Matt Smith Takes On Alien Role in West End Adaptation of 'The Humans'

Matt Smith is heading to London's West End next year to play an extraterrestrial trapped in a human body—specifically, a Cambridge professor. The stage adaptation of Matt Haig's sci-fi novel "The Humans" comes from Jack Thorne, the writer behind "Adolescence," with Jeremy Herrin ("Wolf Hall," "People, Places and Things") directing.

It's an interesting pivot for Smith. After spending years in Westeros and the broader Game of Thrones universe, he's diving into something completely different—a limited run that'll give audiences a closer look at how this kind of body-swap premise plays out when you strip away the screen and put it in front of a live crowd.

Thorne's known for writing plays that dig into the human experience with some bite. Pairing that sensibility with a premise about an alien observing humanity? Could be sharp. Could be messy. Either way, Smith's got the chops to handle both the absurdist humor and whatever emotional weight comes with the territory.

This is the kind of casting that makes you curious. West End audiences should keep an eye on this one.

Read the full story at Variety → https://variety.com/2026/theater/news/adolescence-writer-the-humans-house-of-the-dragon-matt-smith-1236944987/