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‘Entertaining comedy with pathos’: JACK ABSOLUTE FLIES AGAIN – National Theatre

In London theatre, Opinion, Other Recent Articles, Plays, Reviews by Not Exactly BillingtonLeave a Comment

“What will happen in England after we have won this war? Bunting! Bunting everywhere!” Richard Bean and Oliver Chris’ new play Jack Absolute Flies Again at the National Theatre takes R.B. Sheridan’s 1775 farce The Rivals and updates the setting to a Sussex country house in The Battle of Britain. The romantic pursuits, mistaken identities and malapropisms from The Rivals are combined with Bean’s typically bawdy sense of humour, some impressive aerial dogfights and a dose of WWII patriotism. The result is an entertaining, albeit safe and slightly too long, comedy with pathos.

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‘Utterly joyous’: JACK ABSOLUTE FLIES AGAIN – National Theatre

In Comedy, London theatre, Opinion, Other Recent Articles, Plays, Reviews by Maryam PhilpottLeave a Comment

Delayed by Covid for over two years, Jack Absolute Flies Again finally lands on the Olivier stage when we have never needed Richard Bean and Oliver Chris’ goofy and hilarious romp more. An adaptation of Sheridan’s The Rivals relocated to a 1940s air base on a Sussex estate, there is a care in the construction of the play and a determination that everyone watching should have a good time that speaks to a wider need for lighter fare.

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‘A superb choice to lift a nation’s spirits’: ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS – National Theatre (Online review)

In Features, London theatre, Musicals, Opinion, Plays, Reviews by Maryam PhilpottLeave a Comment

The first show in the National Theatre at Home programme was the 2011 smash-hit One Man, Two Guvnors, one of the great success stories of the Nicholas Hytner era, a cheeky farce written by Richard Bean and starring National Theatre favourites James Corden and Oliver Chris.

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‘This proves that staying in really does have its compensation’: ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS – National Theatre (Online review)

In Comedy, London theatre, Online shows, Opinion, Plays, Reviews by Aleks SierzLeave a Comment

These shows, originally filmed as part of the flagship’s NT Live project, are now available on its YouTube channel. The first is Richard Bean’s gloriously silly farce, One Man, Two, Guvnors, starring the irrepressible and Tony-award winning James Corden.

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‘Trying to capture just a spark of that charge that comes with live theatre’: ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS – National Theatre (Online review)

In London theatre, Online shows, Opinion, Plays, Reviews by Ian FosterLeave a Comment

National Theatre at Home is a huge success. The type of scheme that only large institutions can hope to really pull off but even so, managing the kind of appointment-to-view occasion that was its debut with One Man, Two Guvnors was still a remarkable achievement.

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‘Re-living the past so intensely is eerie’: ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS – National Theatre (Online review)

In London theatre, Online shows, Opinion, Plays, Reviews by Tom BoltonLeave a Comment

After the theatres closed, the National Theatre was quick to announce a free mini-season of online shows from their NT Live broadcasts, which immediately became the only evening bookings in thousands of newly empty diaries. The first Youtube show – Nicholas Hytner’s mid-2000s mega-hit, One Man, Two Guvnors – had a real sense of anticipation.

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NEWS: National Theatre announces 15 productions of new plays & fresh adaptations by leading writers

In London theatre, Native, News, Plays, Press Releases, Sticky by Press Releases

The National Theatre has announces 15 productions of new plays and fresh adaptations by leading writers. Olivier Theatre  My Brilliant Friend 12 November 2019 to 18 January 2020 (Press day is 26 November). Plays in rep, with further performances to be announced Following a sell-out run at Rose Theatre Kingston, the two-part adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend by April De Angelis is reworked …

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NEW: Gwendoline Christie leads the cast of Nicholas Hynter’s immersive production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Bridge Theatre

In London theatre, Native, News, Plays, Press Releases, Sticky by Press ReleasesLeave a Comment

Gwendoline Christie, Oliver Chris, David Moorst and Hammed Animashaun lead the cast as Titania, Oberon, Puck and Bottom in Nicholas Hytner’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream which has its first performance in the Bridge Theatre’s immersive format this summer on 3 June 2019.

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Mind the Advent: 24 days celebrating a year’s theatregoing > #theatre2017 #YearInReview

In Features, London theatre, Musicals, Native, Opinion, Photos, Plays, Reviews by Debbie GilpinLeave a Comment

You know what time of year it is – so I’ve just been through my annual Mind the Advent countdown! As I’ve seen a personal best number of different shows this year, the sheer volume of actors (and performances) have really been stacking up and making my life difficult – in terms of summing up my favourites of the year, that is. So here is a bit of a sneak preview of what’s to come in my highlight posts…