Glenn Close Will Be the Final King Herod on the West End

Glenn Close Takes on Herod for One Week Only

Glenn Close will be the final performer to play King Herod in the West End revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's *Jesus Christ Superstar*, closing out the show's extended run at Theatre Royal Drury Lane with performances January 4–9, 2027. The three-time Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe winner — whose Tony victories include *Sunset Boulevard*, where she created an iconic Lloyd Webber role as Norma Desmond — joins a production starring TikTok sensation Sam Ryder as Jesus. Producer Michael Harrison says Close will bring the Drury Lane season to 'a triumphant close' after a string of guest Herods.

SourcesPlaybill London Theatre

Why This Casting Is a Talking Point

The surprise is not just a star joining — it is the shape of the production itself. Rather than one Herod, the revival splits the supporting role among nine guest performers, each playing roughly a week. Close follows screen and stage names including Matt Bomer, Rob Brydon, Reece Shearsmith, Bob the Drag Queen, Michael Ball, Simon Russell Beale, Omid Djalili, and Layton Williams.

SourcesTheaterMania West End Best Friend

The Full Herod Calendar at Drury Lane

The corroborated lineup: Matt Bomer plays Herod October 16–31, followed by Rob Brydon (November 2–7), Reece Shearsmith (November 9–14), Bob The Drag Queen (November 16–21), Michael Ball (November 23–December 5), Simon Russell Beale (December 7–12), Omid Djalili (December 14–19), and Layton Williams (December 21–January 2), with Glenn Close closing the season January 4–9, 2027. According to londontheatre.co.uk, tickets start at £28, with an age recommendation of 10 and over.

SourcesTheaterMania London Theatre

From Sold-Out Palladium to Drury Lane

The production completed a sold-out summer run at the London Palladium last month and restarts at Theatre Royal Drury Lane on October 16, running through January 9, 2027. According to londontheatre.co.uk, producer Michael Harrison said the Palladium season had 'not a single empty seat or standing place in the house.' The staging is a new mounting of Tim Sheader and Drew McOnie's 2016 Regent's Park Open Air Theatre production, with design by Tony and Olivier winner Tom Scutt — a version that has also toured the U.S. and U.K.

SourcesPlaybill London Theatre West End Best Friend

A Cast Built for the Passion Story

Sam Ryder leads as Jesus, with Tyrone Huntley as Judas Iscariot six performances a week — TheaterMania reports Matty J appears as an alternate Judas on Thursdays while continuing as Annas. Desmonda Cathabel plays Mary Magdalene, David Thaxton Pontius Pilate, Bob Harms Caiaphas, Eric Lewis Simon, and Phil King Peter, with Matthew Harvey as standby Jesus. The score retains the show's rock-era favorites, from 'I Don't Know How to Love Him' to 'Gethsemane' and the title song, in Lloyd Webber and Rice's 1970s take on the Passion through Judas's eyes.

SourcesPlaybill TheaterMania

What Comes Next for the Revival

After Drury Lane closes on January 9, 2027, the production starring Ryder launches a UK tour beginning February 11, 2027, with further casting still to be announced. The broader West End season also has other developments in motion, including a winter run of *Little Dancer* at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, per broadway.com.

SourcesBroadway Shows West End Best Friend

Sources

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