The Greatest Showman sets its West End dates at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
The stage musical The Greatest Showman will open in the West End at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, with previews from 14 April 2027 and an opening night on 5 May 2027, according to WhatsOnStage.
Previews are performances held before the official opening, when the production is still settling in front of audiences. Theatre Royal Drury Lane is a large theatre in Covent Garden, in the heart of London's West End. So far, it is the only London venue announced for the show.
Tickets go on sale in stages. Priority booking opens on 3 November, and general sale starts on 18 November at 12pm GMT. The initial booking period runs until 2 October 2027, so the first tickets cover the production's opening months.
The cast list was announced with the dates. Oliver Tompsett will play P T Barnum, and Samantha Barks will play Charity Barnum. Ben Joyce will play Phillip Carlyle, Vajèn van den Bosch will play Jenny Lind, and Malinda Parris will play Lettie Lutz. Playbill had already reported in August that Tompsett and Barks would lead the company.
The songs are by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and the book is by Tim Federle. Casey Nicholaw directs and choreographs. The show is based on the 20th Century Studios film, with a story by Jenny Bicks. It is the first 20th Century Studios title to be adapted for the stage by Disney Theatrical Group.
The stage version did not start in London. Its premiere was announced for the Bristol Hippodrome, a theatre run by ATG Entertainment, in spring 2026. That run was booked to end on 10 May 2026. LW Theatres now lists the West End engagement as just announced for spring 2027, with further details to follow.
For the Covent Garden theatre, the move adds another big musical to its calendar. The building has two bars that visitors can use before and during performances. The Grand Saloon is a cocktail bar named after the photographer and costume designer Cecil Beaton, and the Rotunda bar has a ceiling inspired by the Pantheon in Rome.
For anyone planning to go, the first date to mark is 3 November, when priority booking opens. General sale follows on 18 November. Further details, including a full performance schedule, are still to come.
