Four West End Shows, Six Days: Anderson, Baranski, Kinnear and RENT

Time Out called September 2026 'a massively starry month' in its guide to the month's new theatre, and a good share of that arrives inside six days. Four star-led productions give their first performances across six days, from Monday 21 September to Saturday 26 September, each in a different West End theatre.

• Monday 21 September: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at @sohoplace, with Gillian Anderson and Billy Crudup
• Monday 21 September: The Standard of Living at Theatre Royal Haymarket, with Rory Kinnear and Natalia Osipova
• Tuesday 22 September: Hay Fever at Wyndham's Theatre, with Christine Baranski and Richard E. Grant
• Saturday 26 September: RENT at the Tom Stoppard Theatre, with Gaten Matarazzo

Press nights follow on Wednesday 30 September for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Thursday 1 October for Hay Fever and Thursday 8 October for RENT. The Standard of Living's official site gave its run but no press night when this was published.

Four theatres, six days, and West End debuts for Christine Baranski and Natalia Osipova.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at @sohoplace

Gillian Anderson plays Martha and Billy Crudup plays George, with Josh Dylan as Nick and Phoebe Horn as Honey. Marianne Elliott directs for Sonia Friedman Productions, and the play is staged in the round at @sohoplace, which seats 602.

• Run: 21 September to 19 December 2026
• Press night: Wednesday 30 September, 7pm
• Performances: Monday to Saturday at 7pm, with Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2pm
• Running time: about 3 hours 30 minutes including an interval, according to the venue
• Tickets: from £40. Age guidance: 14+

The Standard of Living at Theatre Royal Haymarket

James Graham's new play is a world premiere, in a strictly limited 12-week season directed by Nicholas Hytner. Rory Kinnear plays John Maynard Keynes. Natalia Osipova, a principal of the Royal Ballet, makes her West End debut as Lydia Lopokova. Bob Crowley designs the set.

One thing to check before booking: Osipova is not appearing at a number of performances in October and November, and the LondonTheatre.co.uk listing names them. If she is the reason you are going, pick your date with that list open.

• Run: 21 September to 12 December 2026
• Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes, including one interval
• Tickets: from £32, plus a limited number of £25 seats for under-30s

Hay Fever at Wyndham's Theatre

Noël Coward's Hay Fever is Christine Baranski's West End debut. She plays Judith Bliss, with Richard E. Grant as David Bliss, Nancy Carroll as Myra Arundel, Charles Edwards as Richard Greatham, Ophelia Lovibond as Sorel Bliss and Will Close as Simon Bliss. Emily Burns directs, and the producers are Wessex Grove and Gavin Kalin Productions.

• Run: 22 September to 12 December 2026
• Press night: Thursday 1 October
• Performances: Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm, with Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm
• Running time: about 2 hours, including an interval
• Tickets: from £30

RENT at the Tom Stoppard Theatre

RENT's West End run is part of the celebrations marking the musical's 30th anniversary. Gaten Matarazzo plays Mark, and Luke Sheppard directs.

The name is new; the building is not. It is the former Duke of York's. ATG Entertainment and Sonia Friedman Productions announced on 1 July 2026 that it would be renamed for Tom Stoppard, who died in November 2025 aged 88, and said the signage would change over the coming months. RENT follows Arcadia, which played there until 12 September.

• First preview: Saturday 26 September
• Opening night: Thursday 8 October
• Booking: to 27 March 2027
• £20 tickets: 100 stalls seats for the first preview on 26 September, sold in person at the box office from 12 noon on the day, two per person
• £30 front-row seats: for all other previews up to 7 October, sold in person at the box office from 10.30am on the day

The same week brings one more star-led musical. Sting's The Last Ship plays a strictly limited run at Theatre Royal Drury Lane from 22 September to 3 October, with Sting as the shipyard foreman Jackie White. Its gala and press night is Wednesday 23 September, and Shaggy plays the Wallsend Ferryman at the first London performance on 22 September and at the gala on 23 September only, West End Best Friend reported.