Cyrano de Bergerac is now open in London’s West End following a critically acclaimed, sold-out run with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Olivier Award-winning actor Adrian Lester stars in the title role in this smash-hit play.
Edmund Rostand’s timeless classic Cyrano de Bergerac is reimagined with exhilarating wit, lyricism and heart at the Noel Coward Theatre, playing until 5 September 2026. Star of stage and screen Adrian Lester (Henry V, The Lehman Trilogy, Riviera, Hustle) plays protagonist Cyrano, with Susannah Fielding (This Time with Alan Partridge, Here We Go, The Merchant of Venice) as Roxane, both reprising their acclaimed roles from the RSC’s Stratford-upon-Avon run.
The production has received a string of five-star reviews, described as “playful, poignant, profound, perfectly pitched” (The Financial Times) and a “must-see production” (The Telegraph). Cyrano de Bergerac is directed by Simon Evans (Staged, The Dazzle) and co-adapted with Debris Stevenson (Poet in Da Corner).
View live availability for Cyrano de Bergerac.
Key dates and venue
Theatre: Noel Coward Theatre, St Martin’s Lane, London, WC2N 4AU
Performances: Booking to 5 September 2026
Tickets: On sale now
What is Cyrano de Bergerac about?
Cyrano is a poet, soldier and philosopher — dazzling with words, fearless with a sword, and secretly in love with Roxane. But haunted by doubt about his appearance, he watches from the shadows as she falls for Christian, a handsome suitor with no gift for language. Cyrano becomes the voice behind another man’s romance, shaping a love story that may ultimately destroy him.
A thrilling tale of longing, pride and disguise – lyrical, modern and heartbreakingly human.
The history of Cyrano de Bergerac
Cyrano de Bergerac is a French play, originally published by Edmond Rostand in 1897. The play dramatises the life of its titular character, a 17th-century novelist and playwright whose nose has plagued his love life. When it premiered, it was seen as a revolt against the prevailing naturalist drama of the time. It has since been translated and performed many times. Its star part as protagonist Cyrano has attracted big name actors including Ralph Richardson, Derek Jacobi, Antony Sher, James McAvoy and now Adrian Lester.
Recent revivals include Martin Crimp’s radical adaptation, starring McAvoy and directed by Jamie Lloyd, at London’s Playhouse Theatre in 2019, winning an Olivier Award for Best Revival. This adaptation returned in 2022, initially to the Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End and then it toured to Glasgow and New York.
The RSC’s production currently playing at the Noel Coward Theatre previously had a critically acclaimed, sold-out 2025 run at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. Adapted and directed by Simon Evans, with co-adaptor Debris Stevenson, this bold new version of Edmond Rostand’s classic romance has been widely praised for its inventiveness, energy and heart. Adrian Lester and Susannah Fielding starred as Cyrano and Roxane and reprise their roles at the Noel Coward Theatre.
Susannah Fielding (Roxane) and Adrian Lester (Cyrano) in Cyrano de Bergerac (Royal Shakespeare Company) at the Noël Coward Theatre. Photo: Marc Brenner.
Who is in Cyrano de Bergerac?
- Cyrano: Adrian Lester (Henry V, The Lehman Trilogy, Riviera, Hustle)
- Roxane: Susannah Fielding (This Time with Alan Partridge, Here We Go, The Merchant of Venice)
- Christian: Levi Brown (Girl Taken, This Town, Payback)
- Edmond: Joseph Christain
- Sister Claire/Madame Jodolet: Sunny Chung
- Le Bret: Philip Cumbus
- Abigail: Greer Dale-Foulkes
- Ann-Sofie: Rachel Dawson
- Jean: Oliver Grant
- Comte de Guiche: Scott Handy
- Jodolet/Carbon: David Mildon
- Valvert/Pierre: Matt Mordak
- Louis: Daniel Norford
- Monfleury/Bernard: Chris Nayak
- Ragueneau: Christian Patterson
- Raphael: Josh Sneesby
- Arnauld: Robert Jackson
- Small Boy: Taiva Hove
- Small Boy: Joshua Maduike
- Small Boy: Elim Mapira
Star of stage and screen Adrian Lester
Adrian Lester reprises his role as protagonist Cyrano at the Noel Coward Theatre – he previously received critical acclaim during the sold-out 2025 run at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. In a string of five-star reviews, The Times said: “Adrian Lester is perfect in this huge-hearted show” and The Stage said: “Adrian Lester is a fiery, magnetic Cyrano“. Lester has extensive theatre, TV and film credits including Henry V, The Lehman Trilogy, Riviera and Hustle. He previously received an Olivier Award for ‘Best Actor in a Musical’ for his role as Robert in the Donmar Warehouse production of the Stephen Sondheim musical Company.
Edmund Rostand: The playwright
Edmond Rostand (1868-1918) was a French dramatist and his plays provided a final example of romantic drama in France before the First World War. His most popular and enduring play is undoubtedly Cyrano de Bergerac, first performed in Paris in 1897, with famous actor Constant Coquelin playing the lead. The play was popular in France, across Europe and in America.
In the play, Cyrano feels that no woman will ever love him because of his enormous nose. Rostand’s stirring and colourful historical play, loosely based on the 17th-century nobleman and writer of the same name, provided a welcome relief from the dramas that emerged from the naturalist and symbolist movements of the time. His other play that gained recognition is the patriotic tragedy L’Aiglon (1900).
Cyrano de Bergerac at the RSC. Photo: Marc Brenner
The creative team
- Playwright: Edmund Rostand
- Adapted by: Simon Evans (Staged, The Dazzle) and Debris Stevenson (Poet in Da Corner)
- Director: Simon Evans
- Set and Costume Designer: Grace Smart
- Lighting Designer: Joshie Harriette
- Composer: Alex Baranowski
- Sound Designer: Donato Wharton
- Movement Director: Sarita Piotrowski
- Fight and Intimacy Director: Bethan Clark
- Casting Director: Matthew Dewsbury CDG
Screen history
Cyrano de Bergerac has had several film adaptations, notable works include:
Cyrano de Bergerac, 1950: José Ferrer won a Tony Award for ‘Best Actor in a Play’ for the major Broadway revival of Cyrano de Bergerac in 1946. He later won an Oscar when he reprised the role in the 1950 film adaptation.
Roxanne, 1987: A contemporary adaptation of the play into an American romantic comedy film called Roxanne, directed by Fred Schepisi and written by and starring Hollywood star Steve Martin as Charlie “C.D” Bales – a fire chief who is insecure about his large nose.
Cyrano de Bergerac, 1990: A French period comedy-drama film directed by Jean-Paul Rappeneau and based on the 1897 play of the same name. The film stars Gérard Depardieu and it was the first feature film version of Rostand’s original play in colour.
Cyrano 2021: In 2019, Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage starred in a production across the pond directed by his wife Erica Schmidt, featuring music from the rock band The National. A film adaptation, directed by Joe Wright, was made in 2021.
Why Cyrano de Bergerac matters
The show’s enduring popularity, spanning more than a century, has not happened by accident and its exhilarating and heartbreakingly human story still has relevance today as it did at its premiere in 1897.
This new adaptation by Simon Evans and Debris Stevenson, with Evans also directing the production, reworks Rostand’s classic with a contemporary energy while preserving the play’s romance and sense of theatrical sweep.
A revival is also a chance to revisit familiar material but with a fresh perspective, appealing to both newcomers to Cyrano de Bergerac and those who have seen past productions, such as Martin Crimp’s radical adaptation, starring McAvoy and directed by Jamie Lloyd, at London’s Playhouse Theatre in 2019.
Adrian Lester as Cyrano. Photo: Marc Brenner
What to expect on the night
Fiercely funny and intensely romantic, Edmond Rostand’s timeless classic is reimagined in a bold new version with a modern-language script. Simon Evans and Debris Stevenson’s acclaimed production blends romance, wit and emotional intensity. The show runs for 2 hours and 45 minutes at the Noel Coward Theatre, including an interval.
The production features live music, haze, loud noises including gunfire and explosions, flashing lights and strobe, strong language, stage fighting, stage blood and death and smoking. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by, and seated next to, a ticketholder who is at least 18 years old.
Is Cyrano de Bergerac worth seeing?
Definitely. This new production of Cyrano de Bergerac at the Noel Coward Theatre, adapted by Simon Evans and Debris Stevenson, had a critically acclaimed, sold-out run in 2025 with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). It received a string of five-star reviews and was hailed a “must-see production” by The Telegraph.
Olivier Award-winning actor Adrian Lester reprises his title role as the protagonist Cyrano and he received rave reviews at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. The Times said: “Adrian Lester is perfect in this huge-hearted show” and The Stage said: “Adrian Lester is a fiery, magnetic Cyrano“.
Combined with the play’s mix of verbal brilliance, romantic tragedy and theatrical scale, this must-see major revival has given a fresh interpretation to a classic drama.
Book tickets to see Cyrano de Bergerac at the Noel Coward Theatre
Plan your visit to Cyrano de Bergerac
Theatre: Noel Coward Theatre, St Martin’s Lane, London, WC2N 4AA
Booking dates: Booking to 5 September 2026
Running time: 2 hours 45 minutes (including interval)
Tickets: On sale now
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