Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express Confirms Final London Performances

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s roller skating musical Starlight Express has confirmed the final performances of its London revival, with the production set to close at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in early May.

Producers announced that the current staging, directed by Luke Sheppard, will play its last show on Sunday May 3, bringing to an end a run of just under two years. The production opened in 2024 at the purpose built Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, located outside the traditional West End.

The closure marks a significantly shorter run than the musical’s original London outing, which played for 18 years and became one of the longest running and most commercially successful productions in West End history. However, producers noted that the revival has still enjoyed a strong lifespan, particularly given its location away from central London and the changing landscape of musical theatre audiences.

The revival received largely positive reviews and successfully reintroduced the family friendly show, which follows a group of racing trains competing for glory and acceptance. Audiences will still have several opportunities to see the production, with performances continuing through the upcoming school half term and Easter holidays.

While the Wembley Park run is coming to an end, the production is not disappearing entirely. Plans are in place for Starlight Express to tour following its London closure, allowing the revived staging to reach audiences beyond the capital.

The announcement has also prompted questions about what will replace the musical at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre. When the venue opened, it functioned primarily as a receiving house for short engagements. However, the extended runs of Starlight Express and The Hunger Games: On Stage at the Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre have fuelled speculation that the Troubadour group may be shifting towards a West End style model focused on longer term residencies for individual productions.

For fans of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s work, the closure does not mark the end of his presence on London stages this year. A new production of Cats is scheduled to open at the Open Air Theatre later this summer.

Starlight Express continues performances at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre until May 3.