Matinee’s Top 40 Greatest Shows of 2025 40-30

2025 proved that musical theatre is thriving on every scale, from intimate two-handers to blockbuster West End transfers and UK tours that packed houses night after night. Here’s how Matinee’s Top 40 Musical Highlights of 2025 counted down, with the performers and venues that helped make each moment land.

40. The Addams Family

The national tour brought Gomez, Morticia and the whole macabre clan to packed regional theatres across the UK. Strong comic performances and slick staging made this a reliable crowd-pleaser wherever it landed.

39. Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Tina left the West End after a phenomenal run in September and embarked on a spectacular UK tour which runs till the Spring

38. Spraywatch the Musical

Premiering in Salford, this bold new comedy musical found its audience quickly, thanks to an energetic cast, a strong book and a production that felt proudly rooted in the North.

37. Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch

Led by a powerhouse comic central performance, this cult hit returned to Lowry over the festive season with its trademark camp bite intact. Audiences responded warmly to its mix of parody and genuine emotional depth

36. Ride the Cyclone

This cult favourite continued to win over audiences in London at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant this winter, driven by a special cast who fully embraced the show’s dark humour and off-kilter tone.

35. Anne Boleyn

Staged at Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, this production gained extraordinary resonance from its setting. Watching the story unfold in such a historically charged location gave the performances added weight and made it one of the most memorable site-specific theatre events of 2025.

34. Mrs Doubtfire

At London’s Shaftesbury Theatre, the show continued to thrive thanks to a lead performance that balanced broad comedy with warmth, supported by an ensemble that kept the pace fizzing. We’re looking forward to the UK tour!

33. Young Frankenstein

Hope Mill struck gold again with this production, praised for its casting and inventive staging. The Liverpool run reinforced the venue’s reputation as a powerhouse for musical comedy revivals.

32. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

The spectacular production continued across 2025 featuring fan favourites like Joe McElderry as Pharoah

31. Snow White

A family-friendly live action production from Disney, offering lavish costumes and a strong lead in Rachel Zegler.

30. Shucked

After leaving Broadway in January, Shucked hit the road and found a fresh audience, across the US and here in London, buoyed by its sharp comic timing and standout performances that kept the laughs coming.

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