Beetlejuice The Musical at a glance

Show
Beetlejuice The Musical
Venue
Prince Edward Theatre, West End
Address
28 Old Compton Street, London W1D 4HS
Nearest station
Leicester Square (5 min walk); Tottenham Court Road (6 min walk)
Genre
Musical Comedy (gothic / supernatural)
Running time
2 hours 30 minutes, including one interval
Age guidance
12+ (under 3s not admitted; under 16s must be accompanied by an adult)
Dates
20 May 2026 — 17 April 2027 (limited season)
Schedule
Mon–Sat evenings 7:30pm; matinees Wed and Sat 2:30pm
Price range
From £24 (typically £24–£270)
Music & lyrics
Eddie Perfect
Book
Scott Brown & Anthony King
Director
Alex Timbers
Choreography
Connor Gallagher

Expert Review: Beetlejuice The Musical at the Prince Edward Theatre

4.7
★★★★★

LTH Expert Rating

Reviewed by the London Theatre Hub editorial team. Last updated: 1 May 2026. West End performances begin 20 May 2026 — UK press night reviews will be added once published.

The Verdict

Beetlejuice The Musical has been one of Broadway's most beloved cult phenomena since its 2019 opening — a show that defies easy categorisation, blending Tim Burton's gothic aesthetic with genuine emotional intelligence, a score full of earworms, and a central performance that demands everything a lead actor has. It has toured internationally, returned to Broadway for a second run, and built a devoted global fanbase. Its arrival in London at the Prince Edward Theatre is one of 2026's most anticipated theatrical events.

What distinguishes Beetlejuice from other franchise musicals is the depth it gives Lydia Deetz. Where the 1988 film is primarily a comedy built around Michael Keaton's anarchic performance, the musical restructures the story so that Lydia's grief — for her dead mother, for a childhood she didn't get to have, for a world that doesn't quite speak her language — is the emotional engine. The result is a show that can make you laugh and catch you off-guard with something that genuinely moves. Olivier-nominated David Fynn takes the title role, with Hannah Nordberg (HBO's Euphoria) making her West End debut as Lydia — a combination of serious theatrical experience and fresh screen energy that the role demands.

What Makes It Special

  • The Broadway creative team, intact. The West End production brings the full original creative lineup: Tony Award-winning director Alex Timbers, scenic design by David Korins (Hamilton), costumes by William Ivey Long, and special effects by Jeremy Chernick (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child). This is the show as it was intended, not a reduced transfer.
  • David Fynn as Beetlejuice. The Olivier-nominated actor, best known for originating Dewey Finn in School of Rock at the London premiere, brings years of West End stamina and instinctive comic intelligence to a role that requires both in equal measure. Tom Xander — Olivier-nominated for Mean Girls — alternates in the role.
  • Hannah Nordberg's West End debut. The American actress, best known for playing Emma in HBO's Euphoria, makes her stage debut in London as Lydia Deetz. The role demands a singer-actor who can carry a show's emotional weight while matching the title character's manic energy — a very particular combination of skills.
  • Eddie Perfect's score. The Australian comedian-composer wrote one of Broadway's most distinctive recent scores: part gothic pastiche, part pop-punk energy, with moments of genuine balladic power. The songs have been staples of Broadway playlists for years; hearing them live in a major house for the first time in the UK is reason enough to book.
  • A strictly limited run. Beetlejuice plays the Prince Edward Theatre only until 17 April 2027. There is no announcement of an extension — and given the theatre's schedule, this window may be the only one London gets.

You'll love Beetlejuice if you...

  • Are a fan of the original 1988 Tim Burton film
  • Enjoy gothic comedy with a genuine emotional core
  • Like big, inventive musical theatre with spectacular production values
  • Have been waiting for this show to come to London — the Broadway fanbase has been vocal for years
  • Are bringing teenagers who love the film, the aesthetic, or dark comedy in general

It might not be for you if you...

  • Prefer traditional musical theatre scores to contemporary pop-punk or pastiche styles
  • Want something quieter and more intimate — this is a large-scale, high-energy show
  • Are bringing younger children — the show's humour, themes, and supernatural content are firmly 12+
  • Are hoping for a faithful scene-by-scene recreation of the film — the musical reworks the story substantially

Best for

  • Tim Burton fans
  • Musical theatre lovers
  • Teenagers (12+)
  • Date night
  • Groups
  • Broadway fans finally getting the UK premiere

Not ideal for young children or those who prefer understated, dialogue-led theatre.

Critical Reception

Beetlejuice The Musical opens at the Prince Edward Theatre on 20 May 2026 — UK press night reviews have not yet been published at the time of writing. The Broadway production received strong reviews on its 2019 opening, with particular praise for the lead performance, the design, and the score. It was nominated for eight Tony Awards including Best Musical. UK critics' verdicts will be added to this page once published.

Broadway reception (2019 opening):

  • Entertainment Weekly — "A feast for the eyes and soul"
  • Variety — "Screamingly good fun"
  • 8 Tony nominations including Best Musical (2019)

UK press night reviews will be added once published following the 20 May 2026 West End opening.

Everything You Need to Know

What happens in Beetlejuice The Musical?

The musical centres on Lydia Deetz, a teenager grieving the death of her mother and struggling to connect with her father Charles, who has thrown himself into work and a new relationship with life-coach Delia. When Charles moves the family into a large house in the countryside, Lydia discovers it is already occupied — by the ghosts of the Maitlands, a recently deceased couple who have no idea how to navigate the afterlife.

The ghost with the most

While the Maitlands fumble their way through the bureaucracy of death — registering with the afterlife's administrative office, consulting a caseworker, learning the rules — Lydia makes contact with them. She can see the dead; she always could. The Maitlands enlist her help to drive the living family out of the house. But Lydia has a different idea: she wants to use her ability to communicate with ghosts to contact her mother. The only entity who might be able to help is the one they have been told, very specifically, never to say the name of three times. So she says it three times.

Beetlejuice

The demon who appears is a fast-talking, self-serving chaos agent who has been trapped in the Netherworld for longer than he can remember and wants nothing more than to escape back to the living world permanently. To do that, he needs to marry a living person — specifically Lydia. He will help her contact her mother; she just needs to marry him first. The rest of the show follows the escalating consequences of that deal, as Beetlejuice's scheming collides with Lydia's grief, her father's obliviousness, Delia's self-absorption, the Maitlands' increasing competence at haunting, and a series of increasingly deranged set pieces.

What it's really about

Underneath the supernatural mayhem, Beetlejuice The Musical is a show about grief — specifically about what happens when someone dies and the people they leave behind are so consumed by their own pain that they stop seeing each other. Lydia's journey is about learning that her mother's absence doesn't mean she has to disappear too. It earns its emotional moments by building to them through genuine comedy, which is harder to do than it looks.