‘Adolescence’ Writer Jack Thorne Adapts Matt Haig’s ‘The Humans’ for London’s West End With ‘House of the Dragon’ Star Matt Smith

Matt Smith will play an alien inside the body of a Cambridge academic in “The Humans,” a stage adaptation of Matt Haig’s novel by “Adolescence” writer Jack Thorne. The play will have its world premiere in London’s West End next year.

Jeremy Herrin (“Wolf Hall,” “People, Places and Things”) will direct the limited run at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Previews will begin Oct. 30, 2027, opening night is set for Nov. 16, 2027, and the run will close on Jan. 28, 2028. The rest of the cast and the creative team have not yet been revealed.

Smith’s character is never named. He is an extraterrestrial sent to Earth to stop humanity’s progress, which is seen as a threat. He takes over the body of Andrew Martin, a mathematics professor at Cambridge. Living as Martin, he sees humanity at its worst and its best, and he is changed by it.

Melting Pot and Second Half Productions are producing in association with Access Entertainment, Len Blavatnik and Danny Cohen’s company, which owns the Haymarket.

“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,” Thorne said.

Haig said that “The Humans” may be the most personal of his novels, which makes him protective of it. “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,” he said.

Herrin said Thorne saw right away what Haig’s story could do on stage, adding that “in Matt Smith we have a beautifully skilled actor of courage and intensity to deliver a performance that will be unforgettable.”

“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,” Smith added.

Haig’s other novels include “The Midnight Library,” which reached No. 1 on both the Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller lists, and “How to Stop Time.” His nonfiction includes “Reasons to Stay Alive,” and his children’s book “A Boy Called Christmas” was made into a feature film. His work has been translated into more than 50 languages. Thorne’s credits include “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”

Herrin founded Second Half in 2020 with Alan Stacey and Rob O’Rahilly. He previously ran Headlong as artistic director and was deputy artistic director of the Royal Court. Melting Pot was launched by Simon Friend in 2015. Its credits include the stage version of “Life of Pi” and the film “The Father,” which won two Oscars.

Access Entertainment’s film investments include “Conclave” and “The Zone of Interest.” On stage, it has backed Sarah Snook’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” as well as the Royal Shakespeare Company’s “Game of Thrones: The Mad King.” That production is due to transfer to London in 2027, the same year Smith, who stars in “House of the Dragon,” takes the Haymarket stage.