Matt Smith to star in Jack Thorne adaptation of Matt Haig’s The Humans in the West End

Matt Smith will star in the world premiere of The Humans, a new play by Jack Thorne based on the novel by Matt Haig.

The play follows an extraterrestrial sent to Earth to prevent the perceived threat of human advancement. Taking over the body of Professor Andrew Martin, a Cambridge mathematician, he experiences different aspects of humanity, including its flaws, contradictions and capacity for empathy and compassion.

Directed by Jeremy Herrin, the production will run at the Theatre Royal Haymarket for 13 weeks from 30 October 2027, with opening night on 16 November.

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.”

The production is written by Thorne, whose stage work includes The Motive and the Cue, After Life and A Christmas Carol. His television credits include Adolescence, The Hack, Toxic Town, Best Interests and His Dark Materials. His awards include two Primetime Emmy Awards and six BAFTAs.

Haig’s novels include The Humans, How to Stop Time and The Midnight Library. His non-fiction work includes Reasons to Stay Alive and The Comfort Book, while his children’s books include A Boy Called Christmas, which was adapted into a feature film. His most recent novel, The Life Impossible, was a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller.

Smith added today: “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 full cast and creative team will be announced in due course.

Tickets go on general sale at 12pm on 11 November 2026, with 15,000 tickets priced at £25 available throughout the run. The production is presented by Melting Pot and Second Half Productions.