Alex Kingston and Richard Schiff star in Michael Frayn's COPENHAGEN

Emmie Newitt 5 February, 2026, 10:45

The production will receive its first London staging since its 1998 premiere at the National Theatre next month. It will be directed by Michael Longhurst, who was recently announced to be part of a new staging of Boy George's musical Taboo.

alex kingston copenhagen hampstead theatre Alex Kingston and Richard Schiff. Headshots provided by production.

Inspired by real events that have fascinated historians for decades, Copenhagen will star Alex Kingston (Doctor Who) and Richard Schiff (The West Wing). Further casting is to be announced.

Michael Frayn’s play explores a mysterious wartime meeting between two towering physicists, Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg. In 1941, at the height of the Second World War, Heisenberg travelled to Copenhagen to visit his former mentor and friend, Bohr. Once collaborators in the 1920s, working together to unlock the secrets of the atom, they now found themselves on opposite sides of a divided Europe, with Denmark under German occupation. Their reunion is charged with tension, unease, and unspoken truths, particularly as Heisenberg arrives carrying a troubling secret.

The multi-award-winning drama was hailed ‘The most invigorating and ingenious’ by the New York Times.

The creative team includes designer Joanna Scotcher, lighting designer Neil Austin and casting director Jim Carnahan CSA.

Copenhagen will play at the Hampstead Theatre from 27 March to 2 May.