This Week in Theatre Across the UK: 13 to 19 July 2026

The West End is only part of the story in any given week. For the week of 13 to 19 July 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: Matilda in Birmingham, Rocky Horror in Bristol

Two touring productions anchor the week outside London. The acclaimed touring version of Matilda the Musical opens at the Birmingham Hippodrome on 14 July, running through to 2 August, so this is the launch week of its Midlands stay. And at the Bristol Hippodrome, The Rocky Horror Show plays a full week from 13 to 18 July, Richard O'Brien's cult musical continuing its apparently unstoppable life on the road. Neither of these regional dates is bookable through us, but the West End sitting of Matilda is: Roald Dahl's schoolgirl rebel plays her permanent London home at the Cambridge Theatre, where you can see Matilda the Musical from £25.

At Stratford: the RSC's summer Shakespeare

The Royal Shakespeare Company's summer in Stratford-upon-Avon is in full swing. The Cherry Orchard is playing at the Swan Theatre this week, booking through to late August, while A Midsummer Night's Dream continues at The Other Place, the company's most intimate Stratford space. If you are planning a trip, our Stratford-upon-Avon and RSC visitor guide covers the theatres, the town and how to make a day of it. These are producing-house runs rather than bookable tour dates, so we note them here rather than linking them.

On the South Coast: Chichester's My Fair Lady

Chichester Festival Theatre is into one of the season's marquee runs. On the main Festival Theatre stage, the company's new production of My Fair Lady has just begun performances, Lerner and Loewe's classic given the lavish summer staging that has become a Chichester hallmark. It is exactly the kind of production that tends to travel to London afterwards, so seeing it at source has its appeal. Our Chichester visitor guide is worth a look if you are tempted to make the journey.

The London sittings you can book

Several titles that define the touring and regional circuit also have a permanent London home you can book right now. Six, the pop-history phenomenon that tours the country relentlessly, plays its West End residency at the Vaudeville. Les Miserables at the Sondheim is the source production behind every arena and touring incarnation, and The Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales is another title that doubles as a regular tourer. Mamma Mia! at the Novello is the London anchor of one of the busiest UK tours of the year, as our piece on the tour's expanding 2026 dates explains. Each is a way to see a touring favourite without leaving zone one, and our touring hub tracks what is on the road more widely.

Beyond the headliners

The regional producing houses rarely make the national listings but reward the search, from Sheffield Theatres and Manchester's Royal Exchange to Bristol Old Vic, each running its own summer programme this week. If a touring musical is what you are after, our explainer on how touring musicals work and where to see them is a useful primer. And for the capital itself, the rest of this week's coverage is in our West End round-up, the best-reviewed list and the best-value guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best touring show to see this week?

The touring production of Matilda the Musical opens at the Birmingham Hippodrome on 14 July 2026, running to 2 August, and The Rocky Horror Show plays the Bristol Hippodrome from 13 to 18 July 2026. Both are the standouts on the regional circuit this week.

What is the RSC playing in Stratford this week?

The Cherry Orchard is on at the Swan Theatre and A Midsummer Night's Dream continues at The Other Place, both in Stratford-upon-Avon, throughout the week of 13 to 19 July 2026.

What is on at Chichester Festival Theatre right now?

The main-stage production of My Fair Lady has begun its run at Chichester Festival Theatre, the marquee title of the summer season on the South Coast.

Can I see touring titles in London instead?

Yes. Several relentless tourers have permanent London homes you can book now, including Six at the Vaudeville, Matilda at the Cambridge, Les Miserables at the Sondheim and The Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales.