The Upstart Crow
| The Upstart Crow | |
|---|---|
 Poster from the original London production | |
| Written by | Ben Elton |
| Date premiered | 7 February 2020 |
| Place premiered | Gielgud Theatre, London |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Setting | 1605, London |
The Upstart Crow is a stage play by Ben Elton developed from his BBC TV sitcom Upstart Crow.
Production history[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Laurence Olivier Awards | Best Entertainment or Comedy Play | Nominated | |
See also[edit]
- Greene's Groats-Worth of Wit - 1592 pamphlet, source of the phrase "upstart crow"
References[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ Gielgud Theatre website, accessed February 16, 2020.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ "West End and UK Theatre venue performances cancelled due to coronavirus". What's on Stage. 16 March 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ Programme (2020), p. [16]
- ^ Programme (2020), p. [4]
- ^ 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.
- ^ Lawson, Mark (17 February 2020). "The Upstart Crow review – authentically Shakespearean right down to the puffling pants". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
- ^ 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[edit]
- Programme, The Upstart Crow, Gielgud Theatre (2020)