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Shadowlands London tickets
Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington) reprises his critically acclaimed role in the West End transfer of Shadowlands. Playing a strictly limited run at the Aldwych Theatre, book your official tickets today!
About Shadowlands
Set in the quiet world of 1950s Oxford, Shadowlands follows Oxford don and author C. S. Lewis (Hugh Bonneville) as he opens his heart to a surprising and transformative romance with Gresham, a spirited poet whose wit and honesty challenge his long-held beliefs.
As their friendship blossoms into love, Lewis must confront the very ideas about pain and faith he has written about for years. When Joy is diagnosed with a terminal illness, their bond is tested in ways neither could have imagined. A tender and philosophical exploration of how love can illuminate even life’s darkest moments, Shadowlands is a timeless story that continues to move audiences around the world.
It’s worth the applause
- ★★★★ "Bonneville is loveably bashful" - Daily Mail
- ★★★★ "Bonneville dazzles as CS Lewis in divine revival"- Guardian
- ★★★★ "A quietly mighty play... White beautifully captures Gresham" Evening Standard
- Hugh Bonneville won three Screen Actors Guild Awards for his portrayal of the Earl of Grantham in Downton Abbey. He has also been nominated for two Primetime Emmys, a Golden Globe, and four BAFTAs.
- Shadowlands won Best Play at the Evening Standard Awards in 1990.
Shadowlands cast
- C.S. Lewis - Hugh Bonneville
Shadowlands creatives
- Writer - William Nicholson
- Director - Rachel Kavanaugh
Latest Shadowlands News
News / Celebrities / Casting / New Shows + Transfers
Hugh Bonneville to star in Shadowlands at Aldwych Theatre
Hugh Bonneville is heading back to the West End! The Downton Abbey star will be reprising his critically acclaimed role of C.S. Lewis in Shadowlands when the Chichester Festival Theatre hit transfers to the Aldwych Theatre next year! After a seven year wait, the renowned play will run from 5th February 2026 for a strict 11-week period.
William Nicholson’s play tells the moving love story between Lewis, the Oxford don and creator of The Chronicles of Narnia, and American poet Joy Davidman. It’s a tender, witty and devastating tale of a man of faith whose world is upended by love and grief. At Chichester, audiences and critics were swept away, hailing it “entertaining, funny, deeply touching,” while The Guardian praised Bonneville’s performance as “almost unbearably vivid” in its final scenes.
13 Oct, 2025 | By Sian McBride
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