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World Book Day 2025: 9 shows that’ll count towards your Goodreads goal
The sound of panicked parents assembling a Very Hungry Caterpillar costume from a couple of throw pillows, paper plates and sellotape can only mean one thing - World Book Day is here. While some might be diving headfirst into a chunky novel, others are looking for a quicker way to tick off their TBR pile. Enter: West End adaptations. If you’re wearing your reading glasses, watching a play is basically the same as reading a book. And theatre programmes - with their forewords, interviews and biographies - totally count as a novella too. So really, when you see a show, you’re getting through two books at once. That’s theatre maths. So, for those who want to keep up their Goodreads stats without necessarily flipping pages, here are nine must-see book-to-stage adaptations currently lighting up London’s West End. Happy World Book Day! Clueless, The Musical As if London’s most Betty musical is, like, actually adapted from a 19th century book?! The cult 90s film-cum-musical is totally based on Jane Austen’s Emma - the novel even has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo in the musical, look out for the classroom chalkboard! While Austen’s much-loved classic follows the wealthy and self-assured Emma Woodhouse and her matchmaking mishaps in the Regency era, the musical version keeps things valley girl chic. Cher (our Emma stand-in), plays cupid (in a better outfit) as she meddles in the love lives of her fellow classmates. While she looks totally cool and in control in front of her friends, she struggles to figure out her own feelings in private. Featuring catchy pop-infused musical numbers from Brit award-winner KT Tunstall, and all the 90s nostalgia you could ask for - expect big hats, bigger attitudes, and a totally buggin' take on one of literature's greatest meddling heroines. Now playing at the Trafalgar Theatre, see why Clueless, just like Cher herself, is the most popular and enduring take on Jane Austen’s classic. 🎫 Book Clueless tickets today The Devil Wears Prada Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 novel, based on her own experiences working as an assistant at Vogue, became an instant bestseller before being adapted into the groundbreaking 2006 film starring Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. The semi-autobiographical story follows Andy Sachs, a young journalist navigating the cutthroat fashion industry under the tyrannical leadership of editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly. If you’ve ever wondered what Miranda Priestly’s cutting remarks would sound like in musical form, here’s your answer - they’re as sharp and acidic as ever. Iconic lines are interwoven into the score, and with Elton John on board for the music, and Vannessa Willams stepping into Priestly’s blood-red stilettos, this adaptation of Weisberger’s novel is as fabulous as you’d expect. Just don’t show up in cerulean unless you really know your colour theory. Expect runway-worthy costumes, powerhouse ballads, and a fresh take on one of the most intimidating bosses in literary history. 🎫 Book The Devil Wears Prada tickets today The Years The multi Olivier-nominated play, The Years - based on Annie Ernaux’s multi-decade-spanning memoir - brings a poetic, memory-laced meditation on time and identity to the stage. It’s a unique experience, blending history with personal recollection in a way that makes you reflect on your own story. And hey, it still counts towards your Goodreads tally. Adapted from the highly acclaimed autobiographical novel that chronicles the author’s life and French society from the 1940s to the early 2000s. The book, which won the 2019 Warwick Prize for Women in Translation, is unique in that it blends personal memory with collective history, painting a broader picture of social and cultural change. Ernaux was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2022, further cementing her literary legacy. And the stage adaptation is just as successful. The play had a sold-out run at the Almeida Theatre before transferring to its current home at the Harold Pinter Theatre, and has just received an incredible 5 Olivier nominations, including Best New Play. 🎫 Book The Years tickets today Mrs. Doubtfire Cross-dressing shenanigans, heartfelt family moments, and a lot of cake-based chaos—Mrs. Doubtfire takes Anne Fine’s original novel and brings it to life with all the comedy and warmth we remember from the 90s film. The stage version delivers laughs, a chorus line of dancing nans, and a truly impressive quick-change routine. Anne Fine’s 1987 novel Madame Doubtfire tells the story of a divorced father who disguises himself as a Scottish nanny to spend more time with his children. While the book is a poignant exploration of family dynamics, it became best known for its 1993 film adaptation starring Robin Williams. The stage musical takes the heartfelt and comedic elements of the film and amplifies them with big musical numbers and larger-than-life performances. The show delves deeper into the emotional stakes of the story, exploring themes of fatherhood, reconciliation, and identity. While the book has a more grounded and sometimes bittersweet tone, the musical fully embraces the chaos and hilarity of the disguise, making for a laugh-out-loud theatre experience. Mrs. Doubtfire will be hosting special fan nights with post-show Q&As with the cast on Wednesday performances until 2nd April - which is basically a Book Club discussion, right? 🎫 Book Mrs Doubtfire tickets today
6 Mar, 2025 | By Sian McBride