The hit BBC reality series The Traitors is set to captivate audiences in a new format, with a West End stage adaptation promising an experience the television show "cannot offer", according to executive producer Stephen Lambert.
Four years after the UK version of the psychological reality game first aired, the acclaimed format has been reimagined for the stage. Titled The Traitors – Acts of Betrayal, the production will feature a cycle of five brand new plays, penned by John Finnemore and directed by Robert Hastie.
The show is brought to the stage by Studio Lambert, which produces the TV series, and Neal Street Productions.
Stephen Lambert revealed that the concept for a theatrical adaptation had been "brewing" since the series' initial success.
He noted: "The TV audience love it so much, and the theatricality of it all with its cloaks and its burning flames made us think there could be a theatrical version." The central challenge, Lambert explained, was identifying what a stage production could offer beyond the television format. "It is quite a challenging thing, turning it into a play, because what can a play do that the television programme can’t do?" he mused.
The ingenious solution, devised by Finnemore, involves a series of distinct plays exploring alternative scenarios where different individuals are chosen as traitors.
Lambert highlighted that each play is "satisfying in its own right," but the collection of five offers audiences a "very rounded experience of learning about these fictional characters in a way that’s quite unlike anything I’ve ever seen in the theatre."
While a single viewing promises an enjoyable time, returning audiences will experience a "sliding doors of seeing the way in which things would have turned out if fate had been different and different people had been chosen."
From Monday to Friday, the narrative begins identically but culminates in five different endings, while on Saturdays, the audience will be handed control over who dons the traitor's cloak.
For writer John Finnemore, the project has been an immense undertaking, describing it as "the most difficult I’ve ever written." He added: "I’ve done some tricky things, but this has taken two years so far, and it’s going to take another six months at least." Finnemore emphasised the need for each play to be "entirely separate and standalone" while simultaneously delivering "a great night at the theatre."
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He assured potential viewers: "I don’t want anyone to think, ‘well, that was fine, but I’ll only really understand it when I’ve seen the other four’, but that’s not the case at all." He hopes each play is "a really satisfying play that has also delivered the traitors," with repeat visits offering a "360-degree understanding of these characters."
Both Finnemore and Hastie confirmed they would "draw a bit of a cloak over some of it" to avoid spoilers, but teased that the dramatic elements that made the TV series so compelling would be replicated.
Hastie stated: "You will not be disappointed if you come expecting that some of the iconic moments of the show." Finnemore added: "We don’t want anyone to walk out going, ‘oh, that is a shame they didn’t do that’." They concluded that the stage show would offer audiences a look at The Traitors in a "way they have never seen before."
The Traitors – Acts of Betrayal is scheduled to run at the Gillian Lynne Theatre from 11 May 2027. Tickets are now on sale, with prices starting from £25.
