Everything you need to know about 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest'

The extraordinary tale, which was immortalised in the Oscar-winning film, comes to the Old Vic in a powerful new production.

Summary

• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is coming to the Old Vic
• The play has been staged on Broadway and in the West End
• The story was also adapted into an Oscar-winning novel
• The Old Vic cast includes Olivia Williams and Giles Terera

In a major theatre event, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is hitting the stage in a bold new production. Ken Kasey’s extraordinary countercultural novel set in a psychiatric facility was immortalised in the 1975 Oscar-winning movie, starring Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher, and now the theatrical adaptation comes to London’s Old Vic.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is directed by Clint Dyer and stars Giles Terera, Aaron Pierre, and Olivia Williams. Ahead of your trip to this must-see show, learn all about the work’s history, the landmark film, and what to expect from this powerful new production.

Book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

What is One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest about?

Set in Oregon in 1963, the story begins with convict Randle McMurphy being transferred from prison to a psychiatric institution, where he believes he’ll have an easier time. However the place is ruled by the icy, manipulative Nurse Ratched, who immediately suspects that the rebellious McMurphy could undermine her authority, and so begins a battle between them.

McMurphy’s swaggering escapades include hijacking a bus to pick up his girlfriend, and stealing a fishing boat with the other patients. But he learns that his sentence term doesn’t apply in the institution, meaning he could be kept there forever, and that several of the others have committed themselves voluntarily but feel unable to leave. McMurphy is then subjected to electroconvulsive therapy.

McMurphy hatches an escape plan but it goes awry, leading to a violent confrontation with Nurse Ratched, and a horrifying end to this unforgettable tale.

Who wrote One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?

Ken Kesey wrote the explosive original novel in 1962, and it was adapted for stage by Dale Wasserman in 1963. The original Broadway production starred Kirk Douglas as McMurphy, Gene Wilder as fellow patient Billy, and Joan Tetzel as Nurse Ratched. Wasserman’s other work includes the Tony-winning musical Man of La Mancha, for which he wrote the book.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest then became an acclaimed movie in 1975 starring Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher, with a screenplay by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman, and direction by Miloš Forman.

When was One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest first performed?

The play had its Broadway premiere in 1963. Productions since then include a revival Off Broadway in 1971, starring Danny DeVito as McMurphy, at the Royal Exchange in Manchester in 1982, led by Jonathan Hackett, Linda Marlowe and Tim McInnerny, and a Broadway revival in 2002, starring Gary Sinise and Amy Morton.

The play was staged at the Gielgud Theatre in the West End in 2004, led by Christian Slater, Frances Barber and Mackenzie Crook. There was also an immersive version of the play mounted in Los Angeles in 2018.

What awards has One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest won?

The stage adaptation of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has won several awards, including a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play for the 2001 revival.

The movie version is one of very few films to ever win all five major Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor (for Nicholson), Best Actress (for Fletcher), Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Who are the characters in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?

The characters in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest include:

• Randle McMurphy: the free-spirited rebel who causes chaos in the psychiatric institution by challenging Nurse Ratched’s authority
• Nurse Ratched: the tyrannical head nurse who rules absolutely through a combination of shame, manipulation and fear Chief Bromden: a Native American patient who joins forces with McMurphy Billy Bibbit: an anxious patient who sometimes regresses into a childlike state Dale Harding: the patients’ unofficial leader (until McMurphy arrives) and a repressed gay man Charlie Cheswick: an outspoken and volatile patient Candy: McMurphy’s girlfriend who is smuggled into the institution

Where is One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest playing?

The show is playing at the Old Vic on The Cut, on London’s South Bank. The theatre has a seating capacity of 1, 067.

When is One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest playing?

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is booking from April 1 to May 23 2026. Performances take place from Monday to Saturday at 7:30pm, with matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:30pm.

How long is One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?

The running time of the show is 2 hours and 40 minutes, including a 20-minute interval.

Who is in the cast of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest stars Aaron Pierre as McMurphy, Olivia Williams as Nurse Ratched, and Giles Terera as Dale Harding. Terera won an Olivier Award as the original West End Aaron Burr in Hamilton, and his other work includes Othello at the National Theatre, Clyde’s at the Donmar Warehouse, and Oh, Mary! in the West End.

Pierre’s work includes movies Rebel Ridge, Mufasa: The Lion King and the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter, The Underground Railroad, Genius and The Morning Show on TV, and, on stage, Othello and King Hedley II. Olivia Williams’s diverse projects range from movies The Sixth Sense and The Ghost Writer to TV series The Crown and Dune: Prophecy, and stage productions such as Waste and Tartuffe at the National Theatre.

Who is in the creative team of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is directed by Clint Dyer, the former deputy artistic director of the National Theatre. His work includes the Death of England plays, TV series Mr Loverman, and Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical in the West End.

The show also has set and costume design by Ben Stones (Operation Mincemeat, Standing at the Sky’s Edge), lighting by Chris Davey (Touching the Void, Death of England), and sound by Benjamin Grant (Machinal, Othello).

What are some fun facts about One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?

• Ken Kesey wrote his novel as a critique of contemporary psychiatric processes and modes of oppression, and in defence of the individual. He had actually worked as an orderly at a mental health facility.

• Kirk Douglas bought the rights to adapt the novel for stage and film. He originally intended to play McMurphy on screen as well, but subsequent delays meant he was too old to reprise the role. His son Michael ultimately co-produced the movie, and Jack Nicholson took on the indelible role of McMurphy.

• Such is the enduring interest in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and its riveting characters that it was given a prequel: TV series Ratched, starring Sarah Paulson as the titular nurse in her younger years, developed by Ryan Murphy. It premiered on Netflix in 2020.

• Clint Dyer has spoken about his desire to re-emphasise the work’s central tenet: its critique of colonialism, via the indigenous character Chief Bromden, who narrates the story in the novel. Dyer has also observed that the prescient tale has great resonance for our current times, which is partly why he was interested in casting Black actors as the patients.

Book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Main photo credit: The cast of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. (Photo by Manuel Harlan). Inset: Olivia Williams in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Christian Slater in the poster for the West End production, Aaron Pierre and Arthur Boan (Photos courtesy the productions)