<P> This is a list of long running shows (3,000 performances or more) in the West End, a well known professional theatre district in London . </P> <P> Unless otherwise states, the number of performances listed is for the original West End production of the show . M denotes a musical, P denotes a straight play, R denotes a revue, D denotes a dance musical, and S denotes a special case . An asterisk indicates an announced closing date for a currently - running show . All currently - running shows are updated as of 8 January 2018, unless otherwise stated . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> #</Th> <Th> Title </Th> <Th> Genre </Th> <Th> Opening date </Th> <Th> Closing date </Th> <Th> Performances </Th> <Th> </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> The Mousetrap </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 25 November 1952 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 27,174 </Td> <Td> Currently running at the St. Martin's Theatre <Ul> <Li> 6 October 1952--Production premiere at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham </Li> <Li> 25 November 1952--Opened in the West End at the New Ambassadors Theatre </Li> <Li> 13 September 1957--Longest - running West End play </Li> <Li> 12 April 1958--Longest - running West End show overall, 2239 performances </Li> <Li> 9 December 1964--5,000 performances </Li> <Li> 23 March 1974--Closed for 2 days to transfer to the St. Martin's Theatre, retaining initial run status </Li> <Li> 17 December 1976--10,000 performances </Li> <Li> 16 December 2000--20,000 performances </Li> <Li> 18 November 2012 - 25,000 performances </Li> <Li> 1965 & 1999--Sets, costumes and props replaced </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Les Misérables </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 8 October 1985 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 13,341 </Td> <Td> Currently running at the Queen's Theatre <Ul> <Li> Opened at the Royal Shakespeare Company's Barbican Theatre . </Li> <Li> Transferred to the Palace Theatre on the West End on 5 December 1985 . </Li> <Li> Transferred to the Queen's Theatre in April 2004, where it is still running . </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> The Phantom of the Opera </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 9 October 1986 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 13,008 </Td> <Td> Currently running at Her Majesty's Theatre </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> The Woman in Black </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 7 June 1989 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 11,704 </Td> <Td> Currently running at Fortune Theatre </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Blood Brothers </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 28 July 1988 </Td> <Td> 10 November 2012 </Td> <Td> 10,013 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> Cats </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 11 May 1981 </Td> <Td> 11 May 2002 </Td> <Td> 8,949 </Td> <Td> Opened in London at the New London Theatre <Ul> <Li> The show closed on its 21st anniversary, where it was broadcast in Covent Garden for those who couldn't acquire a ticket </Li> <Li> It held the record for longest running West End Musical for four years before it was overtaken by Les Misérables, the current record holder . </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> Mamma Mia! </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 6 April 1999 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 7,871 </Td> <Td> Currently running at Novello Theatre <Ul> <Li> This is the longest running jukebox musical </Li> <Li> Opened at the Prince Edward Theatre </Li> <Li> Moved to the Prince of Wales Theatre on 9 June 2004 </Li> <Li> Moved to Novello Theatre in September 2012 </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> The Lion King </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 19 October 1999 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 7,634 </Td> <Td> Currently running at Lyceum Theatre </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> Starlight Express </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 27 March 1984 </Td> <Td> 12 January 2002 </Td> <Td> 7,406 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> No Sex Please, We're British </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 3 June 1971 </Td> <Td> 16 January 1987 </Td> <Td> 6,761 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> Stomp </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 25 September 2002 </Td> <Td> 7 January 2018 </Td> <Td> 6,512 </Td> <Td> Opened at the Vaudeville Theatre <Ul> <Li> Moved to the Ambassadors Theatre on 27 September 2007 </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td> Chicago </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 18 October 1997 </Td> <Td> 1 September 2012 </Td> <Td> 6,187 </Td> <Td> This is the longest running revival <Ul> <Li> Show opened at the Adelphi Theatre </Li> <Li> Moved to the Cambridge Theatre in April 2006 </Li> <Li> Moved to the Garrick Theatre in November 2011 </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> Buddy--The Buddy Holly Story </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 12 October 1989 </Td> <Td> 3 March 2002 </Td> <Td> 5,140 </Td> <Td> Opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre <Ul> <Li> Moved to the Strand Theatre (now the Novello Theatre) in October 1995 </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> Wicked </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 27 September 2006 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 4,746 </Td> <Td> Currently running at Apollo Victoria Theatre </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> We Will Rock You </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 25 September 2002 </Td> <Td> 31 May 2014 </Td> <Td> 4,659 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> Billy Elliot the Musical </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 11 May 2005 </Td> <Td> 9 April 2016 </Td> <Td> 4,566 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> Miss Saigon </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 20 September 1989 </Td> <Td> 30 October 1999 </Td> <Td> 4,264 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 18 </Td> <Td> Jersey Boys </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 18 March 2008 </Td> <Td> 26 March 2017 </Td> <Td> 3,787 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> Thriller - Live </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 26 January 2009 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 3,745 </Td> <Td> Currently running at Lyric Theatre </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 20 </Td> <Td> The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 7 March 1996 </Td> <Td> 3 April 2005 </Td> <Td> 3,744 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 21 </Td> <Td> The 39 Steps </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 14 September 2006 </Td> <Td> 5 September 2015 </Td> <Td> 3,731 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 22 </Td> <Td> Jesus Christ Superstar </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 9 August 1972 </Td> <Td> 23 August 1980 </Td> <Td> 3,357 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 23 </Td> <Td> Me and My Girl </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 12 February 1985 </Td> <Td> 16 January 1993 </Td> <Td> 3,303 </Td> <Td> This is a revival of the 1937 musical . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 24 </Td> <Td> Evita </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 21 June 1978 </Td> <Td> 18 February 1986 </Td> <Td> 3,176 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> #</Th> <Th> Title </Th> <Th> Genre </Th> <Th> Opening date </Th> <Th> Closing date </Th> <Th> Performances </Th> <Th> </Th> </Tr>

Longest running play in london's west end