At the 2025 Tony Awards, there will be at least eight award-eligible productions that originated in London’s West End. At the 2025 Olivier Awards, there will be at least five eligible U.S. transplants, three of which previously played on Broadway.
Theatrical exchange between New York City and London, specifically, has been intrinsic to both cultures for more than a century. In 1872, a reworked version of the controversial musical “The Black Crook” moved from New York to London, and 19th-century actors like the British Edmund Kean and Americans Edwin Booth and Charlotte and Susan Cushman bolstered their fame by performing Shakespeare on both sides of the Atlantic. In more recent history, many high-profile shows have moved between New York and London — such as “Hadestown,” “Moulin Rouge!” and “A Strange Loop” transferring to the Big Smoke, and “The Ferryman,” “Leopoldstadt” and the revival of “Cabaret” transferring stateside.
Broadway and the West End — and, more broadly, U.S. and U.K. theater markets — are inextricably intertwined. Yet even in the brief list of theatrical exchanges above, there are cultural distinctions. In the flow of transfers Broadway and the West End’s differences are as apparent as their similarities. What are the cultural factors that allow shows to succeed — national identity, critical and awards reception, marketing strategies — in both cities? And how are today’s producers making decisions to appeal to both audiences?
