Matthew McGivern is taking over from Owen Warner in Witness for the Prosecution, with West End Theatre confirming the new cast joins from 22 September 2026. McGivern, who played Sam Chen-Williams in Hollyoaks, steps into the role of Leonard Vole in the long-running Agatha Christie production staged at County Hall in London.
Matthew McGivern’s Witness for the Prosecution role marks a West End first
The casting is a career milestone for McGivern: according to British Theatre, the role represents his West End debut. He takes on the part of Leonard Vole, a young man accused of murdering an elderly widow, which Warner has been playing since earlier this year.
McGivern is not the only one making a first appearance in the West End with this production. British Theatre also confirms that Sophie Craig, joining the cast as Romaine Vole, is likewise making her West End debut. Craig comes to the show from Emmerdale, adding a second soap-to-stage story to the announcement.
Returning alongside the two new leads are several familiar faces from the existing company. Jo Stone-Fewings is back as Sir Wilfrid Robarts QC, Crispin Redman returns as Mr Mayhew, Jude Owusu plays Mr Myers QC and David Shaw-Parker takes on Mr Justice Wainwright. The wider ensemble includes Sahar Awad, Philip Battley, William Baylis, Siobhan Bevan, Garon Akbar Clark, Michael Cusick, Anthony Ofoegdu, Sean Paul Jenkinson, Io Munro, Caroline Partridge, Tom Richardson and Tristan Rivelle.
A show that keeps on running: the production extends to 2027
The longevity of Witness for the Prosecution at County Hall is worth pausing on. The production has now been extended through to 19 September 2027, meaning the show will have enjoyed a substantial multi-year run by the time it closes. That sort of staying power at a London venue is rare, and the continued casting of well-known television faces has clearly been part of the appeal.
Warner, who held the Leonard Vole role through the current run, spoke to Digital Spy earlier this year about what drew him to the production in the first place. ‘In my eyes, theatre has always been the purest form of acting, so it was where I wanted to be,’ he said. ‘When I heard about Witness for the Prosecution, I went to watch it and I thought it would be an absolute dream to be part of.’
He also explained how the opportunity came about through two separate routes at once. ‘I had a friend who had been in it before and I mentioned it to her, so she said that she’d reach out to them. I also mentioned it to my agent, who reached out as well. So I had two different angles going for it! I was very fortunate to get an audition and took it from there.’
The experience appears to have shifted his thinking about what comes next. ‘Doing this stage job has opened up a whole new world of projects that I would love to do,’ Warner said. ‘I love screen, I love stage, I love acting. After this, if I can play characters that excite me as much as Leonard Vole does, I’ll be a very happy man. It’s an honour to play a character that has such history, is written so well and is so fascinating.’
For McGivern, stepping into a role that Warner described in those terms is a considerable ask, particularly on a West End stage for the first time. The Matthew McGivern Witness for the Prosecution handover is confirmed for 22 September 2026, so audiences still have time to catch Warner in the part before the new era begins at County Hall.
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