First images released for JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN

Shehrazade Zafar-Arif 20 March, 2026, 13:32

First look images have been released for the UK premiere of the Broadway sensation, John Proctor is the Villain, opening at the Royal Court Theatre as the third production in its 70th anniversary season.

The cast of JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN. Image provided by production.

Written by Kimberly Belflower and directed by Tony Award-winner Danya Taymor (The Outsiders), the seven-time Tony Award-nominated John Proctor is the Villain arrives in the UK from a sold-out, critically acclaimed run on Broadway as one of the most anticipated transfers of the year.

In this revisionist take on Arthur Miller's The Crucible, five young women set out to shed light on the darkest secrets of their small town. Set in rural Georgia, a group of high school students are assigned to study The Crucible, whose protagonist John Proctor was convicted of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. As their class debates the play's themes of power, gender inequality, and female sexuality, they juggle the ups and downs of forming a feminist club, a father being accused of sexual harassment, and an illicit student/teacher relationship.

The UK cast includes Lauryn Ajufo (Nell Shaw); Charlie Borg (Lee Turner); Reece Braddock (Mason Adams); Dónal Finn (Carter Smith); Holly Howden Gilchrist (Beth Powell); Clare Hughes (Ivy Watkins); Miya James (Raelynn Nix); Molly McFadden (Bailey Gallagher); and Sadie Soverall (Shelby Holcomb).

John Proctor is the Villain will play at the Royal Court from Friday 20 March to Saturday 25 April 2026, with a Press Night on Thursday 26 March 2026.