Kitty February 18th, 2020
Starring David Mitchell in his West End debut and directed by genre master Sean Foley, the Shakespearan sitcom's transfer from screen to stage bowled over the critics last night, earning a galaxy of stars in this morning's publications.
The Guardian led the charge, with Mark Lawson declaring it "most consistently funny and expertly staged comedy since One Man, Two Guvnors". A sentiment echoed by The Independent who called it "a deliriously silly adaptation of the acclaimed sitcom", and What'sOnStage who said It's hard to resist the delirious silliness".
The Times enjoyed the ensemble; "Not that this is remotely a one-man show. Elton's script democratically distributes the comic lines across the ensemble. If Mitchell gets his share of plums, so do Gemma Whelan and the rest of the cast." But perhaps the biggest praise came from The Telegraph who opened their arms to creator Ben Elton, stating " Welcome back Ben Elton, all is forgiven".
Delighting viewers on BBC 2 since 2016, Upstart Crow tells the story of The Bard as he sets out to become a successful playwright, amidst the chaos of family life, ambitious actresses and the commute from Stratford Upon Avon to London. For this iteration, the action moves to 1605 where old Will is tasked with creating a hit following the flops of his last two attempts, Measure for Measure and All's Well That Ends Well. Continuing with the show's irreverent look at Shakespeare and the bawdy times he lived in, expect a ribald comedy that'll perfectly bust those winter blues!
Now showing at the Gielgud Theatre until the 25th of April.
The most consistently funny and expertly staged comedy since Richard Bean's One Man, Two Guvnors
The Guardian
