Cohen

QUENTIN Tarantino is swapping the big screen for the stage with his first West End play.

The Popinjay Cavalier is written and directed by the Pulp Fiction filmmaker, with Sacha Baron Cohen taking on the leading role.

And theatre fans don’t have long to wait to get their hands on tickets. Here’s everything you need to know.

What time do The Popinjay Cavalier tickets go on sale?

Tickets for The Popinjay Cavalier go on general sale at 12pm on Monday, October 12, 2026.

Fans who previously signed up for priority access can buy tickets earlier, with that sale opening at 9am.

Tickets can be bought through the production’s official website at popinjayplay.com.

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Prices start at £25, while more than 16,000 tickets across the run will cost less than £50.

The show is booking until June 13, 2027.

Demand is likely to be high given Quentin Tarantino’s huge film following and Sacha Baron Cohen’s first major leading role on a West End stage.

Anyone hoping to go should have the official ticket page ready before the sale opens.

When is The Popinjay Cavalier on in London?

The Popinjay Cavalier begins previews at the Phoenix Theatre in London’s West End on February 23, 2027, while its official opening night is on March 18.

At the time of writing, the limited run is booking until June 13, 2027.

Situated on Charing Cross Road, The Phoenix Theatre is currently home to Stranger Things: The First Shadow.

Further casting for Tarantino’s production is still to be announced.

What is The Popinjay Cavalier about?

The play is set in Europe during the 1830s and has been billed as a swashbuckling comedy about deception and disguise.

It follows actor Rupert Sebastian Thomas Jr as he travels to Paris to perform at the Comedie-Francaise.

But after making some badly chosen comments about the French, his journey across the Channel takes a much more dangerous turn.

The production promises sword fights, acrobatics and adventure, drawing inspiration from classic Hollywood swashbucklers.

Tarantino said he was “keen with anticipation to give the West End a great night out.”

Who is starring in The Popinjay Cavalier?

Sacha Baron Cohen is set to play the title role, Rupert Sebastian Thomas Jr.

He is best known for creating characters including Ali G, Borat and Bruno, as well as appearing in films including The Dictator and Les Miserables.

The British comedian and actor said: “Quentin called, I said yes before he even got to say his first ‘motherf***er’.

“When the best director in the world calls, you don’t ask questions.

“I am beyond delighted that we will be losing our West End virginity together. I have made him promise not to be gentle.”

The pair have almost worked together before.

Tarantino cast Sacha Baron Cohen in his 2012 Western Django Unchained, but the actor ultimately pulled out to appear in Les Miserables.

The Popinjay Cavalier is being produced by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sonia Friedman Productions.

Tarantino first revealed in 2025 that he had completed a play and intended to make theatre his next major project.

Now audiences will finally get to see what his unmistakable style looks like live on a West End stage.

As a candidate in 2022, Cohen said she’d conduct audits of homeless spending, the Department of Motor Vehicles and Employment Development Department if elected. However, her office didn’t do audits of homeless spending, a spokesperson said.

Cohen said her office sought funding from the governor and the state to conduct homeless audits but was denied. Her office clarified the request was for money for high-risk audit investments but didn’t specifically mention homelessness.

Cohen also acknowledged that she didn’t conduct reviews of the DMV and EDD, because, she said, other agencies were doing those audits and she didn’t want to duplicate their efforts.

After Cohen’s election, her office found itself in a public dispute over the state’s annual comprehensive financial report, a summary of California’s spending.

The report, published each year by the controller’s office, is used by credit agencies to monitor the state’s fiscal health and for years has been published months after it is due. Cohen blames other departments’ delays in turning over data as part of the reason for its chronic lateness.

The state auditor, a separate agency that reports to the state Legislature, launched its own audit about the timeliness of the report. In a 2025 letter, the auditor accused the controller’s office of spending more than a year “resisting an independent review” of the delayed report, which almost led to a legal showdown between the agencies.

Cohen, in an interview this year, said she succeeded in getting the report published closer to its due date. Her office also disputes the state auditor’s version of events.

Also this year, Cohen’s press officer secretly was recorded by a woman who pretended to be on a date with him. In the recording, the officer is heard saying that the office’s auditing team was cut by the state and that the office doesn’t have the resources to proactively perform audits. The recording was procured by conservative activist group O’Keefe Media.

Cohen called the recording illegal and declined to comment. The officer didn’t respond to The Times’ request for comment.