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west end shows 2023

Here’s a friendly, SEO‑ready “Quick Scoop” on west end shows 2023 with a mix of news, lists, and forum-style flavour.

West End Shows 2023 – Quick Scoop

2023 was a packed year in London’s West End, with a blend of brand‑new premieres, major transfers, and long‑running blockbusters still dominating the marquee lights. From buzzy new British musicals to big TV tie‑ins, it felt like a “back in full swing” year after the pandemic era.

Big 2023 talking‑point shows

These are the titles that kept popping up in 2023 theatre coverage and fan chats.

  • Operation Mincemeat – An off‑beat British musical that transferred into the Fortune Theatre and built serious word‑of‑mouth hype.
  • Guys & Dolls (immersive) – A reimagined, highly immersive production with standing tickets that put audiences right next to the action.
  • Stranger Things: The First Shadow – A stage prequel to the hit Netflix series, opening at the Phoenix Theatre late in the year and pitched as a big‑budget, horror‑tinged event.
  • The Little Big Things – A new British musical at @sohoplace, often singled out in “best of 2023” lists.
  • Dear England – A play about English football and national identity that drew strong interest at the National before its West End run.

In fan forums, Groundhog Day, A Strange Loop, and Operation Mincemeat often got singled out as “I will talk about this forever”‑type shows, especially by frequent theatregoers sharing 2023 lists.

New West End shows that opened in 2023

Below is a sample of notable productions that opened in the West End during 2023 (plays and musicals), with their main West End venues.

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Show Type Main 2023 West End venue
Operation Mincemeat Musical Fortune Theatre
Guys & Dolls (immersive) Musical Bridge Theatre / immersive staging referenced in 2023 lists
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations Musical Prince Edward Theatre
Aspects of Love (revival) Musical Lyric / Prince of Wales‑area West End venue listed in 2023 openings
Groundhog Day Musical The Old Vic, returning in 2023 with strong fan buzz
Backstairs Billy Play Duke of York’s Theatre
Patriots Play Noël Coward Theatre
Dear England Play Gillian Lynne / West End transfer after National Theatre run
Mrs Doubtfire Musical Shaftesbury Theatre
My Neighbour Totoro (return season) Play / hybrid Barbican Centre
Stranger Things: The First Shadow Play Phoenix Theatre
Sunset Boulevard (revival) Musical Savoy Theatre
The Little Big Things Musical @sohoplace
The Unfriend Play Wyndham’s Theatre
Medea Play @sohoplace
This is not a full list (2023 had dozens more openings), but it captures many of the names that kept surfacing in guides and year‑in‑review posts.

Long‑running hits still big in 2023

While 2023 brought new titles, classic mega‑musicals continued to sell hard.

  • Les Misérables – The long‑running staple at the Sondheim Theatre remained one of the most in‑demand tickets.
  • The Phantom of the Opera – Still a key “first‑time London” choice at His Majesty’s Theatre.
  • The Lion King – The Disney blockbuster at the Lyceum kept pulling family audiences.
  • The Book of Mormon – Continued drawing crowds with its irreverent comedy.
  • Six, Back to the Future, Mamma Mia!, Pretty Woman – All heavily featured in 2023 “what’s on” guides as reliable crowd‑pleasers.

For many tourists searching “west end shows 2023”, these titles were marketed as the “can’t go wrong” picks sitting alongside the newer, buzzier entries.

Forum and fan‑discussion vibes

Looking at 2023 forum discussion and Reddit threads:

  • Frequent theatregoers posted “every show I’ve seen in 2023 so far” lists, sometimes hitting 50+ productions, and invited AMAs about each one.
  • Groundhog Day in particular inspired comments like “I can and will talk about Groundhog Day forever; I made sure to see it twice”, reflecting strong fan attachment.
  • A Strange Loop, Operation Mincemeat, and some smaller‑venue transfers came up repeatedly when users asked for “something different” beyond the big tourist musicals.

Typical 2023 thread tone: “I’ve been 100+ times this year, AMA about any of these shows!” followed by detailed mini‑reviews and ticket‑deal tips in the comments.

This forum chatter helped push certain titles (like Operation Mincemeat or Stranger Things: The First Shadow) from niche interest into full‑on “trending topic” status among theatre fans.

If you’re searching this now (2026) but care about 2023

Because it’s now 2026, some 2023 shows have closed, while others (Les Misérables, The Lion King, The Book of Mormon, etc.) are still running and prominently listed in current West End guides. Many 2023 “best of” picks such as Guys & Dolls (immersive), Operation Mincemeat, and Stranger Things: The First Shadow are still referenced in 2025–2026 ticket guides as recent stand‑out productions, even if their exact runs have changed.

If you’re planning a visit now but researching “west end shows 2023” for context, it’s useful to think of 2023 as the year that cemented some of these titles as the “new modern classics” sitting alongside the big long‑runners.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.