Tarantino Brings The Popinjay Cavalier To West End With Baron Cohen

Sacha Baron Cohen will star in Quentin Tarantino's first stage play, The Popinjay Cavalier, which will open at London's Phoenix Theatre on 18 March 2027. The West End production is written and directed by Tarantino and is set in 1830s Europe as a comedy of deception and disguise.

The production will begin previews on 23 February and is scheduled to run until 13 June 2027, according to WhatsOnStage. Tickets start at £25, with more than 16,000 tickets available for under £50 across the run.

The play marks a new medium for Tarantino, 63, who is known for films including Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood. The filmmaker has won two Academy Awards for writing Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained, according to the reports.

Tarantino previously revealed his plan to stage a play on the Church of Tarantino podcast, saying the work was completed before production began. He has said he intends to focus on the theatre project after his film career.

"All written" was how Tarantino described the play's status when discussing the project on the Church of Tarantino podcast.

"I'm preparing for it to be a success. If it's a flop, I'll be done very quickly," said Quentin Tarantino, director and writer.

Tarantino described the upcoming production as inspired by classic swashbuckler stories from stage and screen, with influences including the writings of George Bruce, Ernst Vajda and Jesse Lasky Jr.

"I'm keen with anticipation to give the West End a great night out," said Quentin Tarantino, director and writer.

Sacha Baron Cohen, known for creating characters including Borat Sagdiyev, Ali G and Brüno, will take the title role in the production. The actor has not previously had a leading role in a major stage production, according to the reports.

"Quentin called, I said yes before he even got to say his first 'motherfucker'. When the best director in the world calls, you don't ask questions. I am beyond delighted that we will be losing our West End virginity together. I have made him promise not to be gentle," said Sacha Baron Cohen, actor.

The play is being produced by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sonia Friedman Productions. The creative team includes scenic and costume designer Tom Pye, lighting designer Natasha Chivers, sound designer Ian Dickinson and composer Tim Phillips.

"It is a joy and an honour to be developing this play with Quentin – and obviously quite an adventure. How lucky we are that one of the great storytellers of our time has chosen to make his theatrical debut. To see Quentin in action in a rehearsal room is extraordinary.

His delight in working with actors, fencers, acrobats, musicians and our creative team is infectious, and there is such pleasure in hearing his delicious language come alive and discovering what his world can become on stage. And now we have Sacha Baron Cohen at the heart of it all: a fearless, brilliantly inventive actor with the wit, mischief and daring this role demands. We feel immensely fortunate to be producing this show.

Audiences are in for a tremendous treat," said Tom Rothman, chairman and chief executive of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Motion Picture Group, and Sonia Friedman, producer.

The full cast for The Popinjay Cavalier will be announced at a later date, with Baron Cohen currently confirmed as the first major performer attached to the West End production.