Sacha Baron Cohen Trains Nine Hours a Week for Tarantino Play
Cohen says he accepted Quentin Tarantino's offer to appear in The Popinjay Cavalier before reading the script, which he calls fantastic.
Sacha Baron Cohen says he is training nine hours a week in sword-fighting for his role in Quentin Tarantino's stage play The Popinjay Cavalier, according to joblo.com. The swashbuckling comedy is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions and Sony Pictures Entertainment and is set to open at London's Phoenix Theatre in February 2027.
Cohen said he agreed to do the play before reading it, describing the script as fantastic. He also said Tarantino suggested there would be an element of collaboration in the production, and that he has so far seen only a small part of the play.
The collaboration has a long history. About 20 years ago, Tarantino and Cohen discussed doing The Scarlet Pimpernel together, and after Borat came out the pair had monthly dinners. Cohen nearly appeared in Tarantino's 2012 Western Django Unchained but dropped out to do Les Misérables.
On a recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Tarantino said he has written a script he likes but will not work on it until after the play and family time.
Quick answers
When does The Popinjay Cavalier open?
The play is set to open at London's Phoenix Theatre in February 2027.
Who is producing The Popinjay Cavalier?
Sonia Friedman Productions and Sony Pictures Entertainment are producing the play.
How much sword-fighting training is Sacha Baron Cohen doing?
He says he trains nine hours a week in sword-fighting for the role.