FOR the London theatre scene, 2023 began with trepidation. The Arts Council had recently withdrawn funding from some of its most iconic theatres, and ticket prices — already prohibitively high for a population still recovering from the pandemic and facing a deepening cost-of-living crisis — looked set to soar.

It is not for nothing, though, that London is feted as the theatre capital of the world, having this year played to packed houses across a staggering range of venues large and small.  

One big hit of the year has been James Graham’s Dear England, first at the Olivier, now at the Prince Edward. Starring Joseph Fiennes as England football manager Gareth Southgate and directed by Rupert Goold, the play captures the full beating heart of a country struggling to re-establish its identity and prowess. It’s a joy and pulls in whole new audiences.

Michael Frayn’s Noises Off in the Haymarket confirms its status as one of the funniest farces ever to grace the West End, while also in the commercial heartland, a number of  heavyweight productions continue to draw crowds, often for their celebrity star-casting. 

A Streetcar Named Desire at the Almeida has assisted Paul Mescal on his trajectory into the stratosphere and Patsy Ferran into major awards territory. Sam Yates’s one-person production of Vanya showcased the charisma of Andrew Scott. Meanwhile the great Pinter game-changer, The Homecoming resurfaced at the Young Vic starring Jared Harris and Joe Cole.

A Little Life — a  brave and brutal deep dive into child abuse — enabled James Norton to twist our hearts for nearly four hours at the Harold Pinter and the Savoy. Martin MacDonagh’s dark and brilliant The Pillowman at the Duke of York’s embraced pop legend Lily Allen in the lead, while heart-throbs Aidan Turner and Jenny Coleman sparkled their way through an ultimately pointless Lemons Lemons Lemons, also at the Harold Pinter. 

While Paapa Essiedu excelled in Lucy Prebble’s over-tricksy The Effect, directed with customary panache by Jamie Lloyd at the National, Kristin Scott Thomas and Lily James made the best they could of the effective turkey, Lyonesse. Meanwhile Peter Morgan’s West End transfer of Patriots to the Noel Coward saw Tom Hollander at his coolest and most winning best. 

It was good to see political theatre in major venues. Dario Fo’s hilarious Accidental Death of an Anarchist made a welcome return to the West End and Somerset Maugham’s comedy The Circle at the Orange Tree Richmond reminded us how challenging a play can be beneath a light facade.  

The most potent and enflaming drama of the year was Gillian Slovo’s Grenfell at the National, compiled from interviews with victims of the shameful 2017 inferno. And Infinite Life at the National laid bare American Annie Baker’s genius.

Fringe theatres in the capital still gather energy in a challenging time. Hampstead Theatre, in defiance of cuts and the loss of its artistic director, goes from strength to strength; Southwark Playhouse (now with two venues) thrives, and Upstairs at the Gatehouse in Highgate cultivates a devoted audience. Omnibus in Clapham always has an eye for good material, the Finborough battles on with rare and wonderful plays despite closure of the pub and the Bush this year boasted corkers with Lenny Henry’s August in England and Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen, a starry comic monologue by Marcelo Dos Santos.

The Kiln too has seen a momentous year, not only through quality of work but through the progression of artistic director Indhu Rubasingam to the top job at the National Theatre (start date 2025). 

Funding remains a battleground and new writing cries out for more. But it’s been a year of theatrical splendour, nevertheless.