This Week in Theatre Across the UK: 22 to 28 June 2026

The West End is only part of the story in any given week. For the week of 22 to 28 June 2026 the touring circuit, the great producing houses and the national companies are all busy, and several of the titles you can see on tour or in a regional theatre have close cousins playing in London. Here is the wider view, with the live London sittings linked where you can book them and the purely regional dates noted for the record.

On tour: Operation Mincemeat in Newcastle

The standout on the touring circuit this week is Operation Mincemeat, the Olivier Award-winning comedy musical about the real wartime deception that helped turn the Second World War. It plays Newcastle's Theatre Royal, one of the country's flagship number-one touring houses, from Monday 22 to Saturday 27 June, before moving on to Theatre Royal Plymouth from 29 June. Five performers play dozens of roles at breakneck speed, and the show has built one of the most devoted followings of any new British musical of the decade. The original production also continues its long sit-down run in the West End, so if you cannot make the tour dates, the London staging is there year-round.

The Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford

In Stratford-upon-Avon, the Royal Shakespeare Company has A Midsummer Night's Dream playing at The Other Place, a new co-production with the Unicorn Theatre directed by Rachel Bagshaw, running through the summer. It is the most family-friendly of Shakespeare's comedies and a natural first encounter with the Bard for younger audiences. The company's biggest summer events, Kenneth Branagh and Helen Hunt in The Cherry Orchard in the Swan and a new Game of Thrones stage play in the main house, both open in July, so this week is a quieter, more intimate moment to visit Stratford before the crowds arrive.

The RSC in the West End

You do not have to travel to Stratford to see the company's work this week. The Royal Shakespeare Company's acclaimed Cyrano de Bergerac, with Adrian Lester in the title role, has transferred into the Noel Coward Theatre in London and only opened on 13 June. It is the rare classical production that arrives in the West End with the polish of a full regional run already behind it, and at an entry price from £18.75 it is also one of the best-value plays in town. If a trip to Warwickshire is not on the cards, this is the company at its considerable best, on a London stage.

Chichester Festival Theatre

On the south coast, Chichester Festival Theatre is in the thick of its summer Festival season. The headline this week is 45 Years in the intimate Minerva Theatre, the world stage premiere of a marriage drama with Gabriel Byrne and Geraldine James leading the cast, running to 11 July. Chichester has a long record of sending its summer productions onward to the West End and Broadway, so catching a show here often means seeing it months before London does. It is one of the most rewarding theatre day trips from the capital.

The National Theatre on the South Bank

Technically in London but national in name and ambition, the National Theatre has all three of its auditoria active this week. In the Olivier, the revival of War Horse continues its run to 30 July, the National's most beloved production returning to the stage where it began. In the Lyttelton, The Misanthrope takes its press night on 23 June, with Sandra Oh making her London stage return in Martin Crimp's version of Moliere. And in the Dorfman, the new musical Pride, directed by Matthew Warchus and based on the much-loved 2014 film, continues its run to 12 September. Three productions, three very different scales, all on the South Bank at once.

If you are basing yourself in London

Many people combine a regional or touring visit with a night or two in the capital, and the West End anchors are as strong as ever this week. Disney's The Lion King remains the highest-rated big musical in our live data, Six at the Vaudeville is the fast, sharp 80-minute pop concert that has conquered the world, and The Book of Mormon is still the sharpest comedy ticket in town from £25. For families breaking up a longer UK trip, Matilda The Musical and My Neighbour Totoro are the two to beat.

Frequently asked questions

What is the biggest touring show in the UK this week?

Operation Mincemeat is the standout on the touring circuit for 22 to 28 June 2026, playing Newcastle's Theatre Royal from 22 to 27 June before moving to Theatre Royal Plymouth from 29 June. The original production also continues its sit-down run in the West End.

What is on at the Royal Shakespeare Company right now?

In Stratford-upon-Avon the RSC has A Midsummer Night's Dream at The Other Place this week, with Kenneth Branagh in The Cherry Orchard and a new Game of Thrones play both opening in July. In London, the company's Cyrano de Bergerac with Adrian Lester has transferred to the Noel Coward Theatre.

What is playing at the National Theatre this week?

The National has War Horse in the Olivier (to 30 July), The Misanthrope with Sandra Oh in the Lyttelton (press night 23 June), and the new musical Pride in the Dorfman (to 12 September). All three are on the South Bank in London.

Can I see RSC and Chichester productions in London?

Sometimes, yes. The RSC's Cyrano de Bergerac has transferred into the West End this summer, and Chichester regularly sends its Festival productions onward to London. Following both companies is one of the best ways to catch a future West End hit early. You can browse current London transfers and tours on our touring index.

For the rest of this week's coverage, see our flagship West End round-up, the best-reviewed shows piece, and the best-value tickets round-up. For more on theatre beyond London, our guide to family theatre beyond the West End is a good companion, and you can browse the live touring index and West End index any time.