1st Night Photos: Lily Smiles at Dad's Comedians

Pop star Lily Allen, who is rumoured to be preparing for her own stage acting debut next year in the UK premiere of Neil LaBute’s 2008 play Reasons to Be Pretty (See The Goss, 14 Sep 2009), was all “smiles” last night (14 October 2009, previews from 7 October) at the opening of the Lyric Hammersmith revival of Trevor Griffiths’ 1975 play Comedians, starring her actor-father Keith Allen.

Six wannabe comedians attend an evening class at a school in Manchester in preparation for a performance in front of London agent. Faded music hall star acts Eddie Waters acts as their tutor, in an age when comedians wore dicky bows and political correctness was decades away.

Matthew Kelly plays Waters and, in addition to Allen, the stellar ensemble also features Mark Benton, Reece Shearsmith, Kulvinder Ghir, David Dawson (as Gethin Price), Billy Carter, Simon Kunz, Michael Dylan and Paul Rider. The new production marks Sean Holmes’ directorial debut as the Lyric’s new artistic director (See News, 3 Jun 2009)

TO SCROLL THROUGH ALL OF COMEDIANS’ 1st NIGHT PHOTOS,
JUST CLICK ON THE "NEXT >" LINKS BELOW THE FOLLOWING FRAME.
PHOTOS BY DAN WOOLLER FOR WHATSONSTAGE.COM.

The premiere of Comedians, seen in London at the National Theatre, starred Jimmy Jewel as Eddie and Jonathan Pryce as aspirant Gethin Price. Pryce later reprised his role in the show’s Broadway transfer. There hasn’t been a major London production of the play in nearly 20 years, though Holmes did revive it in a 2001 tour that starred Ron Moody as Eddie and David Tennant as Gethin.

The new Lyric production is designed by Anthony Lamble, with lighting by Simon Bennison and sound by Nick Manning. Its limited season continues until 14 November 2009.

** DON’T MISS our Whatsonstage.com Outing to COMEDIANS on 27 October 2009 – inc a FREE programme, a FREE drink & EXCLUSIVE post-show Q&A - all for only £22!! - click here to book now! **

- by Terri Paddock

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