Comedians

Synopsis

A play set in Manchester about an evening class of would be comedians during the mid-70's. A time when Bernard Manning and co were the kings of comedy and Harold Wilson struggled to lead a country rocked by IRA bombs and wracked by industrial strife. A time when Bowie, Abba and Bay City Rollers were topping the charts and fashion was not retro-chic, just embarrassing. 'Comedians' is one of the landmark plays of the 70's, a combination of tense drama, high entertainment and socio-political debate. Not suitable for children

Our Review:

Michael Coveney - 15 October 2009

As a play about the art of comedy and its wellsprings, Trevor Griffiths’ 1975 play Comedians is unmatched. And Sean Holmes’ superb revival, his first as artistic director at the Lyric Hammersmith, confirms the play’s status as a modern classic. It’s a fantastic evening of theatre.

Are remarks about women, or ethnic minorities, necessarily the product of misogyny and racism? The Manchester evening class of six budding comics, assembling for their make-or-break audition under the tutelage of Eddie Waters, an old-time vaudevillian, are challenged to make their acts count.

First, Eddie (Matthew Kelly, giving his fourth remarkable stage performance of the year) urges them to be truthful. Then booking agent Bert Challenor (Keith Allen), who played on the same bill as the legendary Frank Randle and remembers Eddie being brilliant “before the war”, urges them to suck up to the audience: “We can’t all be Max B...

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Latest User Review

fred - 22 October 2009:

Superb production and terrific ensemble cast. David Dawson is astonishing as Gethin Price. There is still enough rascism, sexism and homophobia around to justify a revival of this wonderful play. ...

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