Sacha Baron Cohen will star in the first play written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, “The Popinjay Cavalier.”
Described as a “rambunctious comedy of deception and disguise inspired by the grand swashbuckling epics of stage and screen,” the play is set in 1830s Europe and will debut on the Phoenix Theater in London’s West End on March 18, 2027, with previews starting February 23.
Tickets go on sale to the public at 12pm BST on Monday.
“I’m keen with anticipation to give the West End a great night out,” Tarantino said in a statement.
“Quentin called, I said yes before he even got to say his first ‘motherfxxxer,’” Cohen added. “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.”
Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group, and Sonia Friedman said in a joint statement, “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.”
The full creative team joining Tarantino was also announced on Monday, and it includes Scenic and Costume Design by Tom Pye; with Lighting Design by Natasha Chivers; Sound Design by Ian Dickinson; the Fight Director is Philip d’Orleans; the Action Co-ordinator is Sam Lyon-Behan; Music is by Tim Phillips; Casting by Jim Carnahan, CSA; and the Associate Director is Jack Bradfield.
Tarantino’s 10th and final film as a director is yet to come, but he wrote “The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth” which David Fincher directed and Brad Pitt stars in for Netflix. That movie, a continuation of Tarantino’s 9th film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” will hit Imax theaters in November ahead of its streaming debut.
See the poster for “The Popinjay Cavalier” below.
