Just Bought A £25 Ticket To See Matt Smith In Jack Thorne's The Humans

Posted in: Pop Culture | Tagged: jack thorne, london, Matt Haig, matt smith, the humans, theatre, west end

Just Bought A £25 Ticket To See Matt Smith In Jack Thorne's The Humans

I've just bought a £25 ticket to see Matt Smith in Jack Thorne's The Humans based on Matt Haig's novel, in London's West End next year

Published Wed, 11 Nov 2026 06:31:11 -0600
by Rich Johnston
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Well, I've just bought my ticket for opening night, front row, up in the gods. If Matt Smith is getting a bald spot, I'll be able to tell (and report). Because, yes, Matt Smith is starring as yet another alien being visiting England in the world premiere of The Humans, a new stage adaptation by one of my favourite modern writers, Jack Thorne, of Adolescence, When Winston Went to War With the Wireless, This Is England, His Dark Materials,, Shameless, The Fades, Lord Of The Flies and Harry Potter, and based on Matt Haig's 2013 novel, which I now won't read because, you know, spoilers, but I did read and love his Midnight Library. Directed by Jeremy Herrin, the production runs for thirteen weeks at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London's West End from the 30th of October 2027 to the 28th of January 2028.

In The Humans, Matt Smith will play the story's nameless extraterrestrial antihero, sent to Earth to stop what his civilisation views as the dangerous threat of human progress. He inhabits the body of Cambridge mathematician Professor Andrew Martin and, living among Martin's family, confronts humanity's contradictions, flaws, capacity for cruelty and unexpected depths of empathy. The novel is described as a darkly comic, philosophical satire on what it means to be human, and Jack Thorne's stage version is described by the producers as poignant and life-affirming.

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."

Jack Thorne says: "I love The Humans; the chance to work on Matt Haig's beautiful book with Jeremy Herrin has been an absolute dream. It is a story, at its heart, about an alien learning the complexity of beauty, and I can't think of a more beautiful alien than Matt Smith."

Matt Haig says: "I am so excited about people seeing this. Of all my novels, The Humans is possibly the most 'me', so I am instinctively protective over it, but I am a massive fan of Jack Thorne, and as soon as I saw his incredible script I knew this was being elevated into something very special indeed. And Matt Smith is the absolutely perfect protagonist for this story. He was almost designed for this role. It looks like people will be surprised in all the right ways."

Jeremy Herrin comments: "I'm thrilled to bring this life-affirming story to the stage. Of course, Jack Thorne immediately identified the theatrical possibilities in Matt Haig's extraordinarily moving and entertaining tale, and in Matt Smith we have a beautifully skilled actor of courage and intensity to deliver a performance that will be unforgettable. I can't wait to work with both Jack and Matt Smith again after their many recent triumphs; and it's a privilege for Second Half Productions to be partnering with Melting Pot in bringing Matt Haig's contemporary classic to eager audiences."

The production is presented by Melting Pot and Second Half Productions, in association with Len Blavatnik and Danny Cohen for Access Entertainment. Full cast and creative team will be announced later. Tickets are on sale now, with 15,000 seats available at £25 throughout the run. Okay, 14,999 now…

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