Elf! the Musical
Elf: The Musical lights up the Aldwych Theatre this Christmas with a spectacularly festive production based on the hit Will Ferrell film. Follow Buddy, a human raised by Santa’s elves, as he ventures from the North Pole to New York in search of his real family… and a little Christmas spirit along the way. Filled with laughter, catchy songs, and sparkling seasonal magic, it’s the ultimate feel-good show for the holidays.
Special Offer
Booking from 15 December 2025 until 3 January 2026
Shadowlands
BAFTA nominee Hugh Bonneville is C.S. Lewis in this moving romantic drama from William Nicholson. Based on a true story, Shadowlands recalls the relationship between Narnia creator Lewis and spirited American poet Joy Davidman. Lewis’ predictable academic life is turned upside down by Davidman, and what starts as a meeting of two minds turns into a powerful story about love and the fragility of life. This “tremendous” (The Guardian) revival of the Tony Award-winning play transfers from Chichester to the Aldwych Theatre for a strictly limited season.
Save up to £15.00
Booking from 5 February 2026 until 9 May 2026
Box Office Contacts
| Box Office: | +44 (0) 345 200 7981 |
| Access Booking: | +44 (0) 345 200 7981 |
| Group Booking: | 0345 200 7981 |
| Stage Door: | 020 7836 5537 |
History
Opening in 1905, the Aldwych Theatre was built as part of a pair with the adjacent Waldorf Theatre (now the Novello Theatre) and premiered a Seymour Hicks pantomime named Blue Bell. Hicks' productions were popular at the theatre and included Bath of Beauty (1906) and The Gay Gordons (1907).
Between the 1920’s to 30’s the Aldwych Theatre was renowned for its ten year season of twelve farces, dubbed The Aldwych Farces. Many of these farces were written by Ben Travers.
Laurence Olivier directed a hugely famous version of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire (1949), starring Vivien Leigh. Leigh later went on to play the same role in the 1951 film, scooping an Academy Award in the process.
In the 1960's to 1980's, the Royal Shakespeare Company uses the theatre as their second home, sparking the Aldwych's second golden age. Productions transferred to the Aldwych Theatre from Stratford-upon-Avon, earning wide critical acclaim. Notable performances included The War of The Roses (1965) and Nicholas Nickleby (1979).
By the end of the 20th century, plays began to take a back seat at the Aldwych Theatre, as musicals became the new tradition. Andrew Lloyd Webber's Whistle Down The Wind (1998) famously took to the stage, followed by Fame – The Musical (2002), which ran at the theatre for four consecutive years. 2006-2011 saw a five-year run of Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage, which continues to tour the UK.
In 2012, Kenneth Wax's production of Top Hat danced into the venue, winning an Olivier Award for Best New Musical. Closing after one year, Lloyd Webber's new venture Stephen Ward the Musical opened in December 2013. After receiving a mixture of negative reviews, the unfortunate production closed in March, marking just over three months in the West End.
Spring 2014 saw acclaimed productions of Hilary Mantel's popular novels Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies transfer to the Aldwych, following a sell-out run in Stratford-upon-Avon. Strictly Come Dancing's Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace danced into the building in their show Dance 'til Dawn, which closed in early 2015.
2015 saw the arrival of Broadway sensation Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, earning several Olivier Awards in the process. The much-loved musical closed in August 2017, before embarking on a UK tour. Spiegeltent favourite La Soirée landed at the Aldwych over Christmas 2017, bringing it's sister show La Petite Soirée and using a general admission ticketing system that saw the Stalls transformed into cabaret-style seating.
2018 saw the theatre completely refurbished, launching with the highly-anticipated, five-star new musical Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.
The Aldwych Theatre was closed for 16 months during the COVID-19 pandemic, re-opening in August 2021 with the return of Tina.
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical played its final performances in September 2025. Over Christmas 2025, Elf! The Musical plays, followed by Hugh Bonneville in Shadowlands.
Between the 1920’s to 30’s the Aldwych Theatre was renowned for its ten year season of twelve farces, dubbed The Aldwych Farces. Many of these farces were written by Ben Travers.
Laurence Olivier directed a hugely famous version of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire (1949), starring Vivien Leigh. Leigh later went on to play the same role in the 1951 film, scooping an Academy Award in the process.
In the 1960's to 1980's, the Royal Shakespeare Company uses the theatre as their second home, sparking the Aldwych's second golden age. Productions transferred to the Aldwych Theatre from Stratford-upon-Avon, earning wide critical acclaim. Notable performances included The War of The Roses (1965) and Nicholas Nickleby (1979).
By the end of the 20th century, plays began to take a back seat at the Aldwych Theatre, as musicals became the new tradition. Andrew Lloyd Webber's Whistle Down The Wind (1998) famously took to the stage, followed by Fame – The Musical (2002), which ran at the theatre for four consecutive years. 2006-2011 saw a five-year run of Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage, which continues to tour the UK.
In 2012, Kenneth Wax's production of Top Hat danced into the venue, winning an Olivier Award for Best New Musical. Closing after one year, Lloyd Webber's new venture Stephen Ward the Musical opened in December 2013. After receiving a mixture of negative reviews, the unfortunate production closed in March, marking just over three months in the West End.
Spring 2014 saw acclaimed productions of Hilary Mantel's popular novels Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies transfer to the Aldwych, following a sell-out run in Stratford-upon-Avon. Strictly Come Dancing's Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace danced into the building in their show Dance 'til Dawn, which closed in early 2015.
2015 saw the arrival of Broadway sensation Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, earning several Olivier Awards in the process. The much-loved musical closed in August 2017, before embarking on a UK tour. Spiegeltent favourite La Soirée landed at the Aldwych over Christmas 2017, bringing it's sister show La Petite Soirée and using a general admission ticketing system that saw the Stalls transformed into cabaret-style seating.
2018 saw the theatre completely refurbished, launching with the highly-anticipated, five-star new musical Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.
The Aldwych Theatre was closed for 16 months during the COVID-19 pandemic, re-opening in August 2021 with the return of Tina.
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical played its final performances in September 2025. Over Christmas 2025, Elf! The Musical plays, followed by Hugh Bonneville in Shadowlands.
