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The Witches

book and lyrics by Lucy Kirkwood, music and lyrics by Dave Malloy
a co-production with Roald Dahl Story Company

Title treatment of Roald Dahl's The Witches, with a cartoon of a claw-like hand reaching down to pick up a belligerent-looking mouse who is standing on the H of Witches.

Booking and details

Until 27 January 2024
Book tickets
The event location is

Olivier Theatre

National Theatre, South Bank, London SE1 9PX

The event duration is 2 hours 45 minutes including one 20 minute interval

A musical adventure

Everything you know about witches is wrong. Forget the pointy hats and broomsticks: they’re the most dangerous creatures on earth.

And now they’ve come up with their most evil plan yet.

The only thing standing in their way is Luke and his Gran. But he’s ten and she’s got a dodgy heart. Time is short, danger is everywhere, and they’ve got just one chance to stop the witches from squalloping every stinking little child in England.

The Witches is a rip-roaring musical version of Roald Dahl’s timeless tale, filled with wit, daring and heart. With book and lyrics by Olivier Award-winner Lucy Kirkwood, music and lyrics by Tony Award-nominee Dave Malloy, and directed by Lyndsey Turner.

★★★★★

A dazzling show

The Times 

★★★★★

A hysterically funny triumph

Time Out

★★★★★

Warms your heart and chills your bones

Independent

★★★★★

An absolute cracker of a show

Financial Times

★★★★

This is the Christmas show to beat

Evening Standard

★★★★

A magic musical concoction

Whats On Stage 

★★★★

Wickedly entertaining

The Stage 

★★★★

A glorious future surely awaits this show

The i

 

Suitability

For 8+ year olds
This show contains moments of bright flashing lights. It contains themes of bereavement and death.
More advice and guidance

Supporters

The development of new music theatre is supported by the Genesis Foundation through the Genesis Music Theatre Programme.

The New American Work Programme is supported by Lawton W Fitt & James I McLaren Foundation.

This is an Edgerton New Plays Commission. New Play Commissions are also supported by the Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation.

Costumes for this production supported by Jordan Roth.

Gallery

Video

A cartoon mouse looks up, pointing at something above, that we can't see.
Play Video

Watch the animated trailer

A group of children stand wearing headphones in a recording studio. They are facing microphones, with music stands in front of them.
Play Video

The cast perform ‘Get Up’

A group of primary school children, in the centre a young person with their hand in the air

Make a difference

With your support, we will give 1,200 school children the chance to see The Witches this December. For many, it will be their very first experience of theatre.

Please donate today and help ignite the creativity of the next generation. Thank you.

Give the gift of theatre

A cartoon of a purple and black bottle labelled Formula 86, with a mouse either side, looking at the bottle.

Young visitors are invited to complete a series of challenges in a free, family friendly puzzle activity across our building, inspired by our upcoming staged musical production of Roald Dahl’s The Witches.

The trail is open from 7 November, on The Witches performance days, with bookable time slots available now.

Book now to join the adventure trail

Cast

The role of Luke is played by:

Bertie Caplan

Frankie Keita

Vishal Soni

The role of Bruno is played by:

Cian Eagle-Service

George Menezes Cutts

William Skinner

The role of Helga is played by:

Jersey Blu Georgia

Asanda Abbie Masike

Chloe Raphael

Young Company

Production team

Book and lyrics

Lucy Kirkwood

Music and lyrics

Dave Malloy

Director

Lyndsey Turner

Lyndsey Turner

Set and Costume Designer

Lizzie Clachan

Choreographer

Stephen Mear

Music Supervisor

Nigel Lilley

Music Director

Cat Beveridge

Lighting Designer

Bruno Poet

Co-Sound Designer

Alexander Caplen

Alexander Caplen

Co-Sound Designer

Ian Dickinson for Autograph

Ian Dickinson for Autograph

Video Designer

Ash J Woodward

Ash J Woodward

Co-Illusion Designer and Director

Chris Fisher

Co-Illusion Designer and Director

Will Houstoun

Casting Director

Bryony Jarvis-Taylor

Voice Coach and Children's Singing Coach

Liz Flint

Dialect Coach

Edda Sharpe

Associate Director

Séimí Campbell

Séimí Campbell

Associate Set Designer

Shankho Chaudhuri

Shankho Chaudhuri

Associate Costume Designer

Johanna Coe

Associate Choreographer

Ebony Molina

Associate Music Director

Natalie Pound

Children’s and Assistant Music Director

Sarah Morrison

Associate Wigs, Hair and Make-up Designer

Kim Kasim

Staff Director

Priya Patel Appleby

Musicians

Music Director / Piano

Cat Beveridge

Keys 2 / Accordion

Sarah Morrison

Kit

Shane Forbes

Percussion

Joley Cragg

Upright Bass

Nicki Davenport

Harp

Camilla Pay

Trumpet / Flugelhorn

Owain Harries

Trombone / Tuba

Nathaniel Cross

Flute / Piccolo / Alto Saxophone

James Mainwaring

Bassoon / Tenor Saxophone

Alice Lee

Viola

Tina Jacobs-Lim

Cello

Dominique Pecheur

 

The Witches ticket prices

Friday & Saturday and all performances 18 Dec – 6 Jan
£20, £39, £49, £69, £89, £99

Other Monday – Thursday performances
£20, £36, £46, £66, £86, £96

Prices may change according to demand

Concessions

Under 18s: Tickets priced £40 and above are reduced by £20 for Monday – Friday evenings and all matinees.

Over 60s: £86/£89 and £66/£69 tickets are reduced by £20 for midweek matinees.

For other concessions and discounts, see Ways to save

Visit our Ticketing FAQs for information on how to book, ticket exchanges and more.

Assisted performances

Captioned

BSL Interpreted

Audio described

No Chilled performance available.

Sensory adapted

The signer for the BSL performance will be Clare Edwards.

Audio-described performances are preceded by a Touch Tour, 90 minutes before the performance start time (2 hours before the 24 January performance). Call the Access line on 020 7452 3961 to book Touch Tours.

We have an allocation of tickets held for members of our Access scheme and if any of the assisted performances above are shown as “Sold Out”, tickets may still be available: Please log in to your account to access them, or call Box Office on 020 7452 3961

Smart caption glasses

Will not be available for performances of The Witches.

Activity resources for schools

Pre-show activity resource

Download the post-show activity pack (PDF 1MB)

Post-show activity resource

Download the post-show activity pack (PDF 1.1MB)