Finalist in 2025’s inaugural celebrity iteration will be the host of several variants, which will see different characters banished, murdered and victorious
In another twist for the intrigue-cloaked world of The Traitors , Nick Mohammed is to star in the new West End play based on the ridiculously gripping TV series.
Mohammed, a finalist in the BBC’s first series of The Celebrity Traitors last year, will now play the host of the show, effectively taking over the role of Claudia Winkleman for the stage version. There are several different variants of the play, written by John Finnemore and directed by Robert Hastie, so audiences over the course of its run will see different outcomes as characters are banished, “murdered” and exposed as faithful or treacherous in the fierce competition to win a cash prize.
The Traitors – Acts of Betrayal begins performances at the Gillian Lynne theatre in London in May.
Mohammed, also known for playing his comic alter ego Mr Swallow on stage, said it was a “wildly ambitious” project. “John Finnemore has crafted an absolute masterpiece: a cycle of five plays that are each as funny as they are moving, and of course, deeply, deeply unpredictable … To take on Claudia’s role, as it were, is not just a privilege but a real challenge as an actor – I simply don’t have enough hair!
But I will do my utmost not to disappoint.”
A video filmed at the 19th-century Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, where the BBC version of the international franchise takes place, shows Winkleman with Mohammed as he takes The Traitors’ “Host oath”.
Stephen Lambert, CEO of Studio Lambert which is co-producing the play, said: “The actor who portrays the host in these plays has to hold a live audience through an entire game each evening, five different ways. It needs charm, mischief, acting talent and complete control of the stage. Nick has all four, and the fact that he played the game and knows its intricacies, is a wonderful bonus.”
The play is billed as being akin to a full series of The Traitors that unfolds over the course of one night. At weekday performances, “the story begins identically but takes five different paths. Characters banished or murdered early in one version emerge victorious in another.” On Saturdays, the audience plays a part in determining the outcome.
The set, no doubt featuring the series’ famous round table for heated discussions, will be designed by Ben Stones. The other creatives ratcheting up the tension include sound designer Alexandra Faye Braithwaite, lighting designer Mark Henderson, choreographer Kate Prince and composer Martin Lowe.
Earlier this year, Mohammed was the presenter for the 50th anniversary of the Olivier awards, which recognise achievements in theatre, dance and opera. As host of the ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London, he followed in the footsteps of his Ted Lasso co-star Hannah Waddingham, who presented the Oliviers in 2023 and 2024.
In the finale of The Celebrity Traitors, which hit a peak of 15.4 million viewers according to the BBC, an emotional Alan Carr emerged victorious after successfully deceiving his housemates – and was promptly congratulated and comforted by “faithful” Mohammed. Several actors, including Richard E Grant, Bella Ramsey and Myha’la, are among the celebrities taking part in the second series .