No longer booking
  • Venue Aldwych Theatre, London
  • Performance dates Booking to 9 May 2026
  • Running time 2 hours 20 minutes (including interval)
  • Age guidelines 12+

Shadowlands completed it’s run at the Aldwych Theatre, London on 9 May 2026.

Experience the moving love story of C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman in William Nicholson’s acclaimed play Shadowlands at the Aldwych Theatre in London.

BAFTA, Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington, Twenty Twelve) stars as C.S. Lewis, the celebrated author of The Chronicles of Narnia. His orderly academic life at Oxford is turned upside down by the arrival of Joy Davidman, a spirited American poet played by acclaimed actress Maggie Siff (Mad Men, Sons of Anarchy, Billions).

What begins as a meeting of minds becomes a deeply moving story of love, loss, and the fragile beauty of life.

Based on a true story, Shadowlands is written by William Nicholson and adapted from his own BAFTA Award-winning television film. The play was a West End hit, winning the Evening Standard Award for Best Play, and went on to a Tony Award-winning Broadway run. In 1993, it was adapted into a major feature film directed by Richard Attenborough, starring Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger, which won the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film.

What is Shadowlands about?

Shadowlands is a story of courage, faith, and transformation. When Joy and her young son enter Lewis’s ordered world, they upend his belief system — teaching him that love, though fleeting, is the greatest teacher of all.

Poignant, witty, and beautifully observed, this play reminds us that even the most rational minds can be undone by the simplest truth: to love is to risk heartbreak.

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Performance Information

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Stars and Creatives

Maggie Siff
Maggie Siff

Who is in the cast of Shadowlands?

Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington, Twenty Twelve) as C.S. Lewis and Maggie Siff (Mad Men, Sons of Anarchy, Billions) as Joy Davidman

Also stars Jeff Rawle (Drop the Dead Donkey, Harry Potter) as Major W.H. Lewis (Warnie); Tony Jayawardena (Nye, Bend It Like Beckham The Musical) as Rev. Harry Harrington; and Timothy Watson (The Archers, A Man For All Seasons) as Professor Christopher Riley

With Rebecca Blackstone, Nigel Fyfe, Jemma Geanaus, Sharan Phull, Leighton Pugh, Fode Simbo, Ernest Stroud, and Giles Taylor; and the role of Douglas, Joy Davidman’s 8-year-old son, is shared by Ayrton English, Nathan Jago and Louis Wilkins

Who are the creative team of Shadowlands?

  • Written by William Nicholson
  • Directed by Rachel Kavanaugh
  • Design by Peter McKintosh
  • Lighting design by Howard Harrison
  • sound design by Fergus O’Hare
  • Casting by Annelie Powell CDG and Jim Carnahan
  • Originally produced by Chichester Festival Theatre

Venue Information

Aldwych Theatre , 49 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4DF

Nearest Tube or Train: Covent Garden (Piccadilly line)

Nearest Buses: 1, 4, 11, 13, 15, 68, 98

Directions

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Critics' reviews of Shadowlands

★★★★★ “A theatrical triumph” The i

★★★★ “Hugh Bonneville is devastating as CS Lewis” The Telegraph

★★★★ “Hugh Bonneville deserves his ovations... Kavanaugh’s production is suave and ungimmicky” The Times

★★★★ “Thoughtful wit and, astonishingly... spectacle” Daily Mail

★★★★ “Hugh Bonneville in Shadowlands will truly move you” The i Paper

★★★★ “A haunting production” Sunday Times

★★★★ “Bonneville dazzles as CS Lewis in divine revival” Guardian

★★★★ “A quietly mighty play... White beautifully captures Gresham” The Standard

★★★★ “Entertaining, funny, deeply touching” What's On Stage

Also see: Shadowlands Reviews Round-up

Frequently Asked Questions

Shadowlands is playing at the Aldwych Theatre in London
The running time of Shadowlands is 2 hours 20 minutes (including interval)
The age recommendations for Shadowlands are: 12+
Yes, Shadowlands has matinee performances on the following days: Wednesday, Saturday
No, sorry, Shadowlands has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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