No longer booking
  • Venue Old Vic, London
  • Performance dates Booking to 23 May 2026
  • Running time 2 hours 40 minutes (including interval)
  • Age guidelines 14+

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at The Old Vic Theatre in London.

★★★★★ “Aaron Pierre is electric as McMurphy” (What’s On Stage)

Don’t miss this thrilling new adaptation of Ken Kesey’s legendary novel, starring Aaron Pierre (Mufasa: The Lion King, Rebel Ridge) as Randle P. McMurphy, Giles Terera (Oh, Mary!, Hamilton) as Dale Harding and Olivia Williams (The Crown) as Nurse Ratched.

Directed by Clint Dyer, this bold reimagining brings fresh urgency to a countercultural classic — exploring power, identity and resistance inside a system built to silence dissent.

Part of The Old Vic’s In The Round season, the theatre transforms into an intimate circular space for a raw, immediate experience that puts you right at the heart of the action.

Expect a raw, immediate experience that lays bare the play’s themes of rebellion, control and freedom in powerful new ways.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest runs from 1 April to 23 May 2026 at The Old Vic, London.

Inside a psychiatric facility, Chief Bromden has been silent for years — confined and maligned by a system that labels, divides and forgets. But he has a story to tell. He’s just been waiting for someone to listen.

Enter Randle P. McMurphy, a gambler and provocateur whose defiance unsettles the ward — and sparks something long dormant in Bromden and his fellow patients. Under the iron rule of Nurse Ratched, they have been stripped of their humanity. Now, McMurphy’s rebellion reminds the patients of their voices — and what it means to be free.

 

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Performance Information

Check booking calendar for full details

Stars and Creatives

Who is in the cast of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?

  • Aaron Pierre as Randle P. McMurphy
  • Giles Terera as Dale Harding
  • Olivia Williams as Nurse Ratched

Completing the full cast are Samson Ajewole as Aide Warren, Kazeem Tosin Amore as Aide Turkle, Arthur Boan as Chief Bromden, Adam Bond as Ensemble, Emma Cater as Ensemble, Ene Frost as Ruckley, Jaz Hutchins as Aide Williams, Shaquille Jack as Ensemble, Daisy Lewis as Candy Starr, Amy Newton as Nurse Flinn/Sandra, Jason Pennycooke as Martini, Javone Prince as Cheswick, Mo Sesay as Scanlon, Matthew Steer as Dr Spivey and Kedar Williams-Stirling as Billy Bibbit.

Who are the creative team of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?

  • A play by Dale Wasserman
  • Based on the novel by Ken Kesey
  • Directed by Clint Dyer
  • Set & Costume Design by Ben Stones
  • Lighting by Chris Davey
  • Sound by Benjamin Grant
  • Movement by Lucie Pankhurst
  • Casting by Heather Basten CDG CSA
  • Associate Director Jade Hackett
  • Associate Wigs, Hair & Make-Up Keisha-Paris Banya
  • Costume Supervisor Maybelle Laye
  • Cultural Consultant Nathan Woodward

Important Notes

Access Performances

  • Audio Described: Mon 11 May, 7.30pm (Touch Tour 5.30pm)
  • Relaxed (also Audio Described, Captioned and BSL Interpreted): Sat 16 May, 2.30pm (Touch Tour 12 noon)
  • Captioned: Fri 15 May, 2.30pm
  • British Sign Language (BSL) Interpreted: Wed 13 May, 7.30pm

Venue Information

Old Vic , Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8NB

Nearest Tube or Train: Waterloo (Jubilee line, Northern line, Bakerloo line)

Nearest Buses: 1, 68, 168, 171, 172, 176, 188, 501

Directions

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Critics' reviews of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

★★★★★ - “Aaron Pierre is electric as McMurphy" What's On Stage

★★★★ - “As Randle P. McMurphy, the wily, self-destructive rebel who breaks every rule in a psychiatric hospital, Pierre — best known for the Netflix action film Rebel Ridge — is utterly persuasive.” The Times

★★★★ - "this fittingly intense, non-conformist production delivers a chilling reminder of the perennial cost of dissent."The Telegraph

★★★★ - “Aaron Pierre makes McMurphy his own with a mighty and deeply moving performance in Clint Dyer’s terrific new staging of Dale Wasserman’s 1963 play at London’s Old Vic.” The Financial Times

★★★★ - “Dyer has created something fresh and provoking" London Theatre

★★★ - “As the anarchic McMurphy, Aaron Pierre gives a storming performance...” The Guardian

★★★ - “Fine performances from Aaron Pierre, Giles Terera and others illuminate Clint Dyer’s relentless revival of this iconic but problematic counter-cultural artefact.” The Standard

★★★ - “Pierre is nimble and charismatic, wringing the comedy from McMurphy’s impish disruption of the medical regime.” The Stage

★★ - “Pierre buzzes with manic energy in the central role of Randle P McMurphy” The Independent

Also see: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Reviews Round-up

Frequently Asked Questions

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is playing at the Old Vic in London
The running time of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is 2 hours 40 minutes (including interval)
The age recommendations for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest are: 14+
Yes, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has matinee performances on the following days: Wednesday, Saturday
No, sorry, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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