The Upstart Crow
Poster from the original London production
Written byBen Elton
Date premiered7 February 2020 (2020-02-07)
Place premieredGielgud Theatre, London
GenreComedy
Setting1605, London

The Upstart Crow is a stage play by Ben Elton developed from his BBC TV sitcom Upstart Crow.

Production history

The play, directed by Sean Foley, began previews at the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End on 7 February 2020, with an official opening night on 17 February. This was David Mitchell's stage debut.[1][2] The play was intended to run until 25 April 2020, but only ran up to mid-March, with the remainder cancelled as a result of restrictions put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]

The play reopened in the West End at the Apollo Theatre for a ten-week season from 23 September until 3 December 2022, with Mitchell and Gemma Whelan reprising the roles of William Shakespeare and Kate.

Cast and characters

David Mitchell, who plays Shakespeare in both the TV sitcom and the first run of the stage play

The main cast or the Original London production included many who featured in the TV series, amongst them:[4]

Character London (2020) London (2022)
William Shakespeare David Mitchell
Kate Gemma Whelan
Susanna Shakespeare Helen Monks
Ned Bottom Rob Rouse
Richard Burbage Steve Speirs Stewart Wright
Dr. John Hall Mark Heap John Gordon Sinclair
Arragon Jason Callender
Desiree Rachel Summers Gloria Onitri
Judith Danielle Phillips
Dancing Bear / Cover Reice Weathers
Cover Andrew Hodges
Cover Dedun Omole
Cover Annabel Smith

Synopsis

The play is set in 1605, with William Shakespeare depressed after the death of his son Hamnet, and needing to write a successful play to maintain his position. Ben Elton calls it "an entirely original excursion, not a 'TV adaption'".[5]

The plot was summarised by the Evening Standard critic Nick Curtis: "Shakespeare gets over writer’s block by nicking ideas from other people. His landlady’s daughter, wannabe actress Kate gives him the plot of King Lear. A pair of noble Egyptian twins recall Twelfth Night — as does the humiliation-by-codpiece of Mark Heap’s lovestruck puritan — and also spark the idea for Othello."[6]

Reception

The play was well received by critics. Mark Lawson wrote in The Guardian: "Punchlines and slapstick are meticulously timed, culminating in a spectacular sight-gag involving costumes...including a bear suit, an unfeasibly large codpiece and an escalatingly testicular pair of the baggy-thighed trousers. Although some of the new Puritans who police our own culture may find the latter too broad, the mix of bawdy and scholarly references is authentically Shakespearean."[7] In the Daily Telegraph, Dominic Cavendish wrote, "Ben Elton has restored himself to favour in theatreland with this joyously silly spin-off to his much-loved BBC Shakespeare sitcom."[2] Nick Curtis in the Evening Standard called it, "funny but exhausting", and said: "You can spot the mile-off joke about The Winter’s Tale the moment the dancing bear appears."[8]

Awards

Year Award Ceremony Category Nominee Result
2020 Laurence Olivier Awards Best Entertainment or Comedy Play Nominated

See also

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Gielgud Theatre website, accessed February 16, 2020.
  2. 1 2 Cavendish, Dominic (17 February 2020). "The Upstart Crow review, Gielgud: welcome back Ben Elton, all is forgiven". Telegraph.co.uk. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  3. ↑ "West End and UK Theatre venue performances cancelled due to coronavirus". What's on Stage. 16 March 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  4. ↑ Programme (2020), p. [16]
  5. ↑ Programme (2020), p. [4]
  6. ↑ Curtis, Nick (18 February 2020). "Upstart Crow review: Panto meets pentameters in funny but exhausting Shakespearean play". standard.co.uk. Evening Standard. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  7. ↑ Lawson, Mark (17 February 2020). "The Upstart Crow review – authentically Shakespearean right down to the puffling pants". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  8. ↑ Curtis, Nick (18 February 2020). "Upstart Crow review: Panto meets pentameters in funny but exhausting Shakespearean play". standard.co.uk. Evening Standard. Retrieved 19 February 2020.

Sources

  • Programme, The Upstart Crow, Gielgud Theatre (2020)
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