Stephen Mangan, Ardal O’Hanlon, Sarah Hadland and Janie Dee will star in a new production of The Truth this summer - the acclaimed comedy written by Academy Award-winning and two-time Olivier-nominated playwright Florian Zeller in a translation by Christopher Hampton. Wickedly funny and elegantly crafted, the play will run for a strictly limited 14-weeks from Tuesday, 9 June – Saturday, 12 September 2026. Directed by Lindsay Posner, the production stars Stephen Mangan, Ardal O’Hanlon, Sarah Hadland and Janie Dee. Tickets go on sale at noon on Friday, 27 February at www.TheTruthPlay.com.
The Truth is a wickedly entertaining comedy where trust is fragile, loyalty is negotiable, and everyone has something to hide. This star-driven revival of the Olivier-nominated play peels back the lies we tell the people we love, and the ones we tell ourselves... Gripping, surprising and laugh-out-loud funny, The Truth is a night at the theatre you won't want to miss.
The Truth will star Tony Award-nominated Stephen Mangan (BBC 1 The Split; BBC 2 Episodes ) returning to the London stage, alongside comedy icon Ardal O’Hanlon (Channel 4, Father Ted; Netflix, How To Get To Heaven From Belfast), Sarah Hadland (BBC 1, Miranda; Strictly Come Dancing; ITV, The Job Lot) and double Olivier Award-winner Janie Dee —four of the UK and Ireland’s most beloved stage and screen performers—bringing their formidable comic talents to this sophisticated and fast-paced comedy.
Packed with Zeller’s trademark psychological insight and biting humour, and in a translation by Christopher Hampton, The Truth is a witty exploration of the impact of love, deception and the fragile stories we tell ourselves. This new staging is directed by Lindsay Posner (A View From The Bridge, Theatre Royal Haymarket; Noises Off, Phoenix Theatre) with Set and Costume design by Lizzie Clachan.
Producer Simon Friend says: “The Truth is an ingenious puzzle of a play. What initially appears as a playful comedy about adultery effortlessly evolves into something much deeper, while remaining endlessly entertaining. When Florian's meticulously structured house of cards collapses, you realise that you’ve been in the hands of a writer in complete control of his craft. Florian knows exactly how to pull the rug from under you, as he did repeatedly in The Father film, which was the last project we collaborated on. He does so again here, but there are considerably more laughs this time! Christopher Hampton’s lean and witty translation has enabled us to compile a cast to die for in this exciting return to the West End.”
At the centre of The Truth is Michel, a man who embarks on an affair with his best friend’s wife while attempting to convince himself—and everyone around him—that honesty is overrated. As the web of deception grows increasingly tangled, the audience is left delightfully off-balance and questioning who is deceiving whom.
Florian Zeller is widely regarded as one of the most exciting contemporary dramatists, with international successes including The Father and The Son. The Truth showcases his gift for blending comedy and psychological tension into an evening of theatre that is as uproariously entertaining as it is thought-provoking.
The Truth is produced by Simon Friend and Hanna Osmolska for Melting Pot, the company behind the sold-out 2016 production of Florian Zeller’s play The Height of the Storm at Wyndham’s Theatre. Melting Pot also produced the West End stage productions of The Father at Wyndham’s Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre, as well as its double Oscar and BAFTA-award winning film adaptation starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman.
The Truth is produced by Simon Friend and Hanna Osmolska for Melting Pot in association with Gavin Kalin Productions and Fiery Dragons.
THE TRUTH
Tuesday, 9 June – Saturday, 12 September 2026
Press Night - Wednesday, 24 June 2026 at 7.30pm
