Reviews of Comedy in London- West End and Off-West End

The talk in the foyer before this evening’s performance is that one of the actors hurt his leg last night and had to finish the second half in a wheelchair. There is no sign of any injury this evening as the amazing cast of four all skip run and dance their way through the performance. Patrick Barlow's adaptation of John Buchan’s novel and Alfred Hitchcock’s film manages to tell the story of Richard Hannay’s unwilling involvement in an international spy ring as a lightning-paced, slapstick, … [Read more...]

Feargus Woods Dunlop’s adaptation of Anthony Horowitz’s best-selling 1986 YA novel, The Falcon’s Malteser, has some highly entertaining staged pieces but, at 80+ minutes long, is guilty of being overly faithful to the novel and not going far enough to establish a theatrical life of its own. Four or five mad-capped chase scenes or slow-motion ultra-noir pastiches elicit wonderful guffaws from the juvenile members of the audience but, sadly, Dunlop has failed to commit the necessary double … [Read more...]

Following their epic success with fantasy show Lord of The Game Of The Ring Of Thrones, Hivemind are back - and this time they’re taking on the high-octane world of Superheroes. The concept remains largely the same; the young cast courageously invite the happy, slightly tipsy audience to suggest a concept, and then, apparently undaunted by some rather unusual demands, they run with it. This, of course, means that each performance is completely original, and you could, if you wanted, go to see … [Read more...]

Back in the mists of time, relationships and love were two separate things. A match between and a boy and a girl would be arranged and terms agreed between the respective families and that was that. If the couple were lucky, they might, over the course of their life together, fall in love with each other but, if not, as long as the relationship was stable, everything was good. Nowadays, things are much more complicated. Singles bars, speed dating, apps and the various rules around dating, make … [Read more...]

Beg, Borrow & Bitch is a work in progress. As such, many common teething issues were visible. At times the pair struggled with props, forgot lines and tripped over each other. These are things that the two leads can easily refine as they become more familiar with their act. Abbie Murphy and Ricky Hunt as Cindy and Cassandra, hosts of America’s number one feminist shopping channel, bring chaotic energy and enthusiasm to their performance. The individual talent and collective chemistry is … [Read more...]

Ever since its debut in 1982 at the Lyric Hammersmith itself, undertaking a production of Noises Off is a bit like attempting a triple axel in the figure skating final at the Olympics. The precision and grace required to land this farce’s potential is so extreme that the audience’s tension ramps up. If the cast’s timing succeeds, not only are the funnies so non-stop that you might just need a change of knickers but there is a special jubilance in being party to such a conquest that risked … [Read more...]

From the sublime to the ridiculous summarises this unusual performance piece. Jon Hayes and David Woods take to the stage as Violet and Norman with guest appearances from Arthur. The dark and uncomfortable path the aged couple embark on has a feel of The League of Gentlemen surrounding it where you expect the unexpected. It is not easy to specify how long this couple have been together or married although this isn't relevant to the storyline. From watching their stature and mobility, they are … [Read more...]