West Side Story Tickets in London at the National Theatre
West Side Story is coming to the National Theatre's Olivier in London in winter 2027, in a major new production using Jerome Robbins' original choreography, reproduced and adapted by Julio Monge. Here is what has been announced so far: who is making it, what the show is, and what the Olivier is like to sit in for a big musical.
At the Olivier Theatre, near Waterloo
Who's West Side Story For?
- Anyone who knows the songs and wants to see the dancing done live, on a stage this size.
- Fans of Spielberg's 2021 film: Julio Monge, artistic collaborator and consultant on that film, is reproducing the dances here.
- People who saw Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell's Death of a Salesman and want to see what they do with a musical.
What's West Side Story About?
Romeo and Juliet, moved to the Upper West Side of New York in the 1950s. Two street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, are fighting over the same few blocks. Tony and Maria fall in love across that line, and neither gang will let it stand.
It opened on Broadway in 1957, and the score is Leonard Bernstein's: "Tonight", "Maria", "America", "Somewhere" and "I Feel Pretty" are all from it. This is the stage musical that both films were made from.
The Dancing
Jerome Robbins conceived West Side Story and choreographed it. For this production, Julio Monge is reproducing and adapting Robbins' steps.
Where to Sit
The Olivier has an open stage with no arch around it and a fan of seats on two levels, so a big dance show is seen from above as well as from in front. The seat detail is in the Tickets and Best Seats tab.
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FAQs
The National has billed it for winter 2027, in the Olivier Theatre.
The National Theatre's production is winter 2027.
It's the other way round. West Side Story began as a Broadway musical in 1957, and the 1961 and 2021 films were both made from it. This is a new stage production.
The National hasn't announced any casting. The creative team is in the Cast and Creatives tab.
Sign up for our emails and we'll let you know. You can also ring us on 020 7193 9050.
Yes. The details are in the Venue and Travel tab, and access bookings are handled by the National's own access team rather than by us.
Where to Sit in the Olivier for West Side Story
The Olivier changes its layout a little from show to show, and this production's layout has not been published. What holds in almost any layout:
- The Circle looks down on the whole stage at once, which helps with big ensemble numbers. Row A has nobody in front of you at all.
- The middle of Stalls rows G and H is usually the best seat in the theatre: far enough back to take in an open stage, close enough to see faces.
- For the money, take a Circle seat nearest a centre aisle, which costs less than the middle of the same row and sees nearly as well.
- Be wary of seats 1, 2, 58 and 59, at the very ends of the Stalls rows, where the angle is widest.
The Stalls floor is steeply raked from row D back, so the person in front is rarely a problem. Around 1,100 people fit in over the two levels.
Row by row: the Olivier seating plan, the Stalls and the Circle.
Tickets
Our pricing is all-in, so the price you see is what you pay. For a hand choosing a seat, ring 020 7193 9050.
Seating plan
Dates & tickets
Getting to the Olivier Theatre
The Olivier is the largest of the three theatres inside the National Theatre, on Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PX. Waterloo is the nearest station, 5 to 7 minutes on foot. Buses 1, 59, 68, 76, 139, 172, 176, 188, 243, 341 and SL6 stop at Waterloo Bridge / South Bank, about two minutes away.
Arrive 30 minutes before, no later. The Olivier sits on the building's second and third levels, reached by lifts or stairs from the ground-floor foyer.
Food, drink, parking and the rest of the building are in the National Theatre building guide, and the theatre itself is in our Olivier Theatre guide.
Access
No captioned, audio-described or BSL-interpreted dates have been set for West Side Story. Access bookings are handled by the National's own access team, not by us. Lifts, wheelchair spaces and step-free routes are in the Olivier's access guide.
Address
National Theatre, Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PX
Nearest Tube
Waterloo
Creative Team
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Directors | Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell |
| Original choreography | Jerome Robbins |
| Choreography reproduced and adapted by | Julio Monge |
| Music | Leonard Bernstein |
| Lyrics | Stephen Sondheim |
| Book | Arthur Laurents |
| Conceived by | Jerome Robbins |
Elliott and Cromwell last directed together on Death of a Salesman, which won awards in the West End and went on to Broadway. The rest of the creative team is still to be named.
About This Production
The National announced West Side Story on 9 September 2026 as part of its 2027 season, calling it a major revival of the Broadway classic. It plays in the Olivier, the largest of the National's three theatres.