Matt Smith Will Lead World Premiere of THE HUMANS in the West End

Matt Smith will lead the world premiere of The Humans, a new play by multi-award-winning playwright and screenwriter Jack Thorne. Based on the 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.

By arrangement with Len Blavatnik and Danny Cohen, The Humans will run for a strict 13 week engagement at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Previews will begin on 30 October 2027 with opening night on Tuesday 16 November 2027. Tickets will go on general sale from 12pm on Wednesday 11 November 2026 with 15,000 tickets priced at £25 available throughout the run. It will be produced in the West End by Melting Pot and Second Half Productions.

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.”

Matt Smith is known for his unique portrayal of the ‘Doctor’ in the seminal series Doctor Who between 2010-2013, a role that garnered him critical acclaim and a BAFTA nomination.  Matt recently earned his second BAFTA TV Awards Nomination for his acclaimed performance in The Death Of Bunny Munro.

Matt will next star in Embankment Film’s mystery-thriller The Salamander Lives Twice opposite Imogen Poots where he will play a “debonair stranger who washes ashore on a remote island wearing a Rolex and holding a briefcase he can’t open, with no memory of who he is or why he is there.”

Matt has recently wrapped filming Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: Starfighter directed by Shawn Levy, alongside Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth and Amy Adams which is slated for a May 2027 release.  Matt can next be seen reprising his role of Daemon Targaryen in House Of The Dragon S3 which will be released in June 2026.

In October 2025 Matt starred in and executively produced Clerkenwell Films and Sky’s 6-part original series The Death Of Bunny Munro, based on the novel by Nick Cave for which he received BAFTA TV Awards 2026 Nomination for Leading Actor in.  Earlier in 2025, he was seen in Darren Aronofsky’s crime thriller Caught Stealing for Sony alongside Austin Butler and Zoë Kravitz and Bad Bunny.

In 2024 Matt reprised his role as ‘Prince Daemon Targaryen’ in HBO’s hugely successful House Of The Dragon, a role that earned him a Critics Choice Award nomination for ‘Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series’, along with the show winning a Golden Globe for ‘Best Television Series’ following for the first series.  He also co-starred in the supernatural horror film Starve Acre alongside Morfydd Clark, which was released in August 2024.

Before that, he was seen as the villain in Daniel Espinosa’s Morbius (2022), Edgar Wright’s popular horror film Last Night In Soho (2021) with Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie, and John Michael McDonagh’s The Forgiven (2021)with Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain.

The end of 2019 saw Matt return to the stage in Matthew Warchus’ adaptation of Duncan MacMillan’s distinctive love story Lungs at The Old Vic, reuniting with Claire Foy. He also appeared alongside Keira Knightley in real-life spy thriller Official Secrets from Mark Gordon and eOne. Further demonstrating his versatility, Matt was seen as Charles Manson in the independent crime drama Charlie Says with Mary Harron (American Psycho) directing. Matt also appeared in Remi Weekes’ horror film His House, where he starred as a landlord struggling with his haunted, supernatural past.

Summer 2018 saw Matt in the Sony Screen Gems film Patient Zero, directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky and co-starring Natalie Dormer, Clive Standen and Stanley Tucci. Matt also took the lead in biopic Mapplethorpe, opposite Girls’ Zosia Mamet. Matt was seen returning as Prince Philip in series two of the popular Netflix series, The Crown starring alongside Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II and Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret.

Prior to this Matt, returned to the Royal Court – the first time since 2007 – when he starred in Polly Stenham’s That Face Matt starred in the leading role in Anthony Neilson’s play Inreachable. In February 2016 Matt became ‘Mr. Collins’ in Pride And Prejudice Zombies directed by Burr Steers and co-starring Lily James, Lena Headey, and Douglas Booth.

Matt appeared in Lost River in 2015, Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut that was selected to go to Cannes. The tail end of 2013 and then 2014 saw Matt complete a run in the highly acclaimed musical adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho at the Almeida Theatre.

Matt made his theatrical debut at The Royal Court Theatre in FRESH KILLS directed by Wilson Milam, who also directed Matt in the West End production of SWIMMING WITH SHARKS opposite Christian Slater. Matt’s other theatre credits include On The Shore Of The Wide World, Burn, Citizenship, Chatroom, and The History Boys all at The National Theatre.

In 2011, Matt claimed the protagonist role of Christopher Isherwood in (BBC) television film Christopher And His Kind.  Matt also starred as the lead male ‘Thomas’ alongside Eva Green in Benedek Fliegauf’s 2010 film WOMB. Matt performed alongside Jim Broadbent and Timothy Spall in Jimmy McGovern’s critically acclaimed BBC drama The Street.  He also starred in BBC2’s drama Party Animals and then starred in the role of Olympian ‘Burt Bushnell’ in the BBC drama Bert & Dickie.