The Humans, a new play by Jack Thorne (Adolescence, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), based on the critically acclaimed novel by Matt Haig (The Midnight Library, Reasons to Stay Alive), will open at the Theatre Royal Haymarket on 30 October 2027. The production will be directed by Jeremy Herrin (Middlemarch, Guess How Much I Love You?) with the full cast and creative team to be announced.

Matt Smith (House of the Dragon, Enemy of the People) stars as the anonymous antihero – an extraterrestrial sent to Earth and tasked with preventing the perceived threat of human advancement. Through the body of Professor Andrew Martin, a Cambridge mathematician, he experiences all facets of humanity – its deepest flaws, inherent contradictions, and overwhelming capacity for empathy and compassion – undergoing a profound transformation in the process. Haig’s darkly funny, philosophical satire is a moving portrayal of the complexity and messiness of human nature and a celebration of what it means to be truly alive.

Matt Smith says:

“I’m thrilled to be reuniting with Jeremy Herrin to bring Matt Haig’s The Humans to the stage for the first time, adapted by the brilliant Jack Thorne. It’s going to be a blast.”

The Humans will run for a strict 13 week engagement at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.