Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage

Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage is playing at the Capital Theatre in Westfield London, with the matinee on Saturday 7 November starting at 15:00. It's part of a run that opened on 16 October, and the initial booking period goes through to 21 March 2027, so there's plenty of room to catch it if you can't make this particular Saturday.

If you know the story, you'll recognise the bones of it here. The show keeps the original dialogue from the 1987 film, written by Eleanor Bergstein, and pairs it with more than 35 hit songs played live by a company of over 40 performers. It first opened at London's Aldwych Theatre in 2006, where it ran for five years, and has since played in more than 11 countries, consistently breaking box-office records. The Capital Theatre staging is a specially reconceived, more intimate and immersive version: the 620-seat auditorium means no seat is more than nine rows from the stage, and the show leans on electrifying choreography, including the famous lift.

Behind the scenes, the production is put on by Karl Sydow in association with Lionsgate and Magic Hour Productions. Eleanor Bergstein, who wrote the original film, returns to write the stage version. The new staging and set design come from Federico Bellone, with choreography by Chiara Vecchi and live music under the supervision of Richard John. It's a big cast for a room this size, with over 40 performers on stage.

Beyond the London run, a UK and Ireland tour is taking the production around the country into Summer 2027, so if you're not in the city, you might find it closer to home later on. For the London shows, a few practical things to keep in mind: it's not recommended for children under 12, and children under 5 aren't permitted. The matinee on Saturday 7 November starts at 15:00 at the Capital Theatre in Westfield London, Shepherd's Bush, W12 7SL.