Alongside Stephen Mangan, Sarah Hadland and Janie Dee,

Ardal O’Hanlon, Stephen Mangan and Sarah Hadland are to star in a new West End production of a comedy about adultery, it has been announced.

The Truth, written by French playwright Florian Zeller and translated by Christopher Hampton, will run at the Apollo Shaftesbury Avenue for 14 weeks from June 9 to September 12, 2026.

Stand-up O'Hanlon, best known for playing the hapless Father Dougal in Father Ted, will appear alongside Hadland, who found a large following as Miranda Hart's best friend in the BBC sitcom Miranda and  Mangan, whose credits include The Split and Episodes. The cast is completed by stage actor Janie Dee, a two-time Olivier award winner.

The play centres on a man named Michel who begins an affair with his best friend's wife while trying to convince himself — and those around him — that honesty is overrated. As his deceptions multiply, the audience is left questioning who is deceiving whom.

Zeller, who won an Academy Award for his screenplay for the film The Father, starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, is known for blending psychological tension with dark comedy. The Truth follows a similar path, using an apparently light-hearted story about infidelity to explore deeper questions about trust and self-deception.

The production is directed by Lindsay Posner, whose previous West End credits include A View From The Bridge at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and Noises Off at the Phoenix Theatre. 

Producer Simon Friend said: 'The Truth is an ingenious puzzle of a play. What initially appears as a playful comedy about adultery effortlessly evolves into something much deeper, while remaining endlessly entertaining. 

‘When Florian's meticulously structured house of cards collapses, you realise that you've been in the hands of a writer in complete control of his craft. Florian knows exactly how to pull the rug from under you, as he did repeatedly in The Father film, which was the last project we collaborated on. He does so again here, but there are considerably more laughs this time! 

Christopher Hampton's lean and witty translation has enabled us to compile a cast to die for in this exciting return to the West End.

Published: 27 Feb 2026