Glenn Close joins Jesus Christ Superstar as the final Herod at Drury Lane

Glenn Close will play Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane for the closing week of the London season, from 4 to 9 January 2027. Find Jesus Christ Superstar tickets on British Theatre.

Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals announced the casting on Tuesday 6 October 2026. Close is the ninth and last guest to take on the role during the Drury Lane run, which opens on Friday 16 October 2026 and ends on Saturday 9 January 2027. She completes a line-up that includes Matt Bomer, Rob Brydon, Michael Ball and Simon Russell Beale, following the Herod line-up we covered in June.

Close is an Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony Award winner. Her screen roles include Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction, the Marquise de Merteuil in Dangerous Liaisons, Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmatians and Patty Hewes in Damages. Her Broadway debut came in Love for Love, and her Tony Awards were for The Real Thing, Death and the Maiden and Sunset Boulevard. In Sunset Boulevard she played Norma Desmond in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical.

Who plays Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar at Drury Lane?

Nine guest performers share the role across the run. In order, they are:

• Matt Bomer: 16 to 31 October 2026
• Rob Brydon: 2 to 7 November 2026
• Reece Shearsmith: 9 to 14 November 2026
• Bob The Drag Queen: 16 to 21 November 2026
• Michael Ball: 23 November to 5 December 2026
• Simon Russell Beale: 7 to 12 December 2026
• Omid Djalili: 14 to 19 December 2026
• Layton Williams: 21 December 2026 to 2 January 2027
• Glenn Close: 4 to 9 January 2027, the final week of the London run

What Michael Harrison and Tim Sheader say

Harrison said: “I am thrilled that we will welcome such an esteemed actor as Glenn Close in the final week that audiences will have to experience Tim Sheader’s spectacular production in London. After a run of magnificent Herods, I am certain Glenn will bring the season at Theatre Royal Drury Lane to a triumphant close, following our London Palladium run where there wasn't a single empty seat or standing place in the house.”

Sheader, who directs, added: “Wow, what a blast to have Glenn Close Superstar in the house for our final week in London. I can’t wait for her artistry and imagination to meet the show.”

Who else is in the cast?

Sam Ryder plays Jesus, with Tyrone Huntley as Judas Iscariot. Matty J plays Annas and is the alternate Judas, taking over as Judas on Thursdays, when Huntley does not perform. Desmonda Cathabel is Mary Magdalene and David Thaxton is Pontius Pilate. Bob Harms plays Caiaphas, Phil King plays Peter and Eric Lewis plays Simon, while Matthew Harvey is the standby for Jesus.

Tim Sheader directs, with choreography by Drew McOnie and design by Tom Scutt. The three reunite 10 years after they created their Olivier Award-winning version of the show at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in 2016. The creative team also includes musical supervisor Tom Deering, lighting designer Lee Curran and sound designer Adam Fisher, and Andrew Lloyd Webber provides the orchestrations.

How long is Jesus Christ Superstar at Drury Lane?

The Drury Lane season lasts 12 weeks, from Friday 16 October 2026 to Saturday 9 January 2027, and follows the show's summer at the London Palladium. Evening performances are Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm, with matinees on Thursdays and Saturdays at 2.30pm, and a gala night is planned for Tuesday 27 October 2026. You can read more in our earlier report on the Drury Lane season.

After London, Sam Ryder leads a UK tour of the show from 11 February 2027.

With lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Lloyd Webber, Jesus Christ Superstar tells the story of the last days of Jesus as seen through the eyes of Judas. Its score includes I Don't Know How to Love Him, Gethsemane and the title song. It began life as an album and opened on Broadway in 1971 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre. The original London run lasted more than eight years and 3,358 performances, making it the longest-running musical in West End history at the time.

See Jesus Christ Superstar dates and tickets.