Aldwych Theatre

Shadowlands

William Nicholson’s beloved and moving true story, directed by Rachel Kavanaugh and starring Hugh Bonneville as C.S. Lewis and Maggie Siff as Joy Davidman. Originally produced at Chichester Festival Theatre.

  • Mon - Sat: 7.30pm
    Wed & Sat: 2.30pm

  • 2 hours 20 minutes (including an interval)

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Running Time

2 hours 20 minutes (including an interval)


Age Recommendation

Recommended for ages 12+

Under 5s cannot be admitted to the theatre. Children aged 15 or under must be accompanied by an adult (at least one adult per 10 children). All patrons, regardless of age, must have a valid ticket.


Synopsis

William Nicholson’s beloved and moving true story of Narnia writer C.S. Lewis’s life-changing relationship with American poet Joy Davidman.

BAFTA, Primetime Emmy, and Golden Globe Award-nominated actor Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington, Twenty Twelve) stars as C.S. Lewis alongside acclaimed actor Maggie Siff (Mad Men, Sons of Anarchy, Billions) as the spirited American poet Joy Davidman whose unexpected love transforms the orderly academic life of C.S Lewis – the celebrated author of The Chronicles of Narnia.

What begins as a meeting of minds becomes an uplifting and powerful journey of love and the fragile beauty of life.

Based on a true story, Shadowlands is written by William Nicholson and was adapted from his own original BAFTA Award-winning TV Movie. It soon became a West End smash-hit winning the Evening Standard Award for Best Play, followed by a triumphant Tony Award-winning Broadway transfer.

In 1993 the play was adapted into a major feature film directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger, which subsequently won the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film.

Originally a sell-out production at Chichester Festival Theatre, Rachel Kavanaugh directs this strictly limited engagement from 5 February.

Cast & Creative

Shadowlands 12
Hugh Bonneville

C.S. Lewis

Shadowlands 14
Maggie Siff

Joy Davidman

Shadowlands 12
Hugh Bonneville

C.S. Lewis

Hugh Bonneville’s film credits include Notting Hill, Iris, The Monuments Men, I Came By, as well as the three Downton Abbey and Paddington movies.

His television work includes the BAFTA-winning Twenty TwelveW1A, (BBC) and Robert Crawley in ITV’s global hit, Downton Abbey, for which he received nominations for a Golden Globe and two Emmys, the cast winning three SAG Awards for Outstanding Ensemble. Hugh played the title role in the mini-series Douglas Is Cancelled and appears in The Agency on Paramount+. The second season of The Gold, a six-part BBC drama about a famous gold bullion robbery, recently aired on BBC One, is on BBC iPlayer and aired on PBS in October. He recently completed filming on Twenty Twenty Six for the BBC, the second series of The Agency and The Gentlemen for Netflix.

Hugh’s stage career spans more than three decades and includes seasons with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. His most recent appearances were in Enemy of the People and Shadowlands, at Chichester Festival Theatre, and earlier this year he played the title role in Uncle Vanya for the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Berkeley, California, and in Washington DC.

His memoir, Playing Under the Piano is available in paperback, and his first children’s book, Rory Sparkes and the Elephant in the Room, has just been published by Bloomsbury.

Hugh is a patron of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, The National Youth Arts Trust, Scene & Heard, The Primary Shakespeare Company and the South Downs National Park Trust.

Shadowlands 14
Maggie Siff

Joy Davidman

Maggie Siff recently completed a seven season run starring as ‘Wendy’ on Showtime’s Billions, for which she has received three Satellite Award nominations. She is also known for the FX series Sons of Anarchy (two Critics’ Choice Award nominations,) and for playing ‘Rachel Menken’ on the first season of AMC’s Mad Men (Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.)  Recent films include The Short History of the Long Road, A Woman/A Part, The Sweet Life, The Fifth Wave, One Percent More Humid, and Concussion.

Siff is also an established theater actress, starring most recently in Creditors Off-Broadway at the Minetta Lane theatre, opposite Liev Schreiber and directed by Ian Rickson. She also starred in Breaking the Story at Second Stage, TFANA’s production of Orpheus Descending, Curse of the Starving Class at Signature Theatre, A Lie of the Mind at the New Group (directed by Ethan Hawke) and in Much Ado About Nothing and The Taming of the Shrew at TFANA. She lives in New York.

Show Information

The producers cannot guarantee the appearance of any particular artist at any performance, as this is subject to a variety of factors including illness, holidays, or events beyond the producers’ control. No refunds or exchanges will be offered as a result of an artist’s unavailability to perform at any performance.

Photography, video and sound recordings of any kind are strictly prohibited during the performance.

All tickets include a £2 restoration levy, which goes towards maintaining and restoring our beautiful building.

Opening Times

Bars and facilities open 45 minutes before the performance, with the auditorium normally opening 30 minutes before the show begins.

Please allow extra time before the show for security checks on entry. Performances will start promptly. Anyone who is not seated when the show starts will need to wait until a suitable point in the performance.

Venue Accessibility

We are dedicated to making the experience of all patrons as easy and enjoyable as possible. For full information on venue accessibility, please visit Accessibility.

★★★★★   Tremendous. Bonneville dazzles as C.S. Lewis in this divine revival.

Group Bookings

Please be aware that group seating is limited for each performance, so these rates are subject to availability.

Standard Group 10+
Price Levels 1 (£90/95) and 2 (£75/80) at £60.00
Available 5 Feb – 24 Apr 2026.
Valid Mon-Fri evenings and Wed matinees.

Accelerator Group 10+ (Book and Pay by 5 Feb 2026)
Price Levels 1 (£90/95) and 2 (£75/80) at £55.00
Available 5 Feb – 24 Apr 2026.
Valid Mon-Fri evenings and Wed matinees.

School Group 10+
Price Levels 3 (£60/65) and 4 (£40/45) at £25.00
One free teacher for every 10 tickets purchased
Valid Tue-Thu evenings and Wed matinees.

All group rates are subject to caps and availability.

Theatre Accessibility

We are dedicated to making everyone's visit as easy and enjoyable as possible. Click here for details on accessibility at the Aldwych.

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FAQs

Find answers to commonly asked questions about visiting the Aldwych Theatre.