Quentin Tarantino’s first stage play, “The Popinjay Cavalier,” will open at London’s Phoenix Theatre on March 18, with Sacha Baron Cohen making his professional stage debut in the title role.
Producers confirmed the casting on Oct. 12, a month after it leaked. Previews begin Feb. 23, and the production is booking through June 13, 2027. Tickets start at £25, with over 16,000 seats priced under £50 across the run. Sales opened the same day.
Tarantino writes and directs the comedy, set in 1830s Europe. Producers call it a rambunctious tale of deception and disguise that draws on the swashbuckling films and plays of old Hollywood, including the work of writers George Bruce, Ernst Vajda and Jesse Lasky Jr. Sonia Friedman Productions, the company behind “Paddington: The Musical,” and Sony Pictures Entertainment present it.
Tarantino said he wants “to give the West End a great night out.” Baron Cohen, best known for Ali G and Borat, said Tarantino called and he agreed at once. He added that he made the director promise “not to be gentle.”
Tarantino has assembled a team of stage veterans. Tom Pye designs sets and costumes, Natasha Chivers handles lighting, and Ian Dickinson sound. Tim Phillips composes. Philip d’Orleans and Sam Lyon-Behan direct the fights and action, and Jim Carnahan casts. The emphasis on swordplay and spectacle suggests a physical production.
The long preview period drew comment from one London theatre writer, who suggested it points either to a technically demanding show or to a first-time stage director set on getting it right. The plot remains largely under wraps.
Tarantino is no stranger to the stage as a performer. He appeared on Broadway in 1995 in a revival of “Wait Until Dark.” Baron Cohen’s screen profile is high. He returns as Ali G in “Ali G: Who Iz I?,” which opens Oct. 23, after a run of streaming comedy hits.
No transfer to Broadway or international tour has been announced. The Phoenix run is the only confirmed staging.
