About the Show

A poet-soldier ghostwrites love letters to help another man court the woman he loves.

Cyrano de Bergerac follows a brilliant poet, soldier, and philosopher known for his wit and swordsmanship but burdened by insecurity about his appearance. In love with Roxane yet convinced she could never return his feelings, Cyrano agrees to help the handsome but inarticulate Christian win her heart by supplying the words he cannot speak. Through letters and speeches delivered in secret, Cyrano gives voice to a romance that is not truly his own.

This production presents Edmond Rostand’s classic in a co-adaptation by Simon Evans and Debris Stevenson (Poet in Da Corner), blending the original text with contemporary lyricism and spoken word elements. It is directed by Simon Evans (Staged, The Dazzle) and transfers to the West End following a sold-out run with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

The staging retains the story’s duels, romance, and poetic exchanges while reshaping the language and structure through its modern adaptation.

Critic Reviews (6)

"Lester is the best warrior-wooer I've come across since Derek Jacobi brought this same character to the Barbican late in 1983, at the time generating the first standing ovation for a play that I ever saw in London."
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"Eloquence is both celebrated and interrogated here (words get between Roxane and Christian) and there are endless gorgeous lines."
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"Evans has come up with something so distinct that the result isn’t just a version of Cyrano like you have never seen before, it is also theatre like you’ve never seen before."
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"Rarely do rhyming couplets sound as sexy as when coming from Adrian Lester's mouth."
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"Adrian Lester delivers his best performance in donkeys' years as Cyrano, at times playfully camp, other times sardonically steely as the tragic hero."
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"Sharp and modern Cyrano blending humour, heartbreak and contemporary relevance with superb performances and rich, character driven detail."
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