Are you counting down the minutes? Mischief Theatre’s long-running hits The Play That Goes Wrong and The Comedy About a Bank Robbery will soon be joined in the West End by three brand-new shows as the original mischief-makers this month commence a year-long residency of premieres at the Vaudeville Theatre.
Tickets are now onsale via MyTheatreMates for the first two productions in the Mischief Season at the Vaudeville Theatre: Groan Ups, which launches the line-up of new work from 20 September 2019 (and includes a post-show Q&A chaired by Mates co-founder Terri Paddock on 17 October), is followed at Christmas by Magic Goes Wrong, a collaboration with magic legends Penn & Teller. A third new comedy is yet to be announced.
Speaking about their forthcoming residency at the Vaudeville, Henry Lewis, artistic director of Mischief Theatre, and Jonathan Sayer, company director, said:
“We couldn’t be more delighted to have been invited by Nica Burns and Nimax Theatres to take over the Vaudeville Theatre for an entire year. They took a leap of faith with us back in 2014 by putting The Play That Goes Wrong on in the West End so we just hope we can do them proud! Mischief Theatre is incredibly grateful for this amazing opportunity, and now we can make sure the laughs continue for audiences.”
The first two productions in Mischief Theatre’s season at London’s 690-seat Vaudeville Theatre
Nica Burns, co-founder of Nimax Theatres, said: “In 2016, Mischief Theatre had three comedies running at the same time in the West End: The Play That Goes Wrong at the Duchess, Peter Pan Goes Wrong at the Apollo (returning to London this Christmas for a run at Alexandra Palace) and The Comedy About a Bank Robbery at the Criterion. Mischief’s three writers, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, were all under 30. An extraordinary achievement and probably a world record.
“We jumped at the chance to partner with Mischief and their producers Kenny Wax and Stage Presence to present a truly record-breaking three brand new comedies in one year at the Vaudeville. From New York to Christchurch and many cities in between, audiences have been falling over with laughter at Mischief’s antics. In fact, the seats at the Duchess have been rocked with so much laughter in the last five years that we are replacing them!”
Producer Kenny Wax added: “In seven years, to have graduated from a pub theatre filler slot to a three-play, 12-month residency at the Vaudeville (courtesy of the tremendously supportive Nica Burns) to sit alongside their two long-running comedies at the Duchess and Criterion, a record-breaking run on Broadway and productions currently running on every continent except Antarctica, the meteoric rise of this extraordinarily talented group of writers and actors seems to know no bounds. As producers, we are delighted to have guided their journey and become their friends.”
The first two shows
Have you booked for both yet?
Do we choose who we become? Is the story of our lives already written? Do we ever grow up?
In this brand-new comedy about growing up, follow an unruly classroom of six-year-old mischief-makers on their journey through anarchic high school teenagers to the challenges of adulthood.
Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields.
Created with magic legends Penn & Teller, Mischief conjure up an evening of grand illusion.
The company play a hapless gang of magicians presenting a charity event. As the accidents spiral out of control, so does their fundraising target!
Written by Penn Jillette, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields and Teller. Co-produced by JJ Abrams.
