Theatre | Sunday 8 November 2026
Patricia Highsmith’s gripping thriller is heading out on the road. Bill Kenwright Ltd has announced that Lewis Cope and Jonny Labey will lead its 2027 UK tour of Strangers on a Train, Craig Warner’s stage adaptation directed by Roxana Silbert. The tour opens at Theatre Royal Windsor on Friday 15 January 2027 and includes plenty of dates within easy reach of London, Surrey and the Home Counties. Here are five reasons to book.
1. A classic thriller made famous by Hitchcock
Strangers on a Train is based on Patricia Highsmith’s celebrated novel, which Alfred Hitchcock famously turned into a film. The premise is deliciously simple: two strangers meet on a train, and one of them, Charles Bruno, has an idea for the perfect crime. Two murders, two strangers, no motive, no connection – and, he believes, no consequences. Guy Haines laughs it off as a joke, but Bruno is deadly serious. As Bruno’s obsession spirals out of control, Guy finds himself caught in a nightmare of guilt, manipulation and fear.
2. Lewis Cope as the chilling Charles Bruno
Lewis Cope takes on Charles Bruno, one of Highsmith’s most chilling and psychologically complex characters. Many viewers will know him as Nicky Milligan in Emmerdale, a role that earned him a Rising Star nomination at the 2023 National Television Awards. He also won plenty of fans on the 2025 series of Strictly Come Dancing, where he and his professional partner Katya Jones reached week eleven. On stage, he has played Leonard Vole in the London production of Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution, so he is no stranger to a courtroom-style thriller. He also played Brahms in the UK tour of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
3. Jonny Labey as the unsuspecting Guy Haines
Opposite him, Jonny Labey plays Guy Haines, the stranger who gets drawn into Bruno’s deadly game. Jonny originated the leading role of Scott Hastings in the West End production of Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom. TV audiences will also recognise him as Rex Gallagher in Hollyoaks and Paul Coker in EastEnders. Pairing two well-known soap faces in such an intense two-hander of a relationship should make for compelling viewing. Further casting is still to be announced.
4. A top-notch creative team
Director Roxana Silbert has an impressive track record, having previously been Artistic Director of Paines Plough, Birmingham Rep and Hampstead Theatre. She is joined by Robert Innes Hopkins on set and costume design, Matt Haskins on lighting and Elizabeth Purnell on sound. David Gilbery, CEO of Bill Kenwright Ltd, says the production has “all the ingredients for a truly thrilling stage production”. With a story that relies so much on tension and atmosphere, the design team will play a big part in keeping audiences on the edge of their seats. It all adds up to a polished night of suspense.
5. Lots of dates near London, Surrey and the Home Counties
Londoners and Home Counties theatregoers are well served by this tour. It opens at Theatre Royal Windsor on 15–16 January and returns there from 25 to 29 May. Richmond Theatre hosts the show from 9 to 13 March, while Surrey audiences can catch it at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford from 11 to 15 May. There are also stops at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre (23–27 March), Oxford Playhouse (27 April – 1 May), Brighton Theatre Royal (6–10 April), the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury (26–30 January) and the Orchard Theatre in Dartford (15–19 June). The full twenty-five date tour runs into the summer, with further dates from September to November still to be announced.
Tickets and info
Strangers on a Train – UK Tour 2027
A play by Craig Warner, based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith, directed by Roxana Silbert
London, Surrey and Home Counties dates:
15 – 16 January: Theatre Royal Windsor
26 – 30 January: Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
9 – 13 March: Richmond Theatre
23 – 27 March: Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
6 – 10 April: Brighton Theatre Royal
27 April – 1 May: Oxford Playhouse
11 – 15 May: Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
25 – 29 May: Theatre Royal Windsor
15 – 19 June: Orchard Theatre, Dartford
The tour also visits Norwich, York, Birmingham, Mold, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Peterborough, Aberdeen, Dublin, Cheltenham, Bradford, Darlington, Cardiff, Liverpool, Truro, Bath, Sheffield and Leicester.