Melting Pot and Second Half Productions have announced the world premiere of The Humans, a new play by multi-award-winning playwright and screenwriter Jack Thorne, which will play at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from 30 October 2027 - 28 January 2028.
Based on the critically acclaimed novel by Matt Haig, the production will be directed by Jeremy Herrin, 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 said: “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 said: “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 said: “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.”
Tickets go on general sale from 12pm today (11 Nov), with further info here.
