Jeff Rawle, Tony Jayawardena and Timothy Watson Join the Cast of SHADOWLANDS

Full casting has been announced for the West End production of William Nicholson's beloved and deeply moving play SHADOWLANDS, directed by Rachel Kavanaugh. which opens at London's Aldwych Theatre with performances from Tuesday 5 February to Saturday 9 May 2026.

As previously announced,  Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington, W1A) will play C.S. Lewis — the celebrated author of The Chronicles of Narnia — whose orderly academic life is upturned and transformed by the unexpected love of American poet Joy Davidman, played by Maggie Siff (Mad Men, Sons of Anarchy, Billions).

They will be joined by Jeff Rawle (Drop the Dead Donkey, Doc Martin, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) as Major W.H. Lewis (Warnie), Tony Jayawardena (Nye at The National Theatre, Bend It Like Beckham The Musical, RSC's The Tempest) as Rev. Harry Harrington, and Timothy Watson (The Archers, A Man For all Seasons, Murder on the Orient Express) as Professor Christopher Riley, with Rebecca Blackstone, Nigel Fyfe, Jemma Geanaus, Sharan Phull, Leighton Pugh, Fode Simbo, Ernest Stroud and Giles Taylor.

Ayrton English, Nathan Jago and Louis Wilkins will alternate the role of Douglas (Joy Davidman's 8-year-old son).

What begins as a meeting of minds becomes an uplifting and powerful journey of love and the fragile beauty of life. 

Based on a true story, SHADOWLANDS is written by William Nicholson and was adapted from his own original BAFTA Award-winning TV Movie. It soon became a West End smash-hit winning the Evening Standard Award for Best Play, followed by a triumphant Tony Award-winning Broadway transfer. In 1993 the play was adapted into a major feature film directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger, which subsequently won the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film.

Jonathan Church Theatre Productions, Trafalgar Theatre Productions and Tilted present SHADOWLANDS by William Nicholson, directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, designed by Peter McKintosh with lighting designs by Howard Harrison, sound designs by Fergus O'Hare and casting by Annelie Powell CDG and Jim Carnahan. Originally produced by Chichester Festival Theatre.