LONDON

ENTERTAINMENT
HANGMEN
A darkly comic and tense drama about a hangman,
set shortly after Britain abolishes hanging. Suitable
for over 14s. Mon-Sat 7.30pm; Wed & Sat 2.30pm.
Tickets £12.50-£85. Wyndham’s Theatre, Charing
Cross Rd, WC2H 0DA. 0844 482 5120. delfont
mackintosh.co.uk. Leicester Square. Key 51.
HUSBANDS & SONS
To 10 Feb: Three of DH
Lawrence’s greatest dramas are played
simultaneously. It’s sold out, but call ahead for
returns. 3-6 & 8-10 Feb 7pm; 4, 6 & 10 Feb 1pm.
Tickets £15-£50. Dorfman Theatre, National
Theatre, South Bank, SE1 9PX. 020 7452 3000.
nationaltheatre.org.uk. Waterloo. Key 27.
LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES
To 13 Feb: Intriguing tale of sex
and betrayal in pre-revolutionary France, starring
Dominic West from TV’s The Wire. It’s sold out, but
call ahead for returns. Mon-Sat 7.30pm; Thur & Sat
2.30pm. Tickets £10-£37.50. Donmar Warehouse,
41 Earlham St, WC2H 9LX. 0844 871 7624. donmar
warehouse.com. Covent Garden. Key 12.
THE MOUSETRAP
A murderer strikes at a party in Agatha Christie’s
long-running whodunnit. Mon-Sat 7.30pm; Tue
3pm; Sat 4pm. Tickets £18.50-£67.50. St Martin’s
Theatre, West St, WC2H 9NZ. 0844 499 1515.
the-mousetrap.co.uk. Leicester Square. Key 40.
NELL GWYNN
From 4 Feb: Gemma Arterton stars as
the orange seller who was King Charles II’s
mistress for 17 years (p. 56). Check website
for times. Mon-Sat 7.30pm; Wed & Sat 2.30pm;
12 Feb 7pm. Tickets £15-£69.50. Apollo Theatre,
31 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7ES. 0330 333 4809.
nimaxtheatres.com. Piccadilly Circus. Key 4.
PERICLES
William Shakespeare’s fairytale musical romance.
21 Feb 2pm & 7pm; 28 Feb 7pm. Tickets £10-£62.
Sam Wanamaker Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe,
21 New Globe Walk, SE1 9DT. 020 7401 9919.
shakespearesglobe.com. Blackfriars. Key 43.
THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG
Slapstick comedy about a drama society staging a
murder mystery. Tue-Sat 7.30pm; Sat 2.30pm; Sun
3pm & 7pm. Tickets £20-£67. Duchess Theatre,
3-5 Catherine St, WC2B 5LA. 0844 482 9672.
theplaythatgoeswrong.com. Covent Garden. Key 13.
RED VELVET
To 27 Feb: One of five plays by
Kenneth Branagh. Based on a true story, this play
is set in 1833 at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden.
When Edmund Kean collapses on stage while
playing Othello, a black American actor is asked
to take over. But how will the audience react, in
a time when there are riots over the abolition of
slavery? Mon-Sat 7.30pm; Wed & Sat 2.30pm
(1 Feb 7pm). Tickets £15-£65. Garrick Theatre,
2 Charing Cross Rd, WC2H 0HH. 0844 482 9673.
nimaxtheatres.com. Leicester Square. Key 16.
WAR HORSE
Michael Morpurgo’s gripping tale
of friendship and loss set during World War I.
Mon & Wed-Sat 7.30pm; Tue 7pm; Thur & Sat
2.30pm. Tickets £15-£95. New London Theatre,
166 Drury Lane, WC2B 5PF. 020 7452 3000.
warhorseonstage.com. Covent Garden. Key 28.
WASTE
Banned by censors in 1907, this play centres
around an MP whose sole focus is to push
through a controversial bill – until the married
woman he’s having an affair with has a lethal
backstreet abortion. 5-6, 8-9, 16-20, 25-27 &
29 Feb 7.30pm; 6, 9, 17, 20 & 27 Feb 2.15pm.
Tickets £15-£50. National Theatre, South Bank,
SE1 9PX. 020 7452 3000. nationaltheatre.org.uk.
Waterloo. Key 27.
THE WOMAN IN BLACK
A spooky story (prepare to scream), adapted
from Susan Hill’s novel, about a lawyer who
visits a remote house to settle affairs after a
woman’s death. Please check website for times.
Tue-Sat 8pm; Tue & Thur 3pm; Sat 4pm. Tickets
£19.50-£60. Fortune Theatre, Russell St, WC2B
5HH. 0844 871 7626. thewomaninblack.com.
Covent Garden. Key 15.
SIMON STEPHENS is the playwright behind The Curious Incident
of the Dog in the Night-Time
‘My perfect evening’s entertainment is a trip to the theatre, maybe the
Almeida, the Young Vic or Lyric Hammersmith. There’s exciting theatre
all over the city, and a night out in London should include it.’
SIMON STEPHENS © SIMON KANE
58 | LONDON PLANNER