A new production of Edward Albee’s classic play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? will run at Soho Place this autumn, featuring Gillian Anderson and Billy Crudup in the lead roles. Directed by Marianne Elliott, this staging promises an intimate in-the-round experience for West End audiences.

The production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? will open at Soho Place from 21 September to 19 December 2026, with a press night scheduled for 30 September. Gillian Anderson will play Martha, and Billy Crudup will take the role of George, supported by Josh Dylan as Nick and Phoebe Horn as Honey.

Set on the campus of an American college, the play centres on the volatile relationship between Martha and George as they invite a younger couple, Nick and Honey, into their home during the early hours. The narrative unfolds through a tense and escalating series of exchanges between the two couples, culminating in a powerful moment of truth.

This West End staging is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions in association with Nica Burns. It will be directed by Marianne Elliott, with design by Miriam Buether and lighting by James Farncombe. Ian Dickinson is responsible for sound design, and Jim Carnahan serves as casting director.

The production will be presented in the round, placing the audience directly inside the intimate and intense environment of George and Martha’s fraught interactions. Sonia Friedman highlighted the play’s continuing relevance, describing it as “raw, ferociously funny and devastating in equal measure.”

The last West End run of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? took place in 2017, featuring Imelda Staunton and Conleth Hill, marking a significant return of this quintessential American classic to London’s theatre scene.

Nica Burns noted that this new staging at Soho Place will offer “a different experience – thrillingly up close and personal – of Albee’s intense play in the intimacy of our in-the-round auditorium,” underscoring the production’s unique approach to this well-known text.