LONDON RULES SUPREME: THE BEST CULTURE OF 2026

Christopher Nolan's Odyssey. Lily Allen in the West End. A Gorillaz football stadium takeover. It's all on in the capital.

- Martin Robinson, India Block and Vicky Jessop

THEATRE

WOMAN IN MIND

Sheridan Smith returns in Alan Ayckbourn's play about a woman who suffers a head injury and starts to live two separate lives, one based in mundane reality and the other an extravagant fantasy existence. After her sellout Shirley Valentine at the same venue, this is sure to be another star turn from Smith, who is joined by Romesh Ranganathan in his West End debut. MR Until February 28, Duke of York's Theatre

HIGH NOON

Exciting Hollywood fare with screen hero Billy Crudup taking on the Gary Cooper role in a stage adaptation of the classic 1952 Western. It's the theatre debut of writer Eric Roth (who wrote Dune: Part One and won an Oscar for Forrest Gump) and is directed by Thea (Equus) Sharrock. Denise Gough stars opposite Crudup to add further clout to this tense story of a marshal counting down in real time to the arrival of a bad guy on the noon train. MR Until March 6, Harold Pinter Theatre

JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN

Playwright Kimberley Bellflower's massive Broadway hit, right, comes to London, directed by Tony-winner Danya Taymor. Set in a high school, it has a group of students studying Arthur Miller's The Crucible and as they question the lessons being taught (such as whether the character Proctor is a tragic hero or a predator) they find events in real life begin to echo the play. A post-MeToo reckoning around gender narratives, made more pertinent since The Crucible had its London premiere at the Royal Court’s opening season in 1956 — this is the 70th anniversary season. MR March 20 to April 25, Royal Court

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST