Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 20th January 2024

Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau

4.5****

Noises Off, the wonderful British farce, is a play within a play in which a group of actors navigate through the staging of the fictional “Nothing On” where, naturally, things don’t go as planned and interpersonal relationships complicate matters.

The first act opens on the final rehearsal; the cast are suffering from rather shambolic performances, unfamiliarity with lines and battling the many props the author has inflicted upon them. Chief among these are plates of sardines. We’re introduced to the characters in the order they appear in “Nothing On” though, of course, during this first act we also get introduced to all their issues. This includes a complicated love triangle and a cast member whose familiarity with drink triggers consternation for all.

Liza Goddard plays Dotty the housekeeper (in “Nothing On”) and an actress who has a stake in the production both financially and romantically with a fellow cast member. A performance full of wit and a lovely natural quality that was ever more effective as the play rushed towards its manic finale. She was a delight to watch.

Soon enough director Lloyd Dallas (played by Simon Shepherd) interrupts to give some needed (yet seldom headed) direction, trying to get the cast back on track and focused. Mr Shepherd brought gravitas and an attractive realism to the role in a commanding performance.

A superb ensemble gave their all and each had their highlights. A tight word count prevents me waxing lyrical about each of them. I will briefly mention Paul Bradley as Selsdon as my particular highlight as I really enjoyed his bumbling, the misunderstandings he wrought and his attempts to get his hands on that bottle in the second act…

In that second act we join the cast some weeks into the play’s run to discover that the pressures have taken their toll. The backstage crew, seen in the first act, really come into their own in this second act as they try to navigate the increasingly choppy waters and series of unfortunate misunderstandings (especially when the Director turns up with the aforementioned booze and instructions to purchase flowers for one of the cast). Tim (Daniel Rainford) and Poppy (Nikhita Lesler) played these behind the scenes (and under the cosh) heroes with superb comic timing and relish; working together wonderfully to produce cascades of hilarity – especially in the non-stop, non-sequential audience announcements. The final act brings us the rather unfortunate closing night. I won’t spoil the surprise but if you have ever seen The Play That Goes Wrong you will know what to expect.

I love the premise to this work, it’s ingenious to see the same play from three different stages of its run. It looks like a whole lotta fun to perform in and it’s certainly many barrels of laughs to watch. With disappearing props driving the company to despair, wardrobe malfunctions aplenty and a cast doing their best to just get to the end at all costs whilst all around unravels, this show has plenty for everyone to enjoy. A pleasure to see this work on the stage again, it’s just what the Dr ordered to dispel those winter blues. Highly reccommended.

FLUTE THEATRE RETURNS TO ORANGE TREE THEATRE WITH

TWELFTH NIGHT

TO MARK THE COMPANY’S 10^TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

Flute Theatre returns to Orange Tree Theatre (OT) with a new production of Twelfth Nightto mark their 10^th anniversary season. Adapted and directed by Flute Theatre Artistic Director Kelly Hunter, Twelfth Nightmarks the company’s fourth full-length show specifically created for audiences on the spectrum and runs at the OT from 29 January – 10 February. The production will then run at Riverside Studios from 12 – 16 February.

Flute Theatre performs shows for autistic individuals around the world in multiple languages, adapting performances according to the needs of the participants. Up to 12 participants will experience Shakespeare’s play on the OT stage with the actors. In addition to the new production of Twelfth Night the company celebrates their 10^th Birthday with the first International Shakespeare Festival for autistic individuals at Riverside Studios in August 2024.

Artistic Director of Flute Theatre Kelly Hunter said today, “I am very happy to be returning to the Orange Tree this year to create our 4th production of Shakespeare for autistic people. The Orange Tree may be little, but it has a huge heart and knows no bounds in imagination and ambition. A perfect fit for Flute.”   

William Shakespeare’s
TWELFTH NIGHT

Adapted and directed by Kelly Hunter
An Orange Tree Theatre and Flute Theatre co-production

29 January – 10 February

Flute Theatre creates ground-breaking productions of Shakespeare for autistic individuals and their families. In the 90-minute performance, up to 12 participants sit with the actors on the OT stage and experience Shakespeare’s story through sensory games, which everyone plays together. Each performance is adapted to the specific needs of the participants, however complex they may be.

Kelly Hunter adapts and directs. She founded Flute Theatre in 2014 and is Artistic Director. For Flute Theatre, she her directorial credits include Hamlet, The Tempest, Twelfth Night, Pericles, Wildcat’s Last Waltz and Deconstructing the Dream.

ORANGE TREE THEATRE

LISTINGS

1 Clarence Street, Richmond, TW9 2SA

Box Office: 020 8940 3633 (Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm)

orangetreetheatre.co.uk

Ticket prices (NO BOOKING FEES)

In person tickets: from £15, prices increase with demand

Under 30s: £15

OT On Screen: From £15

Access: £15

Recipients of Universal Credit / London Ticket Bank Scheme: limited £1 tickets

SEASON AT A GLANCE

SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER

OT On Screen: Tue 16 – Fri 19 January

NORTHANGER ABBEY

20 January– 24 February 2024

Mon – Sat 7.30pm

Thu & Sat 2.30pm (from Thu 25 Jan)

Captioned Performance: Wed 14 Feb 7.30pm

Audio Described Performance: Tue 13 Feb 7.30pm

OT On Screen:  Tue 21 – Fri 24 May 2024

Octagon Theatre Bolton

1 – 23 March 2024

Stephen Joseph Theatre

27 March – 13 April 2024

Theatre by the Lake

27 April – 17 May 2024

FLUTE THEATRE: TWELFTH NIGHT

29 January – 10 February 2024

Mon – Sat: 10.30am

Further summer programming includes:

UNCLE VANYA

2 March – 13 April

TESTMATCH

20 April – 18 May 2024

SUITE IN THREE KEYS

24 May – 6 Jul 2024

Primary Shakespeare: HAMLET
3 June – 5 July 2024 (workshops and performances)
Mon, Tue & Fri

RED SPEEDO

13 Jul – 10 Aug 2024

The hit play F**king Men by Tony-winning Joe DiPietro
returns to London for a final 6-week season

Waterloo East Theatre
Saturday 13 April – Sunday 26 May, 2024

After a complete SELL OUT season in 2023, the hit play F**king Men by Tony-winning Joe DiPietro is to return to Waterloo East Theatre for a final strictly limited 6-week run from April 13.

A modern retelling of Schnitzler’s infamous classic ‘La Ronde’, F**king Men is a fascinating, funny and provocative story of sex, love and connection.

This dramatic comedy follows 10 men through a series of erotic encounters that change their lives in small but significant ways. In this raw and updated new version, Joe DiPietro (‘Memphis’, ‘The Toxic Avenger,’ ‘What’s New Pussycat?’, ‘Sinatra’), takes a sharp and insightful look at the experiences of modern gay men as they navigate their conflicting desires for the comfort of monogamous love and the thrill of sexual freedom.

DiPietro said: “I couldn’t be more excited about this updated version of ‘F**king Men’. Much about our queer lives has evolved and changed since the play’s debut, so to bring contemporary attitudes to this roundelay of sex, love and intimacy has opened up new layers of meaning. I’m especially excited to see this play through a youthful and modern lens, which promises to deliver a sexy, incisive and hilarious night out.”

F**king Men starts previews at London’s Waterloo East Theatre from Saturday 13 April, 2024.  
The strictly limited season is booking to Sunday 26 May.Cast to be announced.

Creative team:
Director Steven Kunis
Movement/Intimacy Director Lee Crowley
Set/Costume Designer Cara Evans
Lighting Designer Alex Lewer  
Voice and Accent Coach Amanda Stephens-Lee
Production Manager Carrie Croft
Company Stage Manager Gareth McLeod
Marketing Manager Emma Martin
Casting Director Anne Vosser

Produced by Adam Roebuck (‘Afterglow’, UK premiere, Southwark Playhouse and Waterloo East Theatre).

LISTINGS INFO

Adam Roebuck
presents

F**king Men
by Joe DiPietro
based on Schnitzler’s ‘La Ronde’

Waterloo East Theatre
Brad Street
London
SE1 8TN

Box Office
https://www.waterlooeast.co.uk

Previews from Saturday 13 April

Booking period to Sunday 26 May

Performance Schedule:

Tuesday at 7.30pm
Wednesday at 7.30pm
Thursday at 7pm and 9.15pm
Friday at 7.30pm
Saturday at 4pm and 7.30pm
Sunday at 4pm

Ticket prices:
For the run premium seats £42
Middle seats £30
Back £28

Contains strong language,
homophobic violence and nudity

Social media

X
@waterlooeast
Insta
@waterlooeasttheatre
Facebook
waterlooeast

Arcola Theatre, London – until 3rd February 2024

Reviewed by Celia Armand Smith

3***

Michael Hastings was just 18 when he wrote Don’t Destroy Me in 1956 – a play informed by his own fractured life in post war Britain. The story follows Sammy (Eddie Boyce), a Jewish teenager born in Hungary, raised by an aunt in Croydon, and sent to live with his drunk father (Paul Rider) and young stepmother (Nathalie Barclay) in a Brixton tenement. Surrounded by a carousel of outcasts, Sammy tries to navigate his new life in the city, and the trials tribulations of being a 15 year old boy. There is hardly any reprieve while neighbours come and go, and everyone’s lives are laid bare with people hanging on every word on the stairs and at the door.

Opposite lives George (Timothy O’Hara), a rakish and unlikeable bookie who is having an affair with Shani, Sammy’s bored stepmother. The upstairs neighbour (Alix Dunmore) is living in her own world, and her teenage daughter Suki (Nell Williams) who she refuses to acknowledge is barely clinging on, but is also somehow the most reasonable character in the whole piece. The damage inflicted on the teenager’s young lives is ever present and unshifting, simultaneously bringing them together and tearing them apart. There are laughs though, and the landlady Mrs Miller (Sue Kelvin) is a welcome relief bringing a different pace.

While the writing at times definitely feels like an 18 year old’s diary entry, Tricia Thorns’ Two’s Company production is clever and well put together. The cast are excellent, and Alex Marker’s claustrophobic set is full of smart details like the bare bones door and the record player that is never given a chance before being unplugged and moved. The young Hastings’ writing feels like a work in progress full of potential, much like the character of Sammy, and maybe that’s the point. All of these lives are so full of promise and hope, but the shadow of war and uncertainty looms large in this frenetic family drama.

NEW ADVENTURES ANNOUNCES

MATTHEW BOURNE’S

SWAN LAKE

The Next Generation

IN CELEBRATION OF THE 30^TH ANNIVERSARY OF THIS LEGENDARY PRODUCTION

OPENING AT PLYMOUTH THEATRE ROYAL

ON 11 NOVEMBER 2024

THEN PLAYING AT THE LOWRY, SALFORD

AHEAD OF THE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS SEASON

AT SADLER’S WELLS, LONDON

AND A 2025 UK TOUR

New Adventures is delighted to announce that Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake will return for its 30^th anniversary with a 2024-25 UK tour. This reinvention of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece caused a sensation when it premiered almost 30 years ago and has since become the most successful dance theatre production of all time. In celebration of that ongoing impact, Swan Lake will take flight once more in this major revival.

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake begins at Theatre Royal Plymouth from 11 November until 16 November before visiting The Lowry, Salford from 19 November until 30 November, ahead of the 8-week annual Christmas season at Sadler’s Wells from 3 December 2024 to 26 January 2025. Further tour dates and casting to be announced soon.

Matthew Bourne said today, “When our Swan Lake was premiered nearly 30 years ago it created a sensation that none of us could have predicted. I think we knew that we had a good idea but could never have dreamt of the impact it would have on all of us, our audiences and the wider dance world. I have seen over those 30 years how this production has continued to change lives, create new audiences and inspire young dancers.

The inspiration of Swan Lake is central to our “talent development” programme at New Adventures, especially in our Cygnet School and Swan School, where we aim to develop the dancers of the future to feature in our many productions. Indeed, this new revival of Swan Lake will feature dancers who have been nurtured through these programmes, or through their professional development as New Adventures company members, with many of them making their debuts in these coveted roles.

As our swans take flight once more in this major revival, I’m full of anticipation for the challenges it will bring for our next generation of dancers and the wonder that it will bring to audiences who will experience it for the very first time.”

Thrilling, bold, witty and emotive, this genre-defining event is still best known for replacing the female corps-de-ballet with a menacing male ensemble, which shattered convention, turning tradition on its head.

First staged at Sadler’s Wells in London in 1995, Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake took the dance theatre world by storm becoming the longest running full-length dance classic in the West End and on Broadway. It has since been performed across the globe, collecting over thirty international accolades including the Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production and three Tony Awards for Best Director of a Musical, Best Choreography and Best Costume Design.

Alongside performances of Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, New Adventures will deliver a programme of activity designed to encourage talent development, and to improve the well-being of children and young people through engaging them in dance. In addition to the New Adventures regular Schools Tour, this expanded programme will be specific to Swan Lake with further details to be announced.

CROFT & DYE PRODUCTIONS AND SALT LICK PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCE THE WORLD PREMIÈRE OF

HARRY MCDONALD’S FOAM AT FINBOROUGH THEATRE

Croft & Dye Productions and Salt Lick Productions todayannounce the world première of Harry McDonald’s Foam. Matthew Iliffe directs this new play inspired by the true story of Nicky Crane spanning twenty years of the collision of queer identity and extremist politics in 1970s and 80s London. Matthew Iliffe leads a creative team with Set Design by Nitin Pamar, Costume Design by Pam Tait and Lighting Design by Jonathan Chan.

Foam will première at Finborough Theatre on 21 March 2024, with previews from 19 March and run to 13 April 2024.

Harry McDonald said today, “Learning and then writing about Nicky Crane was a fascinating experience. A cult figure, and a personality that on a very superficial first glance appeared to be a horrible tangle of contradictory ideas, but that nonetheless made complete sense to him – a violent and vicious sense, but a sense. His life, it seemed to me, was a way to talk about how easily people can be seduced into extremist politics regardless of their identity. As I’ve worked on the play society seems to be veering ever-rightwards, and, as exemplified by a number of cultural commentators, there is no inherent contradiction between a queer identity and being a fascist.”

Director Matthew Iliffe added “Harry McDonald’s new play Foam boldly examines the life story of the infamous skinhead Nicky Crane, as it unravels through a series of exposing interactions. Through the lens of these encounters, the play skilfully examines tensions existing between identity and politics, challenging audiences to contemplate the conflict between personal beliefs and public personas. In doing so, the play provocatively invites us to confront our own contradictions and shared humanity amidst a backdrop of prejudice, violence, and mortality. Politically charged and bleakly humorous, Foam is a compelling portrait of a unique and neglected queer history that speaks directly to polarisation and political extremism of our own times.”

Croft & Dye Productions and Salt Lick Productions present

FOAM

Written by Harry McDonald

19 March – 13 April

Directed by: Matthew Iliffe; Written by: Harry McDonald;Set Designer: Nitin Pamar;

Costume Designer: Pam Tait; Lighting Designer: Jonathan Chan

“You forget I knew you were a queer long before I knew you were a fascist.”

1973, a public lavatory. Nicky shaves his head, watched by an older man.

Publicly, Nicky is a neo-Nazi. A skinhead. But right now, in this place, that doesn’t matter.

He’s not the first man Nicky meets in a public toilet, and he won’t be the last…

Spanning twenty years and inspired by a true story, Foam examines the nature of identity and the consequences of right-wing extremist ideology against the backdrop of London’s skinhead and gay scenes of the 1970s and 1980s.

With right-wing extremism again on the rise, Foam confronts the flashpoint where the terrifyingly personal and the violently political collide.

Harry McDonald’s debut play Don’t Smoke in Bed, premièred at the 2023 VAULT Festival. His short fiction has been published by Another North, and he has also created work for the Liverpool Everyman’s Love Liverpool project.

Matthew Iliffe directs. His previous credits include, Breeding (King’s Head Theatre), Bacon (Finborough Theatre, Riverside Studios, Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Bristol Old Vic), Four Play (Above The Stag), The Niceties, Maggie May (Finborough Theatre), and The Burnt Part Boys (Park Theatre); and as assistant director, Assassins (Chichester Festival Theatre), BLACK SUPERHERO (Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, Royal Court Theatre), Brass (National Youth Music Theatre/Hackney Empire), and Musik (Leicester Square Theatre).

LISTINGS

FOAM

Finborough Theatre

118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED

Box Office: 020 7244 7439

19 March – 13 April

Full Price Tickets from: £20

Concession Tickets from: £18

TONY AWARD® NOMINATED BROADWAY HIT

A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN

UK PREMIERE STARRING MARY BRIDGET DAVIES

TO PLAY AT LONDON’S PEACOCK THEATRE

FOR A LIMITED RUN

FROM 20 AUGUST 2024

Michael Cohl, Tony Smith, the estate of Janis Joplin and Jeffrey Jampol for Jam, Inc. are delighted to announce A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN which makes its UK premiere at the Peacock Theatre, Sadlers Wells’ home in the West End, on 20 August starring Mary Bridget Davies as Janis, running until 28 September 2024. Tickets will go on sale on 26 January. Further casting is to be announced. 

A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN is a musical journey celebrating Janis Joplin and her biggest musical influences – trailblazers like Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Odetta, Nina Simone and Bessie Smith, all of whom inspired Joplin to become one of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s greatest legends. Like a comet that burns far too brightly to last, Joplin exploded onto the music scene in 1967 and, almost overnight, became the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Her unmistakable voice, filled with raw emotion and tinged with Southern Comfort, made Joplin a must-see headliner from Monterey to Woodstock. Audiences will enjoy Joplin’s favourites, including ‘Piece of My Heart,’ ‘Cry Baby’, ‘Me and Bobby McGee’ and many others.

A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN began in 2011 and was an immediate success, touring for the next 2 years and breaking box office records at nearly every theatre. In October 2013, the show opened on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre to rave reviews and has been touring the US ever since. The show also played in Japan in 2022 at the Tokyo International Forum Hall. Mary Bridget Davies played the role of Janis Joplin for both the touring and Broadway productions, receiving a Tony Award® nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Musical for her performance.

Janis Joplin’s sister, Laura Joplin, says A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN is a “full belted memory that drives joy into my heart and tears from my eyes” with The New York Times saying the show “rocks the house with a fervour that is riveting”.

A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN has a Book and direction by Randy Johnson, choreography by Patricia Wilcox (A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN – Broadway, Motown – Broadway, West End). Casting is by Anne Vosser.

Randy Johnson (creator, writer and director) made his Broadway debut as a playwright and director with Tony Award nominated musical A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN at the Lyceum Theatre. At the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre, Randy directed and co-wrote The World Premiere of Mike Tyson – The Undisputed Truth, starring international sports legend Mike Tyson and directed and staged Carly Simon’s return to the concert stage at The Apollo Theatre in New York. Randy also co- conceived and directed the now historic ELVIS THE CONCERT, which reunited Elvis’ original band, singers and musical director in a virtual interactive concert featuring Elvis. The show was an immediate hit, with sold out shows at Radio City Music Hall and arenas worldwide including Wembley and the O2 Arena. Other regional theatre credits include the world premieres of Jukebox Hero – The Foreigner Musical (Ed Mirvish Theatre, Toronto). He was honored twice by the NAACP for his direction on Shout Sister Shout – The Rosetta Tharpe Story (Pasadena Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre).

Mary Bridget Davies is a distinguished American singer and actress who has made musical history with her powerhouse vocals and captivating performances. Davies’ accolades include the 2014 LA Outer Critic’s Circle Award and Theatre World Award, alongside a Helen Hayes Award nomination and numerous Blues Blast Award nominations. In 2019, Davies recorded her album Stay With Me: The Reimagined Songs of Jerry Ragovoy, the late legendary songwriter who co-wrote Joplin classics ‘Piece of my Heart’ and ‘Cry Baby’. Davies’ career has also included touring with Janis Joplin’s original band, Big Brother and the Holding Company, starring as Virginia Wolf in the developmental readings of A Room of One’s Own (54 Below and The Public Theatre’s Joe’s Pub), and Narrator in Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Beck Theatre). Currently, Davies is set to embark on the soon to be announced U.S. leg of her tour Don’t Compromise Yourself. 

A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN is produced by Michael Cohl, Tony Smith and the estate of Janis Joplin and Jeffrey Jampol for Jam, Inc, with UK General Management by MPSI Ltd. 

Website: www.janisjoplin.com
Instagram: @janisjoplin
X: @janisjoplin
Facebook: @janisjoplin
TikTok: @janisjoplin

LISTINGS INFORMATION

A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN

Tuesday 20 August – Saturday 28 September 2024

 Peacock Theatre
Portugal Street
London
WC2A 2HT

Box office: 020 7863 8222  

[email protected]

Tickets from: £18

Running time: 2 hours 10 minutes, including interval

Previews: Tuesday 20 August at 7:30pm, Wednesday 21 August at 2:30pm & 7:30pm, Thursday 22 August at 7:30pm.

Performances:

Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30pm

Wednesday & Saturday matinees at 2:30pm

N.B Saturday 21 September at 2:30pm will be a captioned performance.

HOW DID IT ALL GO RIGHT FOR THE TEAM BEHIND PETER PAN GOES WRONG?

Mischief, the multi-award-winning comedy team and firm favourites with audiences, return to the regions with the global phenomenon Peter Pan Goes Wrong

We spoke to Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields and Henry Lewis, who have been causing mayhem together for more than a decade now as the core creative team of Mischief, to find out more about turning mishaps into a fine art…

Their success started with The Play That Goes Wrong, which grew from a short run in a pub theatre in 2012 – where they had to lean against the set to stop it from accidentally falling over – to conquering the West End. Now this global sensation has been seen by over 3.5 million people, in over 30 countries.

They’ve had huge success with The Comedy About a Bank Robbery, Magic Goes Wrong, two series of The Goes Wrong Show on TV, countless improv nights, a podcast and, of course, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, in which the hopeless Cornley Drama Society attempt (and hilariously fail) to stage a production of J.M. Barrie’s classic.

Their shows are full of slapstick humour and carefully choreographed disasters, but so many shows over such a long period of time means, inevitably, there have been occasional unscripted accidents, too.

As Peter Pan Goes Wrong sets off on a UK tour, the team remember one particularly hilarious moment. ‘At the end of act one there’s a moment when Pan falls from the sky because his wire has snapped,’ says Lewis. ‘The way we do it is that the actor flies out, then a dummy dressed in the same clothes falls down to create the illusion. During one performance, they were doing a scene in the nursery where Pan is talking to Wendy and suddenly the dummy dropped. Pan said the immortal line, ‘ignore that, that’s not me. That’s the other, dead Pan.’

Sayer adds: ‘If that dummy drops, that’s it, the game’s up. There’s little you can do on stage, you can’t just sidestep it.’

It’s been a very Peter Pan year for the trio. As well as the UK tour which kicked off in September, they have previously been performing the show on Broadway – where it was nominated for eight awards – followed by a run at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles

Shields and Sayer tell of a recent day when they were watching a grainy recording they made of the show’s very first run in a tiny theatre in London in 2013. ‘That was a really stark reminder of how far we’ve come,’ says Shields. ‘There are lots of bits in the recording that are in the show now on Broadway, but there’s also so much that’s changed and evolved over time.’

When they’re standing on a Broadway stage or casting a national tour, do they ever take a moment to think about the progress they’ve made in the last decade?

‘If you spend a lot of time looking at what’s happened,’ says Sayer, ‘then you’d probably take your eye off the ball a little bit. But there’s enough water under the bridge to notice the water a little bit more. There are landmarks that creep in, like recognising that Peter Pan Goes Wrong premiered a decade ago, and when you do take stock it’s such a lovely surprise.’

Actually, their Broadway run marked the first time the three of them had done anything together in a while. ‘The thing that I’ve been reminded about is just how much laughter there is every single day,’ says Sayer.

In the meantime, they’ve each been working on individual projects. Lewis has taken the role of the Riddlemaster on ITV quiz show Riddiculous, as well as directing a show written by Shields called Good Luck, Studio.

‘The longer we’ve done Mischief, the more important it’s been to do other bits and bobs outside,’ Lewis explains. ‘Mischief is an amazing thing, and I do genuinely love it with all my heart, but it’s also quite intense. We’ve all known each other for a long time, we’re friends as well, so it’s been interesting to go and do these other things and bring those learnings back into Mischief.’

Sayer agrees. ‘It’s good to be a fully rounded person. A big part of my personality is that I really like sport and community events, so it’s been good to find a home for that.’

The home he’s referring to is his unexpected side hustle as co-chairman of semi-professional football club Ashton FC. He’s just written a book about what it’s like to run the Greater Manchester-based team called Nowhere To Run and, by the sounds of it, things are just as prone to going wrong in the world of football: after arriving a few minutes late for our video chat, he explains that he was dealing with an infestation of tens of thousands of bees under the pitch.

For now, though, they’re focusing on the adventures of Peter Pan and Wendy and, as Lewis explains, it’s the perfect time for the show. ‘It’s all about not growing up, making life an adventure and laughing through it. I think that’s a message right now that really resonates.

For Sayer, ‘There’s such a need to laugh at the moment. Post-pandemic it has a kind of profundity to it that didn’t exist beforehand. There’s a need for silliness now, whereas before people would have just thought ‘that’s nice’. Right now, people could really do with some total nonsense and joyousness for a couple of hours.’

Following the success of their previous visits to the theatre with The Play That Goes Wrong, Mind Mangler and Magic Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong is on tour now. Currently at Leeds Grand until Saturday 20 January then Cardiff, Canterbury and Newcastle. Get tickets here

Photo credits Pamela Raith

WEST END PREMIERE OF

MIND-BENDING NEW COMEDY

STARRING MISCHIEF’S

HENRY LEWIS &

JONATHAN SAYER

SIX WEEK SEASON AT THE APOLLO THEATRE

Thursday 14 March – Sunday 28 April 2024

GALA PERFORMANCE ON SUNDAY 24 MARCH, 3pm

Tickets on Public Sale from Friday 19 January at 10am

with top Preview Price of just £35

2024 MARKS THE 10^TH ANNIVERSARY OF

MISCHIEF’S GLOBAL HIT SHOW

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG

IN THE WEST END

www.mindmangler.com

@TheMindMangler @MischiefComedy

Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer, creators of the global smash hit The Play that Goes Wrong and the BBC’s The Goes Wrong Show, will star in Mischief’s riotous new comedy Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle in the West End.  Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle will play at the Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue from Thursday 14 March to Sunday 28 April 2024, with a Gala Performance on Sunday 24 March 2024 at 3pm.  Tickets are on sale at 10am on Friday 19 January from www.mindmangler.com with a top preview ticket price of £35.

Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, Mind Mangler is based on a character originally created in Magic Goes Wrong by Penn Jillette, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields & Teller.

Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer said:“We could not be more excited for Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle to be appearing in the West End this Spring. Touring the UK with this show in early 2023 was an absolute joy and we’re so looking forward to bringing it to new audiences. We texted the Mind Mangler to ask him how he felt about performing his show at the beautiful Apollo Theatre, this was his reply…

Join ‘The Mind Mangler’ as he attempts a spectacular return to his West End debut two man solo show.   Witness hilarious feats of mentalism spiral into chaos as he attempts to read your mind, mind mind….

Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle is directed by Hannah Sharkey, with set design by Sara Perks, costume design by Roberto Surace, lighting design by David Howe, sound design by Helen Skiera, video design by Gillian Tan.  The magic consultant is Ben Hart andthe composer is Steve Brown.

Mind Mangler began at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2022 and after a sold-out season was later developed into a two-act show that toured the UK and ran in New York in 2023. 

This year, 2024, the extraordinarily successful and Olivier and Tony Award-winning Mischief celebrates 10 years in the West End with their award winning The Play That Goes Wrong – which shows no signs of slowing down since its first performance at The Old Red Lion with only four paying customers.  Its achievements since include:

• Whatsonstage Award for Best New Comedy in 2014
• Olivier Award for Best New Comedy in 2015
• Tony Award for the Broadway Transfer
• Performing to over two million people round the world in every continent except Antarctica.

Mischief’s other West End stage successes include:

• Peter Pan Goes Wrong
• Mischief Movie Night
• A Comedy about a Bank Robbery
• Groan Ups
• Magic Goes Wrong

Further information about Mischief’s The Play that Goes Wrong in the West End 10^th anniversary celebrations will be announced in due course.

Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle is produced by Kenny Wax, Stage Presence and Kevin McCollum. 

Leeds Grand Theatre – until Saturday 20 January 2024

5*****

Cornley Polytechnic returns with their classic Christmas (not a pantomime) vignette of Peter Pan in Peter Pan Goes Wrong.

The joy of Mischief is the pure genius in their writing. You can see the jokes coming a mile away – and that just makes them all the funnier. The technical aspects are outstanding; the incidents and accidents precise, concise and well executed. From tiny mishaps such as a falling light missing an actress by millimetres, to the huge disasters that befall the rest of the show, show the high calibre of the writing (Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields) and acting as well as the direction (Adam Meggido), production and technical crew ensuring that everything goes very badly but really well. And with a misbehaving rotund it can be no coincidence that by the end it looks like the death scene on the barricade from Les Miserables!

Peter Pan Goes Wrong is a very visual show within a show which needs to be seen to be believed, so it’s unfair to give away too much of the plot. However there are simple added extras that make the show shine from the start. Being stuck in the theatre foyer due to “technical issues” until almost before the show starts, the stage crew led by Trevor (Jake Burgum) still being in the auditorium as we get seated doing last minute bits, arguing between themselves and asking for help from the audience, and an impromptu rendition of “Happy Birthday” for an audience member.

The show is introduced by Directors Chris Bean (Jack Michael Stacey) and Robert Grove (Matthew Howell). This time with a huge budget due to a generous donation from the uncle of Max (Theo Toksvig-Stewart). It’s then just a splash of glitter as Francis the Narrator (Jean-Luke Worrell) begins the show. Comedy looms with John Darling played by Dennis (Clarke Devlin) who has memory problems so is fitted with “a barely visible headset that will pass on his lines without the audience noticing” that predictably picks up different radio stations, police reports and taxis.  

Wendy Darling played by Sandra (Ciara Morris) is flirty and over-acting. She is the girlfriend of Peter Pan played by Jonathan (Gareth Tempest), who thinks he is the  star lead, while huge respect goes to Annie (Jamie Birkett) playing Mrs Darling, Liza the Maid, a lost boy and who gets electrocuted in her role of Tinkerbell. Special mention also to Robert’s niece Lucy (Rosemary Akwafo) playing Tootles, who overcomes her crippling stage fright to get the whole audience yelling “I do believe in Fairies”, managing to keep her head and admirably finish the show.

The whole cast and crew are outstanding, and Peter Pan Goes Wrong really has to be seen to get the full effect that a review will never convey. You will laugh to the extent you may feel you are going to suffocate from lack of air. With a donation going to Great Ormond Street Hospital, even though JM Barrie might not recognise this version of his classic tale, you really need to see this show to believe the madness – Mischief at their best.  In Leeds until the 20th and on tour around the UK