The stage adaptation of The Traitors will provide audiences with an experience that the television series cannot offer, according to executive producer Stephen Lambert. Four years after the UK version of the reality show first aired on the BBC, the format has been transformed into a new West End production titled The Traitors – Acts of Betrayal.
A Cycle of Five Plays
The show features a cycle of five brand-new plays written by John Finnemore and directed by Robert Hastie. It is produced by Studio Lambert and Neal Street Productions. Lambert revealed that the idea for a stage show had been developing since the series' initial success. "The TV audience love it so much, and the theatricality of it all with its cloaks and its burning flames made us think there could be a theatrical version," he said.
Challenges and Opportunities
Lambert acknowledged the challenge of adapting the format for the stage. "What can a play do that the television programme can’t do? But John, in his brilliance, came up with an answer: if you can have a number of plays and you can see what happens in different situations and if somebody else is chosen as a traitor." He emphasized that each play is "satisfying in its own right" and offers a "very rounded experience of learning about these fictional characters in a way that’s quite unlike anything I’ve ever seen in the theatre."
Sliding Doors Experience
Lambert explained that while seeing one version provides an enjoyable experience, returning audiences will witness "the kind of sliding doors of seeing the way in which things would have turned out if fate had been different and different people had been chosen." From Monday to Friday, the story begins identically but ends in five different ways. On Saturdays, the audience will decide who wears the cloak.
John Finnemore's Challenge
Finnemore described the project as "the most difficult I’ve ever written," noting it has taken two years so far and will require at least another six months. Each play is "entirely separate and standalone" while providing a "great night at the theatre." He assured that no one will feel they need to see all five to understand one, but returning offers a "360-degree understanding of these characters."
Iconic Moments Replicated
Finnemore and Hastie promised that the stage show will include the iconic moments from the TV series. "You will not be disappointed if you come expecting that some of the iconic moments of the show," Hastie said. Finnemore added, "We don’t want anyone to walk out going, ‘oh, that is a shame they didn’t do that’." The stage show will present The Traitors in a way audiences have never seen before.
Ticket Information
The Traitors – Acts of Betrayal will run at the Gillian Lynne Theatre from May 11, 2027. Tickets are now on sale, starting at £25.
