No longer booking
  • Venue Royal Court Theatre, London
  • Performance dates Booking to 29 November 2025
  • Running time 1 hour 45 minutes (no interval)
  • Age guidelines 14+

Get The Unbelievers Tickets – Starring Nicola Walker & Directed by Marianne Elliot at the Royal Court Theatre

A teenager disappears. Time fractures. His mother will never give up hope.

From playwright Nick Payne (Constellations, We Live in Time) comes The Unbelievers, a powerful new play that explores the moments that break us—and the ones that help us heal.

Starring Nicola Walker (Unforgotten, The Split), Ella Lily Hyland (Black Doves) and Paul Higgins (Slow Horses), this startling new play is a portrait of motherhood, faith, family – and the lengths we go to for those we refuse to forget.

Directed by Olivier and Tony Award-winner Marianne Elliott (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Angels in America), with set design by Bunny Christie (Company, People, Places and Things), The Unbelievers premiere at London’s Royal Court Theatre from 10 October to 29 November 2025.

This production is sold out – check for selected returns

‘I love my son. My son is alive.’

A teenager disappears. Time fractures. His mother will never give up hope, in this startling portrait of motherhood, faith, family – and the lengths we go to for those we refuse to forget.

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Performance Information

Check booking calendar for full details

Stars and Creatives

Who is in the cast of The Unbelievers?

Starring Nicola Walker, Paul Higgins, Esh Alladi, Alby Baldwin, Ella Lily Hyland, Harry Kershaw, Martin Marquez, Lucy Thackeray and Isabel Adomakoh Young

Who are the creative team of The Unbelievers?

  • Written by Nick Payne
  • Directed by Marianne Elliott
  • Design by Bunny Christie
  • Lghting design by Jack Knowles
  • Composer and sound designer Nicola T.Chang
  • Movement director Etta Murfitt
  • Casting by Charlotte Sutton CDG
  • Co-produced by the Royal Court & Playful Productions

Important Notes

Content note: Deals with grief and self harm

Access Performances: BSL Interpreted: Tue 4 Nov, 7.30pm; Captioned: Sat 8 Nov, 1.30pm; Audio Described: Sat 15 Nov, 1.30pm with a touch tour at 12pm; Chilled: Sat 29 Nov, 1.30pm 

Post-show talks: Tue 21 October – A conversation with writer Nick Payne. This event is free with a ticket to that evening’s performance.

Venue Information

Royal Court Theatre , Sloane Square, London, SW1W 8AS

Nearest Tube or Train: Sloane Square (Circle Line, District Line)

Nearest Buses: 19, 22, 319, C1, N19, N22, 137, 452

Directions

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Critics' reviews of The Unbelievers

★★★★ "Nicola Walker gives the performance of her career" - TimeOut

★★★★ "Nicola Walker in a performance of blistering potency" - The i Paper

● "A powerhouse performance from Nicola Walker" - Evening Standard

● "Nicola Walker is terrific as a mother in the grip of grief" - The Telegraph

● "Marianne Elliott’s beautifully acted production" - Financial Times

● "Nicola Walker is fiercely compelling in Nick Payne’s elusive new drama" - The Stage

Also see: The Unbelievers Reviews Round-up

Frequently Asked Questions

The Unbelievers is playing at the Royal Court Theatre in London
The running time of The Unbelievers is 1 hour 45 minutes (no interval)
The age recommendations for The Unbelievers are: 14+
Yes, The Unbelievers has matinee performances on the following days: Thursday, Saturday
No, sorry, The Unbelievers has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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