Christine Baranski and Richard E Grant to star in West End Hay Fever at Wyndham’s Theatre
Christine Baranski and Richard E Grant will lead a new West End production of Noël Coward’s Hay Fever at Wyndham’s Theatre. The show marks Baranski’s West End debut and Grant’s return after two decades.
Christine Baranski and Richard E Grant are set to star in Noël Coward’s comedy Hay Fever in the West End, with performances running at Wyndham’s Theatre from 22 September to 12 December 2026. Baranski will play Judith Bliss, a retired actress, while Grant takes on the role of her husband, David Bliss. The production will open with a press night scheduled for 1 October.
This new staging is directed by Emily Burns, known for her work on Measure for Measure. Hay Fever revolves around the chaos that ensues when Judith Bliss invites a young admirer to her country home, only for her husband and children to also bring guests, creating a weekend of pandemonium.
Baranski’s casting marks her first West End appearance, a landmark she described as “a dream come true” reflecting on her first visit to a West End play in 1971 while studying at Juilliard. Meanwhile, Grant returns to the West End stage for the first time in 20 years. Both actors expressed enthusiasm for working together and under Burns’s direction.
Tickets for the production will go on sale at 2pm on 17 April, with further casting and creative team details to be announced. Baranski highlighted the challenge of Coward’s “101-year-old comedy of appalling manners,” which demands “quicksilver delivery and suave flamboyance.”
Grant recalled his 25-year-old guest appearance at Wyndham’s Theatre and expressed excitement at returning to the venue alongside Baranski. He described Hay Fever as a “delicious comedy” and praised Burns as “illustrious,” signalling high expectations for the production.
Hay Fever originally premiered in the West End 101 years ago, making this revival both a celebration of Coward’s enduring appeal and a milestone event for the cast and creative team. The production promises to revisit the play’s legacy with fresh performances by esteemed actors on a London stage.
