The Old Vic has announced a new semi-staged production of Martin Guerre, running from 1 to 31 October 2026, featuring revamped music and lyrics from the creators of Les Misérables.

Martin Guerre, the musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, will return to London this autumn with a limited five-week run at the Old Vic. The production, directed by Matthew Warchus, will be presented in-the-round from 1 to 31 October 2026, with a press night on 20 October.

Set in 16th-century rural France, Martin Guerre follows the story of Bertrande, a young peasant woman whose husband abandons their village. Years later, a man claiming to be Martin returns, presenting a kinder and more loving version of the man she once knew.

Originally premiering in 1996 at the Prince Edward Theatre, the musical underwent multiple revisions over the years. This new iteration will introduce fresh music, lyrics, and folk-inflected orchestrations to reimagine the story’s soundscape.

New lyrics have been penned by Alain Boublil alongside Annabel Mutale Reed and Paul Hodge, complementing existing lyrics by Boublil and Stephen Clark. The production also draws from original French lyrics by Boublil, with Hodge contributing additional material.

Matthew Warchus is spearheading the development and direction of this revised production, accompanied by a creative team including Rob Howell on set and costume design, Lizzi Gee as choreographer, and Hugh Vanstone handling lighting design alongside Luca Panetta and Toby Ison. The sound designer is Fergus O’Hare.

Musical supervision is led by Chris Poon, orchestrations are by Tom Curran, and casting—yet to be announced—is managed by Will Burton for Grindrod Burton Casting. Tickets for Old Vic members went on sale at midday 16 July and will be available to the general public from midday 17 July.