With Christmas looming just over the horizon, the theatres of the West End are already deep into their festive runs. However, if we look just a little further afield, we might be able to catch a glimpse at what could be coming up next year. So, dig those binoculars out - we’re having a butcher’s at Broadway!

Broadway is the undisputed home of American theatre (or should that be theater?). A particularly portly street in the New York borough of Manhattan, Broadway plays host to some of the most grand and important playhouses in the whole world. With the free exchange of shows and performers between New York and London, if you want to predict what shows could be making a splash in the West End next year then take a wee peek into our Broadway crystal ball…

Well, actually, before we peruse Christmas future, let’s first take a look at Christmas past and see which old British exports could be causing a stir stateside. For a few years now the ABBA musical Mamma Mia has been wowing American theatre-goers on Broadway. However, a musical based on the music of a sparkly gang of Swedes and set on an Elysian Greek island is hardly the clearest exponent of British grit and determination. Instead, it might be worth starting with the American version of the classic Billy Elliot. Elton John’s spellbinding score brings this quirky little story to life. Set in a close-knit community in County Durham, this musical is set in the grim surroundings of the 1980s miners’ strike. Funny and touching, check out what our reviewer said about the West End version when we covered it during the summer in our review section. Full of British cultural references, the version of Billy Elliot that opened on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre last month is still to prove itself with the American public but the critics have certainly earmarked it for success.

Whether or not the show will be as well-loved as its British counterpart we’ll have to wait and see. To have a look at what shows could be hitting the London stage in 2009, let’s take a peek at the productions that are running on Broadway:

First up is the multi-Tony-wining version of South Pacific. This classic Rogers and Hammerstein musical has easily been the Broadway breakaway of 2008. With a London crossover due for mid August, South Pacific is almost certainly set to become the big-budget smash of 2009. An absolute storm at the box office and with critics, Show and Stay® predict that South Pacific will be a mega hit in the West End next year… spooky.

Staring into our theatrical tea leaves once again, we also predict that the musical version of The Little Mermaid is going to swim across the Atlantic next year. Based on the Disney film rather than the Hans Christian Anderson story, The Little Mermaid has been a hit with children and families in New York. Maybe not ideal for those looking for an edgy production, anyone who likes the idea of a wee lobster singing “Under the Sea” is bound to have a great time!

Using the internet to divine out the future, we here at Show and Stay® are almost certain that the most exciting Broadway crossover is going to be the new musical version of the film Shrek. Based on the Dreamworks movie about a reclusive green ogre whose heart is melted by a beautiful princess and a wisecracking donkey, the stage version opened last week to rave reviews. Sticking closely to the original plot, the production has a new soundtrack and choreography that is sure to delight children and adults of all ages.

With a fairly meaty budget, and a load of effort crammed into the imaginative costumes, Shrek should be a blockbusting smash in the new year. I suppose we’ll just have to see if this modern fairytale will be taken on by one of the theatres of the West End. Watch this space I suppose!

What do you think? Got any ideas about shows that you’d like to see running in the West End? We’d love to hear what you think!