Once, people went to Bridewell for a swim; now, they come to attend an afternoon or evening of theatrical enjoyment in the City. The pool may be long-gone from this part of Fleet Street, but since 1994 The Bridewell Theatre and its bar have kept visitors more than culturally satisfied. Spring being the season not too far removed from purposeful New Year self-betterment, make April the month your London lifestyle dips a toe in the dramatic and musical arts, too.

1. You Can’t Take It With You (10th to 14th April, 7.30pm to 10pm)

Written by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman in 1936, You Can’t Take It With You (directed here by Nick Mouton) is a “biting comedy” in which “non-conformity” is celebrated with relish. When the “freethinking” Sycamore family’s beloved daughter brings home her ultra Conservative fiancé and his parents, the night goes… rather wrong.

Winner of the 1937 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, You Can’t Take It With You was adapted for the silver screen in 1938, an Oscar-winning film that starred James Stewart. The play was revived on Broadway in 2014, with James Earl Jones and Rose Byrne in leading roles.

Presented by the resident Bridewell company, Sedos, there is also a matinee performance at 2.30pm on Saturday 14th April. Tickets cost between £11.50 and 18.50 and can be purchased here.

2. A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (21st to 25th April, 7.30pm to 10pm)

First opened on Broadway in 1962, this well-known show (written by Steven Sondheim, Burt Shevelove, and Larry Gelbert) has entertained audiences with its “sumptuous melodies and general silliness” ever since. Dubbed an “hysterical farce of a musical”, the action takes place in 200 BC and follows the slave Pseudolus as she attempts to win her freedom by helping her master woo the girl next door. Based on a play by Plautus, this “bawdy story” (here directed by Samuel Wood and presented by the London School of Musical Theatre) is sure to delight on a spring night in the City.

Do note that there is no evening performance on Sunday 22nd April, but matinees are available over that weekend (3pm start). Tickets cost £17 and can be purchased here.

3. Lock Up Your Daughters (30th April to 4th May, 7.30pm to 10pm)

Also presented by the London School of Musical Theatre this month is Bernard Miles’ adaptation of Layrie Johnson and Lionel Bart’s play, based on Henry Fielding’s original political satire. Set in 1730 – a Georgian era London “licentious, corrupt, and brutal” – this musical is a wonderfully dark foray into a “vivid, visceral world” both Hogarthian and Tyburnian. Directed by Erica Gould, this “shocking” piece of musical drama remains poignantly relevant, exploring as it does “such issues as judicial corruption, fake news, misogyny, and sexual harassment”.

There is also a matinee performance at 3pm on Wednesday 2nd May. Tickets cost £17 and can be purchased here.

If, of course, you’ve only time in your lunch hour for some cultural refuelling, you’ll be pleased to hear that Bridewell offers “Lunchbox Theatre” performances, too. With curtain up at 1pm, telephone the Box Office on 020 7353 3331 for further information on these light-bite 45-minute shows.