15 October 2015 | On Stage | By: Sponsor

Ace Autumn Shows Plus Win A Trip To Broadway!

This is a sponsored article on behalf of Official London Theatre.

London is chock-full of on-stage goodness this autumn with a host of spectacular musicals, top-notch plays and stunning opera. Book your tickets through Official London Theatre now and you could get a bonus visit to New York — also not a bad place to catch a show.

The lucky winner gets a three-night stay for two at luxurious Manhattan hotel The Carlyle, return Virgin Atlantic flights and Broadway show tickets.

Whether you win or not, you'll be spoilt for choice entertainment-wise on this side of the pond with Official London Theatre. Here's our pick of the bunch.

Plays

Mr Foote's Other Leg didn't put a foot wrong at its sold-out Hampstead Theatre run so hot-foot it to Theatreland before tickets are gone again. The brilliant Richard Eyre directs Simon Russell Beale as Age of Enlightenment eccentric and entertainer Mr Foote in this show about (historic) showbiz: ★★★★★. Theatre Royal Haymarket, from 4 November - book now.

Robin Icke's intense reworking of Oresteia makes Aeschylean tragedy as primal, vital and captivating as the final season of Breaking Bad. We thought it was 'alarmingly good' and gave it ★★★★★ at the Almeida so we're not surprised it's gone A-list and reached the giddy heights of the West End. Trafalgar Studios, until 7 November - book now.

David Suchet in drag is one of many reasons to catch hilarious caper The Importance of Being Earnest while you still can. Oscar Wilde's witty repartee combines with Adrian Noble's knack for visual comedy in another ★★★★ delight. Vaudeville Theatre, until 7 November - book now.

The Father transfers to the West End after a phenomenal run at the Tricycle. This means another chance for those who missed this sharp and original piece on relationships affected by dementia the first time round. We showered it with accolades in our ★★★★ review: 'Contemporary. Unsettling. Watchable.' Wyndham's Theatre, until 21 November - book now.

Wyndhams wins another terrific transfer, this time Hangmen from the Royal Court: a perfectly executed play about hanging. Playwright Martin McDonagh (The Beauty Queen of Leenane) turns his dark comic sensibility into true gallows humour in this ★★★★ rated Londonist show. Wyndham's Theatre, from 7 December - book now.

Award-winning writer Evan Placey shows how thorny a topic sexual consent is in the electrifying Consensual, part of the National Youth Theatre's West End season. We gave it ★★★★ for its bold, raw and pacy depiction of this topical issue and its superb cast. Ambassadors Theatre, until 2 December - book now.

See Charlotte Brontë's classic novel as you've never seen it before in Sally Cookson's avant-garde interpretation. Jane Eyre is an energetic affair with seven actors and three musicians weaving around a minimalist set. It's another ★★★★ accolade-showered business: 'imaginative, creative and alternative'. National Theatre, until 10 January - book now.

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Consensual at Ambassadors Theatre
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The Importance of Being Earnest at Vaudeville Theatre
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Mr Foote's Other Leg at Theatre Royal Haymarket
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Hangmen at Wyndham's Theatre
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Jane Eyre at National Theatre
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Oresteia at Trafalgar Studios
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The Father at Wyndham's Theatre

Musicals

It's not just fans of the 2002 film who'll love this musical version of Bend It Like Beckham. Gurinder Chadha's production is an upbeat fusion of stage musical, choral anthem and Slumdog-derived Bollywood dance. So smitten were we that we gave it ★★★★★. Phoenix Theatre, until 20 February - book now.

Showstopper! is another ★★★★★, well, showstopper: the West End's first fully improvised musical. The immensely talented cast and on-stage musicians take your suggestions, inject razzle dazzle and transform the strangest of concepts into all-singing, all-dancing wonders. Apollo Theatre, until 29 November - book now.

We were impressed, entertained and overwhelmed by the dazzling Gypsy, starring an explosive Imelda Staunton in what is undoubtedly a career highlight for the great actress. A gorgeous set, punchy dialogue and a heart-wrenching tale make this a ★★★★ musical well worth catching. The Savoy Theatre, until 26 November - book now.

This disco-fuelled, cross-dressing, uproariously funny show is guaranteed to lift dreary autumnal spirits. Kinky Boots left Blighty a sweet Northern friendship flick and now returns from the States with a sparkling soundtrack from pop queen Cyndi Lauper and a host of Tony Awards. A ★★★★ number. Adelphi Theatre, until 6 February - book now.

Memphis: The Musical swaps show tunes for the blues in this sultry performance starring one of Britain's greatest soul singers, Beverly Knight. A dynamite supporting cast, gravity-defying dance and foot-tapping songs wow you while the southern US '60s story with its seething racial politics may well move you tears. We loved it. Shaftesbury Theatre, until 31st October - book now.

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Bend It Like Beckham at Phoenix Theatre
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Gypsy at The Savoy Theatre
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Kinky Boots at Adelphi Theatre
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Memphis: The Musical! at Shaftesbury Theatre
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Showstopper! at Apollo Theatre
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The Barber of Seville at London Coliseum

Opera

English National Opera's The Barber of Seville is equal parts fun and farce: an 18th century comedy of manners with a playful score by Rossini and a cast of comic characters from the lecherous Dr Bartolo to the conniving Figaro. London Coliseum until 11 November - book now.

Romance gets a more serious take at the ENO's other show, La Bohème, opening tomorrow. Hear Puccini's heartrending score in this new production from Benedict Andrews, hot on the heels of his critically-acclaimed A Streetcar Named Desire for the Young Vic. London Coliseum, until 26 November - book now.

For something completely different, try opera from the Orient. The China National Peking Opera come all the way from Beijing with a traditional double bill: Farewell My Concubine and The Warrior Women of Yang. A feast of music, song, mime, stage combat and acrobatics, these unique pieces are performed in Mandarin with English surtitles. Sadler's Wells, 19 - 22 November - book now.

See the full list of shows and book now at the Official London Theatre website. All bookings until 26 November are automatically entered into the prize draw. Entries are per transaction so the more you book, the higher your chance of winning!

Even we concede it's a helluva town