Theatre Show recommendation

We would need a lot more detail about you and your daughters to even begin to pick a show. Start by looking at Time Out: http://www.timeout.com/london/theatre

Do they want a comedy, a musical, a drama? A revival of a classic or something new? Something their friends will have heard of? Something they're already familiar with? Something with a star (these need to be booked way in advance)? Something "very English" or "very American" or something else? Something big and splashy, or small and intimate? London has it all - the problem is deciding.

Whatever you decide, don't book tickets for the night of your arrival. You're highly likely to fall asleep during the show.

The Book of Mormon (a musical) is still running in London. It was very difficult to get tickets when it played here. I haven't seen the show myself, so I can't comment on how appealing it might be to your daughters.

It will be fun for your trio to get to Leicester Square and the TKTS booth there for potential great discounts for any West End theatre day of performances. I always swing to musicals (get your song, dance and orchestra along with the acting!) but there are many offerings in all genres. Not sure if you'll have any chance for Hamilton. - smiley face - Check out theatremonkey.com, plug in your dates and voila! what's on the boards is at your finger tips. Have a great time picking, going and enjoying the stage in London. I vote for including all participants in making the plans.

If you haven't seen it yet- Kinky Boots is a great show. The songs are memorable and the show's message is uplifting. The music was written by Cindy Lauper and the show won a Tony. Wicked has been around for a long time and is another show appropriate for your girls' ages. Love, love, love both these shows! Of course, the hottest ticket right now is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child esp if your girls are HP fans. I'm going to London in May and have gotten on the email list and have all my fingers and toes crossed that I can get tickets. Tickets are released once a month to prevent scalpers. Not sure when Hamilton is opening but good luck with that one! The Mousetrap is a good old fashioned Agatha Christie murder mystery and is the longest running show in London. I brought my kids ages 16-23 at the time to see it when we were in London and we all enjoyed it. Book of Mormon is hilarious as well. So many choices!

You're too early for Hamilton. Previews begin in October. Darn; I'll be in London in mid-September.

I loved The Play That Goes Wrong.

I second Miranda. "The Play That Goes Wrong" http://www.theplaythatgoeswrong.com/london is hilarious! I saw it last April; the audience was absolutely roaring almost the entire time. If your girls like a good laugh, I don't think you can go wrong with this one.

I took my 2 16 year olds to London last month and we saw 2 plays, both of which they enjoyed. Neither was a musical. One was Stomp, which was incredible, both teens (and we) were mesmerized by the show, both clapped and smiled and were amazed throug the entire 1.5 hour performance with no intermissions. We all loved it for its creativity and humor as well as the astounding athletics of the percussion/drumming/dancing/juggling. It was certainly one of the top experiences of the trip. The other was one of the longest running plays in the English language, Agatha Christie's murder/mystery The Mouse Trap. That was probably a 8 on a scale of 10--they enjoyed it but not as much as Stomp.

Private message me if you want more info. Enjoy your trip (and tell your teens that there are some great captures in London if they play Pokemon Go).

SuzieeQQ

Why not be brave and try a comedy or drama about England rather than one of those international musicals? Plenty of information and advice here, including comments on bad seats: http://theatremonkey.com/
You may find a last-minute bargain day-of-show, but be wary: Some may be restricted view or too close to the stage for comfort. Front-row seats in small, old theatres are not necessarily prime choice.

You have a point, Southam. I always wonder why people go to London to see American musicals or plays. We, by chance, saw Judy Dench in a drama at the Barbican one year .... not something you would ever see anywhere else. It was a treat.

We saw Jersey Boys when we were in London in 2013, not sure if it's still playing but the price was about 1/3 what it would have been for nosebleed seats in San Francisco--and we were twelve rows from the stage! The show was excellent. All British cast for the major roles doing very convincing east coast (New Jersey I think) accents. We also saw the Winslow Boy and that one was a bit of a snooze, despite critical acclaim.

CMC, when I was in London in 2015, I decided that I wanted to see plays that were British, not American, and uppers, not downers. I chose War Horse and Billy Elliott, both very reasonably priced with discounts, plus Merchant of Venice at the Globe, as a groundling. All were excellent. If you go to the Globe as a groundling, tickets are just £5, but try to go quite early to be at the very front of the line, which allows you to stand in the front, ideally first row standing, so you can lean on the stage! Also, don't go too tired, as it is a long evening of standing, great experience though. For Merchant of Venice, seeing all the costumes and props very close up was a highlight.

The Globe Theatre is a great experience, whether as a groundling or seated. UNfortunately they will not be able to go there on a spring break trip. The performances do not start until April 22.

Are they Harry Potter fans? There is a new release of tickets to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on January 23. Keep in mind it is in 2 parts and is a full day event on Wed., Sat. and Sun. or both nights on Thursday and Friday. https://www.harrypottertheplay.com/ticket-information/

I haven't been to London recently, but I keep an eye on all things Broadway, West End and good regional theatre in both countries (I am a drama prof.) I am going to give these answers assuming you do not live near NYC and thinking of the age of the teens. If your girls want a highly-popular musical that is a safe bet, go for Wicked. If they love dancing and want to see one of the newest shows on the West End (if it is open by spring break), consider An American in Paris. If you want to challenge them with an outstanding, thoughtful play (which I guarantee they will like, even if they don't know it yet), go for A Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time. Want to take them to an award-winning British creation that is about to travel to Broadway? Go to Mathilda (based on the Roald Dahl book, but great fun for all ages). Have they ever seen Les Mis? If not, go for it. And a very good bet if they want to see a famous British person in a play that is a lot of fun, take them to see Daniel Radcliffe in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead at the Old Vic. (This one hasn't opened yet...but Radcliffe has a very good reputation for his stage work in both NY and London, and the Old Vic is reliably high-quality theatre.) If you can get HP and the Cursed Child tickets, go. (It is the hottest ticket--rather like Hamilton--and has gotten outstanding reviews.)

I've seen several of the American musicals that are playing in London currently. My favorites are still "Phantom of the Opera" (seen 3 times) and "Les Mis (seen twice)." The music and staging of either was incredible on Broadway.

On our trip in May, we're planning on going to West End production of "Les Mis." The staging was amazing on Broadway (but we're still trying to figure out the British accents of the supposedly French patriots. :)

"Wicked" is likely a good choice for teen girls "Book of Mormon" may be a bit too risque for their age. "Mathilda" is fun and "An American in Paris" is reminiscent of the movie. "Jersey Boys" is much better on stage than the movie was and is a lot of fun if you're (and they) are fans of Frankie Valle and the Four Seasons.

Have fun!

I would also vote for The Play That Goes Wrong and/or The Mousetrap - though young ladies may find the latter a little long at times. Book of Mormon is NOT appropriate for their ages but I would recommend it (in all its filthy glory!) to any grown up looking for a bit of laughter.

It's too bad you'll be too early for the Globe, but if you find another Shakespeare play, consider seeing it. Your daughters have most likely studied some of his plays in school, and there is nothing like a British production of the Bard. I saw Taming of the Shrew at the Globe in 2012, and it was great!