The Old Vic
103 The Cut, South Bank, London SE1 8NB
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- TBC
- The Old Vic
play
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST is playing at The Old Vic for a limited run next spring.
‘It’s society’s way of dealing with someone different’
Inside a psychiatric facility, Chief Bromden has been silent for years — confined and maligned by a system that labels, divides and forgets. But he has a story to tell. He’s just been waiting for someone to listen.
Enter Randle P. McMurphy, a gambler and provocateur whose defiance unsettles the ward — and sparks something long dormant in Bromden and his fellow patients. Under the iron rule of Nurse Ratched, they have been stripped of their humanity. Now, McMurphy’s rebellion reminds the patients of their voices — and what it means to be free.
Based on Ken Kesey’s countercultural masterpiece, Clint Dyer directs a bold new staging of ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST that reignites the spirit of the original novel, starring Aaron Pierre (Mufasa: The Lion King, Goat, Star Wars: Starfighter) and Giles Terera (Hamilton — Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical, Dr. Strangelove, Rosmersholm, The Book of Mormon, The Tempest, Avenue Q on West End). A searing exploration of colonialism and the social structures built to silence dissent, this production invites audiences to experience the story in a powerful new light.
Bird & Bird is the proud Production Sponsor of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Production supported by The Huo Family Foundation and The Public Fund
Book your ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST theatre tickets with LOVEtheatre today!
The novel, written by Ken Kesey, is set in a mental institution and explores themes of individuality, freedom, and institutional control. The story is narrated by Chief Bromden, a long-term patient who pretends to be deaf and mute. The arrival of Randle P. McMurphy, a rebellious and charismatic man who fakes insanity to avoid prison, disrupts the oppressive routine enforced by Nurse Ratched, the authoritarian head nurse. McMurphy challenges her control, inspiring other patients to assert themselves and reclaim their sense of identity. The power struggle between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched escalates, leading to tragic consequences that highlight the cost of resistance against dehumanizing systems.
Tickets are currently available for performances from 1 April – 23 May 2026.
Age recommendation: 14+
TBC
Aaron Pierre (Randle P. McMurphy), Giles Terera (Dale Harding).
Dale Wasserman (Playwright), Ken Kesey (Novel), Clint Dyer (Director), Ben Stones (Set & Costume), Chris Davey (Lighting), Benjamin Grant (Sound), Lucie Pankhurst (Movement), Heather Basten CDG CSA (Casting), Jade Hackett (Associate Director), Keisha-Paris Banya (Associate Wigs, Hair & Make-Up), Maybelle Laye (Costume Supervisor), Nathan Woodward (Cultural Consultant).