Kiss Me, Kate
Brush up your Shakespeare with Adrian Dunbar and Stephanie J Block as the classic Broadway musical Kiss Me Kate returns to London! Cole Porter’s timeless musical comedy, inspired by Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, bursts with wit and features classic songs “Another Op'nin', Another Show” and “Tom, Dick or Harry”. This fantastic production from Tony Award-winning director Bartlett Sher is the perfect summer musical at the Barbican Theatre, so book your tickets now.
Save up to £10.00
Booking until 14 September 2024
The Buddha of Suburbia
Hanif Kureishi’s novel has been adapted to the screen and now to the stage in a joyous play, transferring to London from the Royal Shakespeare Company. The intoxicating production will be at the Barbican Theatre for a strictly limited season this year. Join 17-year-old Karim as he navigates growing up in his late teens in 1970s London. You won’t want to miss this loveable, coming-of-age story as it makes its world premiere!
FIND TICKETS
Booking from 22 October 2024 until 16 November 2024
A Midsummer Night's Dream
The Royal Shakespeare Company are back at the Barbican Theatre, this time with an adaptation of the classic A Midsummer Night’s Dream this Winter starring Mathew Baynton. The fun, magical and intoxicating play is getting a special Christmas season as audiences are transported to the court of Athens, where there’s plenty of mischief. The production opened to sold-out audiences in Stratford-upon-Avon in early 2024 and is set to be a hit in London too!
FIND TICKETS
Booking from 3 December 2024 until 18 January 2025
Box Office Contacts
| Box Office: | 020 7101 1188 |
| Access Booking: | 020 7101 1188 |
| Group Booking: | 020 7101 1188 |
| Stage Door: | 020 7638 8891 |
History
Opened by the Queen in March 1982, the Barbican Theatre is part of the vast Barbican Centre, which heralds art, cinema, theatre and culture. Funded by the City of London Corporation, the Barbican Centre was intended as a centre for the arts. With a seating capacity of 1,166, the Barbican was originally designed to be the London home of the Royal Shakespeare Company. The RSC remained at the venue until 2002, when they decided not to renew their contract.
Since then, the Barbican Theatre has become a holding place for touring productions from companies such as Cheek by Jowl, Blue Boy Entertainment, the RSC and Michael Clarke Company. The centre is also associated with international companies including New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Jazz at the Lincoln Centre and more.
Notable productions at the theatre have included the RSC's Henry IV saga, as well as Sonia Friedman's sell-out Hamlet (2015), starring Benedict Cumberbatch. Well-known for hosting avant-garde theatre and touring productions, several shows pass through the Barbican throughout the year. The venue is best-known for hosting RSC productions, including The Taming of the Shrew, Measure for Measure and As You Like It (2019).
In 2019, the Barbican hosted the transfer of Jesus Christ Superstar, which originally played at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in summer 2016 and 2017. The production won the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival and was praised hugely by audiences and critics alike.
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre were due to transfer their acclaimed production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita to the theatre in Summer 2020, but this was cancelled as the theatre closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The classic musical Anything Goes opened at the theatre in July 2021, starring Broadway star Sutton Foster, Rachel York and Robert Lindsay. The Royal Shakespeare Company's brand new production of The Comedy of Errors transferred from Stratford-upon-Avon to the theatre in December.
The smash-hit revival of Anything Goes returned to the Barbican in summer 2022, as part of a UK tour. The cast included Kerry Ellis, Bonnie Langford and Simon Callow. It was followed by the world premiere stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli film My Neighbour Totoro from October 2022 - January 2023.
In summer 2023, Tony Award-winning new musical A Strange Loop opened at the Barbican Theatre for a strictly limited season, followed by the return of My Neighbour Totoro for a limited 18 week season after its 6 Olivier Award wins the year before.
In summer 2024, Adrian Dunbar (Line of Duty) and Stephanie J Block star in a huge revival of Kiss Me, Kate directed by Bartlett Sher. Later this year, the Royal Shakespeare Company will be producing limited runs of The Buddha of Suburbia and a Christmas run of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Since then, the Barbican Theatre has become a holding place for touring productions from companies such as Cheek by Jowl, Blue Boy Entertainment, the RSC and Michael Clarke Company. The centre is also associated with international companies including New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Jazz at the Lincoln Centre and more.
Notable productions at the theatre have included the RSC's Henry IV saga, as well as Sonia Friedman's sell-out Hamlet (2015), starring Benedict Cumberbatch. Well-known for hosting avant-garde theatre and touring productions, several shows pass through the Barbican throughout the year. The venue is best-known for hosting RSC productions, including The Taming of the Shrew, Measure for Measure and As You Like It (2019).
In 2019, the Barbican hosted the transfer of Jesus Christ Superstar, which originally played at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in summer 2016 and 2017. The production won the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival and was praised hugely by audiences and critics alike.
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre were due to transfer their acclaimed production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita to the theatre in Summer 2020, but this was cancelled as the theatre closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The classic musical Anything Goes opened at the theatre in July 2021, starring Broadway star Sutton Foster, Rachel York and Robert Lindsay. The Royal Shakespeare Company's brand new production of The Comedy of Errors transferred from Stratford-upon-Avon to the theatre in December.
The smash-hit revival of Anything Goes returned to the Barbican in summer 2022, as part of a UK tour. The cast included Kerry Ellis, Bonnie Langford and Simon Callow. It was followed by the world premiere stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli film My Neighbour Totoro from October 2022 - January 2023.
In summer 2023, Tony Award-winning new musical A Strange Loop opened at the Barbican Theatre for a strictly limited season, followed by the return of My Neighbour Totoro for a limited 18 week season after its 6 Olivier Award wins the year before.
In summer 2024, Adrian Dunbar (Line of Duty) and Stephanie J Block star in a huge revival of Kiss Me, Kate directed by Bartlett Sher. Later this year, the Royal Shakespeare Company will be producing limited runs of The Buddha of Suburbia and a Christmas run of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
