List of the longest-running West End shows
# Title Genre Opening date Closing date Performances Comment
1 The Mousetrap P 25 November 1952 28,000 Currently discontinued due to the COVID-19 pandemic at the St. Martin 's Theatre 6 October 1952 - Production premiere at the Theatre Royal , Nottingham 25 November 1952 - Opened in the West End at the New Ambassadors Theatre 13 September 1957 - Longest-running West End play 12 April 1958 - Longest-running West End show overall , 2239 performances 9 December 1964 - 5,000 performances 23 March 1974 - Closed for 2 days to transfer to the St. Martin 's Theatre , retaining initial run status 17 December 1976 - 10,000 performances 16 December 2000 - 20,000 performances 18 November 2012 - 25,000 performances 1965 & 1999 - Sets , costumes and props replaced
2 Les Misérables M 8 October 1985 13,964 Currently discontinued due to the COVID-19 pandemic at the Sondheim Theatre Opened at the Royal Shakespeare Company 's Barbican Centre Transferred to the Palace Theatre on the West End on 5 December 1985 Transferred to the Queen 's Theatre in April 2004 The longest-running West End musical The original production closed on 13 July 2019 . It was replaced by a concert version at the Gielgud Theatre from 10 August 2019 until 2 December 2019 and subsequently a new staging at the refurbished Queen 's Theatre ( now Sondheim Theatre ) from 16 January 2020
3 The Phantom of the Opera M 9 October 1986 13,629 Currently discontinued due to the COVID-19 pandemic at Her Majesty 's Theatre
4 The Woman in Black P 7 June 1989 12,326 Currently discontinued due to the COVID-19 pandemic at Fortune Theatre
5 Blood Brothers ( revival ) M 28 July 1988 10 November 2012 10,013 Opened at the Albery Theatre ( now the Noël Coward Theatre ) Transferred to the Phoenix Theatre on 21 November 1991 The longest-running West End revival Originally due to close on 27 October , its run was extended by 2 weeks before closing on 10 November 2012
6 Cats M 11 May 1981 11 May 2002 8,949 Opened in London at the New London Theatre ( now the Gillian Lynne Theatre ) The show closed on its 21st anniversary , when it was broadcast in Covent Garden for those who could not acquire a ticket It held the record for longest-running West End musical for 17 years before it was overtaken by Les Misérables , the current record holder
7 Mamma Mia ! M 6 April 1999 8,498 Currently discontinued due to the COVID-19 pandemic at Novello Theatre This is the longest running jukebox musical Opened at the Prince Edward Theatre Moved to the Prince of Wales Theatre on 9 June 2004 Moved to Novello Theatre in September 2012
8 The Lion King M 19 October 1999 8,258 Currently discontinued due to the COVID-19 pandemic at Lyceum Theatre
9 Starlight Express M 27 March 1984 12 January 2002 7,406
10 No Sex Please , We 're British P 3 June 1971 16 January 1987 6,761
11 Stomp D 25 September 2002 7 January 2018 6,512 Opened at the Vaudeville Theatre Moved to the Ambassadors Theatre on 27 September 2007
12 Chicago ( revival ) M 18 October 1997 1 September 2012 6,187 Show opened at the Adelphi Theatre Moved to the Cambridge Theatre in April 2006 Moved to the Garrick Theatre in November 2011
13 Wicked M 27 September 2006 5,500 Currently discontinued due to the COVID-19 pandemic at Apollo Victoria Theatre
14 Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story M 12 October 1989 3 March 2002 5,140 Opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre Moved to the Strand Theatre ( now the Novello Theatre ) in October 1995
15 We Will Rock You M 25 September 2002 31 May 2014 4,659
16 Thriller - Live R 26 January 2009 15 March 2020 4,657
17 Billy Elliot the Musical M 11 May 2005 9 April 2016 4,566
18 Miss Saigon M 20 September 1989 30 October 1999 4,264
19 Oh ! Calcutta ! R 30 September 1970 2 February 1980 3,918
20 Jersey Boys M 18 March 2008 26 March 2017 3,787
List
This is a list of long running shows (3,000 performances or more) in the West End, a well known professional theatre district in London.