Sean Hayes and Ben Rappaport Reunite for West End Premiere of Good Night, Oscar

Tony Award-Winning Broadway Hit Transfers to the Barbican for Limited Seven-Week Run

Following a critically acclaimed Broadway run, the smash hit play Good Night, Oscar will receive its West End premiere this summer at the Barbican Theatre, opening on 31 July 2025 for a limited seven-week engagement. Sean Hayes will reprise his Tony Award-winning role as Oscar Levant, joined by Ben Rappaport as Jack Paar in a reunion of their celebrated Broadway performances.

Written by Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright and directed by Lisa Peterson, the play explores themes of celebrity, mental health and genius through the lens of a historic late-night television appearance.

A Sharp, Witty Portrait of a Complicated Icon

Set in 1958, Good Night, Oscar centres on Oscar Levant, a brilliant but troubled concert pianist, actor, and humorist. Invited to appear live on The Tonight Show by its host Jack Paar, Levant delivers an interview that shocks and captivates the nation. The play masterfully explores the complexities of artistic genius, personal pain, and public perception.

Sean Hayes’s performance as Levant earned him the 2023 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play, with critics hailing his portrayal as “mesmerising” and “transformative.” Ben Rappaport, currently seen in NBC’s Grosse Pointe Garden Society, returns as Paar, praised on Broadway for balancing charm and sharpness in the role.

New West End Casting Announced

Joining Hayes and Rappaport for the London run are:

• Daniel Adeosun as Alvin Finney

• David Burnett as George Gershwin

• Richard Katz as Bob Sarnoff

• Eric Sirakian as Max Weinbaum

• Max Roll returns as understudy for Oscar Levant and Bob Sarnoff

Understudies include Tashinga Bepete, Ben Butler, Charlotte Hunter, and Ryan Speakman.

Production Team

• Playwright: Doug Wright

• Director: Lisa Peterson

• Producers: Presented in association with the Barbican

The Broadway production earned praise for its incisive writing and deeply moving portrait of a man grappling with his demons in the glare of the spotlight.

With two powerhouse leads returning to their award-winning roles, a compelling true story at its core, and a new cast of acclaimed actors joining the ensemble, Good Night, Oscar promises to be one of the standout theatrical events of the summer. This West End debut offers London audiences a rare chance to experience a Broadway hit with its original stars in a limited engagement at one of the city’s leading venues.