We're delighted to announce the West End transfer of our acclaimed 2019 Festival season production of Shadowlands. 

BAFTA, Primetime Emmy, and Golden Globe Award-nominated actor Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington, Twenty Twelve) stars as C.S. Lewis alongside acclaimed actor Maggie Siff (Mad Men, Sons of Anarchy, Billions) as the spirited American poet Joy Davidman whose unexpected love transforms the orderly academic life of C.S. Lewis – the celebrated author of The Chronicles of Narnia.

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.

Rachel Kavanaugh directs this strictly limited engagement at London’s Aldwych Theatre from 5 February - 9 May 2026.

Shadowlands is one of the latest CFT productions to transfer to the West End. See them here first - sign up to our mailing list or become a member to be the first to hear about the productions in our Festival and Winter seasons.