The Broadway hit is coming to London!
The acclaimed Broadway hit John Proctor Is the Villain is heading to London for its long-awaited UK premiere at the Royal Court Theatre in spring 2026. Written by Kimberly Belflower and directed by Tony Award-winner Danya Taymor, the production will run from 20 March to 25 April 2026.
The play offers a bold, contemporary reimagining of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, set in a modern-day American high school. Against the backdrop of an English class dissecting Miller’s text, a group of students and their teacher find themselves confronting uncomfortable questions about power, morality, and who controls the narrative. As debate sparks over whether John Proctor should be remembered as a tragic hero or a man who abused his position, tensions escalate both inside and outside the classroom.
The premiere at the Royal Court holds a special resonance: The Crucible itself had its London debut at the very same theatre in 1956. Seventy years later, Belflower’s play returns to the venue where Miller’s masterpiece first captivated British audiences, this time challenging its legacy for a new generation.
After premiering at Washington D.C.’s Studio Theatre in 2022, the play went on to a celebrated Broadway run in 2025, featuring Stranger Things star Sadie Sink as Shelby Holcomb. For the London production, a new UK cast will bring Belflower’s sharp and emotionally charged story to life.
Taymor and Belflower said: “We are thrilled and honored to bring John Proctor is the Villain to the iconic Royal Court Theatre where so many brilliant and audacious artists have created. It feels like special witchcraft that Arthur Miller’s The Crucible also made its English debut at the Royal Court exactly 70 years ago, and we can’t wait to present our production on the very same stage.”
With its fierce dialogue and timely themes, John Proctor Is the Villain promises to be one of the standout London theatre events of 2026- a thought-provoking and unflinching reflection on history, identity, and accountability.
Read the full Royal Court Season announcement here.
photo credit: Guy J Sanders
.png)
Comments