Sacha Baron Cohen to star in Quentin Tarantino’s West End play The Popinjay Cavalier | Scene

Sacha Baron Cohen will headline Quentin Tarantino’s play The Popinjay Cavalier when it premieres in London’s West End in March 2027.

This is the Hollywood director’s first work written for the stage – which he will also direct.

Premiering at the Phoenix Theater in London’s West End on March 18, 2027, tickets go on sale Monday.

Tarantino, 63, who is best known for films including Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, said he was “looking forward to giving the West End a good night”.

A popinjay is defined as “a conceited, stupid, or conceited person”, while a cavalier is a cavalier or courteous gentleman.

Baron Cohen added: “Quentin called, I said yes before he could even say his first ‘bastard’. When the best director in the world calls, you don’t ask questions. I’m more than happy for us to lose our virginity together in the West End. I made him promise not to be nice.”

Set in 1830s Europe, The Popinjay Cavalier was billed as a “rambunctious comedy of deception and disguise inspired by the great swaggering epics of stage and screen.”

It draws inspiration from the classic Old Hollywood swashbuckler genre, including the writings of George Bruce, Ernst Vajda and Jesse Lasky Jr.

Full casting will be announced at a later date.

Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sonia Friedman Productions are producing the play.

Tom Rothman, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group, and Friedman, said: “It is a joy and an honor to develop this play with Quentin – and obviously quite an adventure. How fortunate we are that one of the great storytellers of our time has chosen to make his theatrical debut.”

“Seeing Quentin in action in a rehearsal room is extraordinary. His enjoyment of working with the actors, fencers, acrobats, musicians and our creative team is contagious, and there is such pleasure in hearing his delicious language come to life and discovering what his world can become on stage.

“And now we have Sacha Baron Cohen at the heart of it all: a fearless and brilliantly inventive actor with the wit, playfulness and daring that this role demands. We feel immensely fortunate to produce this show. Audiences are in for a huge treat.”

Tarantino made his directorial debut in 1992 with Reservoir Dogs, before co-writing, directing and starring in Pulp Fiction, which earned him his first Academy Award for Best Screenplay.

He then directed Jackie Brown, Kill Bill Volume 1 and Volume 2, Death Proof, Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.

Throughout his career, he has won two Oscars, two Baftas and four Golden Globes. He has also been nominated for an Emmy and five Grammys.

Meanwhile, Baron Cohen is best known for creating and playing comic book characters including Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev and Brüno Gehard.

The 54-year-old has won two Baftas and three Golden Globes, and has been nominated for three Oscars and six Emmys. He has yet to play a leading role in a major stage production. He trained with French clown guru Philippe Gaulier.

Tarantino first revealed plans to stage a play in 2025, saying on the Church of Tarantino podcast that everything was “fully written.”

“I’m preparing for it to be a success. If it’s a failure, I’ll be done with it very quickly,” he said.

Tickets for The Popinjay Cavalier go on sale Monday from 9am BST for those who have registered for priority access, with public sale starting at 12pm.

Tickets start at £25, with over 16,000 tickets priced under £50 across the entire run.