Mischa Barton to star in Double Indemnity UK & Ireland tour

TV star Mischa Barton (The O.C.) is set to make her UK stage debut in a new stage adaptation of Double Indemnity.

Double Indemnity will tour the UK & Ireland, opening at Eastbourne’s Devonshire Park Theatre on 5 February 2026, and then visit Nottingham, Crewe, Richmond, Brighton, Dublin, Southend, Wycombe, Bromley, Manchester, and Cardiff.

The play is running in London at Richmond Theatre from 3 to 7 March 2026.

Written by James M. Cain, Double Indemnity is a darkly compelling tale of murder, deceit, and desire that is widely considered one of the great crime novels of the 20th century.

The book was famously turned into a classic film noir by Billy Wilder, starring Barbara Stanwyck as Phyllis, to be played by Mischa Barton in the stage adaptation.

Further casting will be announced.

Mischa Barton said in a statement: “I am absolutely thrilled to be returning to the stage and making my UK theatre debut in ‘Double Indemnity‘. This classic film noir favourite is a gripping tale of deceit, tension, and suspense and I cannot wait to step into the role of Phyllis and share her with audiences across the UK and Ireland for the first time.”

The show has been adapted for the stage by Tom Holloway, and directed by Oscar Toeman.

Double Indemnity is set in Los Angeles during the 1930s, amidst the wreckage of the Great Depression, and follows Walter Huff, a sharp-eyed insurance salesman who has built his career spotting scams. But when he meets the dangerously seductive Phyllis Nirdlinger (Barton) to discuss her husband’s life insurance policy, he is drawn into a web of lust, greed, and betrayal.

Together, they plot the perfect crime: murder the husband, cash in the policy, and vanish into the Californian sunset. But passion clouds judgment and guilt corrodes even the most perfect of plans. As their conspiracy unravels and mistrust festers, Walter and Phyllis find themselves battling not only the law, but each other.

More about tickets to the Double Indemnity UK & Ireland Tour