London Datebook: Benedict Cumberbatch on the Big Screen, Judi Dench in Winter's Tale & More

An off-Broadway hit musical gets a West End upgrade, the Olivier Award-winning Miss Trunchbull turns his gifts to O’Neill and Benedict Cumberbatch’s packed-out Hamlet comes to the big screen for one night only—those are among the highlights in a characteristically busy month for London plays. Read on and find out more.

OCTOBER 5-11
Teddy Boys: Teddy Ferrara, the Christopher Shinn play previously seen at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre in 2013, crosses the Atlantic in a keenly awaited London premiere at the Donmar Warehouse marking a return to the directing fold of Dominic Cooke, the onetime artistic director of Shinn’s onetime London home, the Royal Court. The play opens October 7 and Luke Newberry and Matthew Marsh are among the cast.

Also: Danny Horn and Oliver Hoare head the new cast from October 5 of Sunny Afternoon, the Olivier Award-winning musical at the Harold Pinter Theatre drawing on the back catalog of the Kinks. October 10 is the last chance to see Martin McDonagh’s exhilarating new play Hangmen and its sensational leading performances from David Morrissey and Johnny Flynn—a West End transfer looks to be in the works. The same night sees Lara Pulver bidding farewell to her co-starring role in Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre: Gemma Sutton takes over as Louise from October 12.

OCTOBER 12-18
Closer Than Ever: What’s It All About? was the original title of the wonderful Burt Bacharach musical homage that first played off-Broadway late in 2013 before coming to the Menier Chocolate Factory this summer. Now, co-creator and star Kyle Riabko is moving on yet again with the show, this time to the Criterion Theatre for a West End opening on October 15 and with a new, less quizzical title: Close to You.

Also: Tony winner Frances Ruffelle returns to the ever-appealing Crazy Coqs cabaret venue by Piccadilly Circus October 13-17. Those who clamored in vein for tickets to the instant sellout that is the Benedict Cumberbatch’s Hamlet can watch it on cinema screens October 15 when the Sherlock actor’s great Dane is filmed live in performance at the Barbican Theatre.

OCTOBER 19-25
Raisin’ Bran-agh: Kenneth Branagh is putting Hollywood on hold to return to his stage origins via a yearlong residency at the Garrick Theatre that has its first full week of previews this week. The season opener is a much-anticipated staging of The Winter’s Tale, with Branagh himself as Shakespeare’s jealous hero, Leontes, and the great Judi Dench as the play’s voice of moral authority, Paulina. Branagh co-directs alongside Broadway regular Rob Ashford, following their successful partnership on Macbeth in Manchester and then New York.

Also: Previews begin October 21 at the St. James Theatre for the U.K. premiere of Pig Farm, Tony winner Greg Kotis’ comedy seen off-Broadway in 2006: Katharine Farmer directs a cast headed by Stephen Tompkinson and American actor Erik Odom. October 20 is the final performance of Patrick Marber’s Turgenev rewrite Three Days in the Country, with a cast headed by John Simm, Mark Gatiss and Marber’s own wife, Debra Gillett, at the National Theatre's Lyttelton space.

OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 1
Going Ape: Does Bertie Carvel ever sleep? Fresh from playing the authority-mad Pentheus opposite Ben Whishaw in the Almeida’s dazzling production of Bakkhai, the Tony-nominated star of Matilda crosses the river to star in director Richard Jones’ revival of Eugene O’Neill’s fearsome play, The Hairy Ape. Opening night is October 29 and Carvel has been training hard to get in shape for the part.

Also: Anne-Marie Duff stars in the National Theatre’s revival, opening October 27, of Husbands & Sons, the D.H. Lawrence play here adapted afresh by Ben Power. Two-time Tony winner Marianne Elliott directs. Olivier Award winners Roger Allam and Nancy Carroll headline the cast of the new David Hare play The Moderate Soprano, opening October 29 at the Hampstead Theatre under the direction of 2015 Tony nominee Jeremy Herrin. Given the talent involved, expect an onward life.