
A concrete landmark housing three theaters — 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 theater 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.
Keep exploring London