Sacha Baron Cohen is to star in his first ever West End play – staged by a man he has called “the best director in the world”, Quentin Tarantino.
The production, The Popinjay Cavalier, is set in 1830s Europe and described as a “rambunctious comedy of deception and disguise inspired by the grand swashbuckling epics of stage and screen”.
It will mark Tarantino’s first venture in theatre after a career with the silver screen.
Baron Cohen, 54, recounted his conversation with the director to the Hollywood Reporter: “I said yes before he even got to say his first ‘motherf***er’. 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.”
Tarantino, 63, who lives in Tel Aviv with his wife and two children, first announced his intention to produce a West End show in January 2025 on his podcast, The Church of Tarantino.
Quentin Tarantino revealed plans to produce his first West End play in the Summer of 2025 (Image: Getty Images)Getty Images for Epic Games
“It is absolutely the next thing I'm going to do,” he said. “We'll start the ball rolling on it in January [2026]. It's probably going to take up a year and a half to two years of my life, if it's a success and I've got to do the tour version of it and all that.
“I'm preparing for it to be a success. If it's a flop, I'll be done very quickly.”
For Baron Cohen, it has been a busy year; his new film, Ali G: Who Iz I? is out on October 23.
The full cast for The Popinjay Cavalier is yet to be announced.
It will premiere at the Phoenix Theatre on March 18, 2027, with tickets starting at £25.
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