Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville’s ‘deeply moving’ drama adds Doc Martin actor

The full cast has been announced for the upcoming West End production of William Nicholson’s “deeply moving” play Shadowlands, starring Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville and Mad Men‘s Maggie Siff.

The play, which opens at London’s Aldwych Theatre from Tuesday 5 February, follows the unexpected love story of C.S. Lewis, the celebrated author of The Chronicles of Narnia, and American poet Joy Davidman.

Joining the previously announced leads are Jeff Rawle (Doc Martin, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) as Major W.H. Lewis, Tony Jayawardena (Bend It Like Beckham The Musical) as Rev. Harry Harrington and Timothy Watson (A Man For all Seasons, Murder on the Orient Express) as Professor Christopher Riley.

Rounding out the cast are Rebecca Blackstone, Nigel Fyfe, Jemma Geanaus, Sharan Phull, Leighton Pugh, Fode Simbo, Ernest Stroud and Giles Taylor, while Ayrton English, Nathan Jago and Louis Wilkins will take turns to play Douglas (Joy Davidman’s eight-year-old son).

What to expect from Shadowlands

Directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, the play is penned by William Nicholson and adapted from his BAFTA-winning TV movie of the same name. 

The logline reads: “What begins as a meeting of minds becomes an uplifting and powerful journey of love and the fragile beauty of life.”

Based on a true story, the play follows the relationship between academic C. S. Lewis and American poet Joy Davidman, who first met in Oxford in 1952. The couple married in a civil ceremony at the Oxford Registry Office in 1956, which allowed Joy to secure British citizenship and remain in the country. 

© Manuel Harlan / ArenaPAL

Shortly after their marriage, Joy was diagnosed with cancer. The couple, seeking a Christian marriage, held their ceremony at her hospital bed in 1957. Joy passed away in 1960. 

The play originally debuted at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth on 5 October 1989 and went on to become a West End hit, which was followed by a Tony Award-winning Broadway transfer. In 1993, the play was adapted into a film directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger, which won the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film.

Hugh Bonneville is no stranger to playing real-life figures, having starred as Roald Dahl in the 2021 film, To Olivia, and the Lord Mountbatten in the 2017 romance drama, Viceroy’s House, making him an excellent choice for the role of C. S. Lewis. While the Paddington actor has big shoes to fill, with Anthony Hopkins previously playing the character in the 1993 film, I have no doubt the Emmy and BAFTA-nominated star will win the hearts of audiences in this moving story. But it’s safe to say theatre-goers will need plenty of tissues!

How to watch Shadowlands

The play opens at London’s Aldwych Theatre from Tuesday 5 February. It runs until Saturday 9 May 2026.

© Alamy Stock Photo

Meanwhile, the 1993 film starring Anthony Hopkins, which boasts a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, is available for purchase on Prime Video and Sky Store.