Director Quentin Tarantino has written a play for the first time in his career and will direct it himself on the stage. The production, titled The Popinjay Cavalier, which can be translated as "The Dandy Cavalier," is described as "a raucous comedy of deception and disguise." The action unfolds in Europe in the 1830s.
The creators say the play was inspired by the classic swashbuckling films of old Hollywood. Audiences are promised "a grand tribute to theatre and its sublime romance, told with Tarantino's signature style and unmistakable wit."
The comedy will premiere at the Phoenix Theatre in London's West End. The show will run from 18 March to 13 June 2027, with previews beginning on 23 February. Tickets are already on sale.
The lead role will be played by actor Sacha Baron Cohen, known for the film Borat. The rest of the cast has not yet been announced. According to Cohen, he agreed to take the role without waiting to hear the director out. "When the best director in the world calls, you don't ask questions," he added.
The producers are Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sonia Friedman Productions. Their representatives, Tom Rothman and Sonia Friedman, called working with Tarantino an honour and a joy, noting his engagement in rehearsals with actors, fight choreographers and acrobats.
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