The 16 Greatest West End Shows of All Time

One has been running since 1952; another opened last decade and sells out anyway. Sung-through spectacle against two actors and a ghost.

1

The Mousetrap

Agatha Christie's whodunit, running in London since 1952 and the longest-running play in theatre history.

2

Les Misérables

The Boublil and Schönberg musical, running in the West End since 1985.

3

The Phantom of the Opera

Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical, still playing at His Majesty's Theatre.

4

Cats

The 1981 Lloyd Webber musical built from T.S. Eliot's poems.

5

Hamilton

Lin-Manuel Miranda's hip-hop history, which opened in London in 2017.

6

Wicked

The Oz prequel musical, at the Apollo Victoria since 2006.

7

The Woman in Black

The two-hander ghost play that ran for more than three decades at the Fortune.

8

The Lion King

Julie Taymor's staging, at the Lyceum since 1999.

9

Matilda the Musical

The RSC's Roald Dahl adaptation with songs by Tim Minchin.

10

Blood Brothers

Willy Russell's Liverpool tragedy, which ran in the West End for 24 years.

11

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

The two-part play at the Palace Theatre since 2016.

12

An Inspector Calls

Stephen Daldry's revival of the Priestley thriller, revived repeatedly since 1992.

13

Mamma Mia!

The ABBA jukebox musical, in London since 1999.

14

Six

The pop musical giving Henry VIII's wives the microphone.

15

The 39 Steps

The four-actor comic version of the Hitchcock thriller.

16

Witness for the Prosecution

Christie's courtroom drama, staged inside London County Hall since 2017.