Top ten theatre shows to see in August 2019: TV hit Fleabag returns to the stage and Evita lands in Regent’s Park

It might feel like the entirety of London decamps to Edinburgh in August, but the capital still has plenty of theatrical delights for those staying in the city.

Camden Fringe 2019

Can’t make it to Scotland? Not to worry! The Camden Fringe is here to bring you those same festivals vibes. A whopping 27 venues are involved, with shows including A Rock and Roll Suicide at the Camden People’s Theatre, In Limbo at the Tristan Bates Theatre and Red Peter at Etcetera Theatre.

The Camden Fringe Festival is at various venues from 29^th July until 25^th August 2019. For further information or to book visit the festival website here.

The Tales of Kieran Hodgson at Soho Theatre

The brilliant Kieran Hodgson is eschewing Edinburgh this year in favour of a big retrospective at Soho Theatre. Not only is he bringing back the EU-focused ’75 from the start of the year, but previous shows French Exchange, Lance and Maestro.

The Tales of Kieran Hodgson is at Soho Theatre from 29^th July until 10^th August 2019. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Tree at the Young Vic

Photo: Marc Brenner

Mired in controversy over who exactly wrote the play, Tree comes to the Young Vic following an initial stint at the Manchester International Festival. Sinead Cusack and Alfie Enoch feature in a production that promises a “journey into the heart and soul of contemporary South Africa”.

Tree is at the Young Vic from 29^th July until 24^th August 2019, with a press night on 1^st August. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Evita at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Don’t cry for me Argentina, you’ll be able to see me at the Open Air Theatre this summer! Jamie Lloyd brings one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s less weird musicals to Regent’s Park, with Samantha Pauly playing Eva Peron.

Evita is at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre from 2^nd August until 21^st September 2019, with a press night on 8^th August. Book your tickets here.

Actually at Trafalgar Studios

Yasmin Paige and Simon Manyonda both star in Anna Ziegler’s first play in London since Photograph 51. Actually “investigates the highly charged topic of sexual consent” and the “complex intersection of race and gender politics”.

Actually is at Trafalgar Studios from 6^th until 31^st August 2019, with a press night on 12^th August. Book your tickets here.

The Doctor at Almeida Theatre

The latest, no doubt flashy, production from Almeida stalwart Robert Icke, The Doctor is a “very freely adapted” version of Arthur Schnitzler’s Professor Bernhardi. The cast is just as appealing as the director: Juliet Stevenson stars alongside Paul Higgins and Ria Zmitrowicz.

The Doctor is at Almeida Theatre from 10^th August until 28^th September 2019, with a press night on 20^th August. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Appropriate at Donmar Warehouse

Following the smash-hit An Octoroon and the equally fantastic Gloria at Hampstead Theatre, Branden Jacob-Jenkins’s Appropriate – which pre-dates those other plays – rocks up at the Donmar Warehouse. The cast is led by Monica Dolan and Edward Hogg.

Appropriate is at Donmar Warehouse from 16^th August until 5^th October 2019, with a press night on 22^nd August. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Fleabag at Wyndham’s Theatre

Good luck getting a ticket! The TV phenomenon returns to London on a far bigger stage, with Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s solo-show coming to Wyndham’s Theatre. It is already sold out, however there is an online lottery, a limited number of standing tickets on the day, and an NT Live broadcast on 12^th September.

Fleabag is at Wyndham’s Theatre from 20^th August until 14^th September 2019, with a press night on 28^th August. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

The Secret River at the National Theatre

The Sydney Theatre Company’s production of Kate Grenville’s The Secret River, adapted for the stage by Andrew Bovell, comes to the National Theatre this August. The play tells the story of Australia’s “dark history”, as convict William Thornhill arrives in New South Wales, claiming land belonging to the Dharug people.

The Secret River is at the National Theatre from 22^nd August until 7^th September 2019, with a press night on 27^th August. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Bartholomew Fair at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

Blanche McIntyre (Tartuffe at the National Theatre, The Writer at the Almeida) directs Ben Jonson’s Bartholomew Fair at the Globe’s indoor theatre at the end of the month. It sounds like a fun evening – the blurb promises “an excess of drink, a distinct lack of morals and a whole heap of sin”!

Bartholomew Fair is at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse from 23^rd August until 12^th October 2019, with a press night on 29^th August. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Connor Campbell