Written by comedy legends Harry Shearer (The Simpsons, This Is Spinal Tap) and Tom Leopold (Seinfeld, Cheers), with a dazzling score by Peter Matz, Here Comes J. Edgar! transforms the life of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover into a riotous Broadway-style musical comedy. Now, this outrageous new musical lifts the lid on the man behind the headlines. But were the critics convinced?

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Here Comes J. Edgar! Critic Reviews

"This is a ridiculously fun ride of a musical, with entertaining, outre and imaginative set-pieces. You can see its West End ambitions, and with a bit of brushing up it deserves to be there." -  The Guardian

"Tom Leopold wrote for TV's Seinfeld, Cheers, and Will and Grace, so it is no surprise to see Here Comes J Edgar packed with impeccable character cameos and fantastic one-liners. Judith Owen plays the crimson-bedecked Lady in Red, a brothel-owner who shops gangster John Dillinger (Simon Anthony) to the feds. A smouldering, breathy bossa nova (or it could be tango) inspired song informs us "after every bank job he comes for a wank job". Rheuben Khan delivers a rapid-fire staccato JFK, in swimming attire and a rubber ring. Alphie Parker plays a mean-minded Roy Cohn, who accompanies J Edgar, dressed fetchingly in a sequinned blue dress, to a drag ball. This cues the best number in the show, one that includes the lyric "we love being men" or, at least, being men so powerful they can do exactly as they please" - The Reviews Hub

"This production might be on a small Fringe stage but it feels very much like it has West End aspirations. It is over two hours long but doesn't feel that way as it moves briskly along. Sometimes the comedy is broad, sometimes it feels a little dated, but the emphasis feels more on fun than hard-hitting satire or critique. The newbie next to me might have come to J Edgar blind but he was certainly one of the full house giving the performance a standing ovation at the end." - Beyondthejoke

"it's in safe hands. Writers Harry Shearer and Tom Leopold and director Josh Seymour have produced a gloriously funny musical out of Hoover's life, but they have not left out his dark deeds. Peter Matz's music gives Shearer and Leopold's witty lyrics an extra lift, and Bill Deamer's choreography is worthy of Hollywood it its very best. It's wonderful to see it at a small, intimate 200 seat live theatre in Islington. There are some great lines. Everyone needs publicity, radio commentator Walter Winchell tells Hoover. If he gets publicity, "soon your G-men will be allowed to wear guns and arrest people". And, in a fashionable night club frequented by the stars: "You might want to get up from that floor, Shirley Temple just threw up on it."
- Londonpubtheatres

"Satire of this kind must walk the fine line between lampooning those behind historic evils and accidentally making them sympathetic. Here Comes J Edgar! is a reminder of how difficult it is to get this right, but, mercifully, it gets there in the end."
- BroadwayWorld

"The show doesn't get to exploring the obstacles to Hoover's ascension until the end of Act II, leading to an uncommon lack of true narrative tension. Such a disregard for the conventions of storytelling would hurt a lesser show, but with jokes and songs as strong as this we don't need a traditional Hero's Journey' to keep us hooked. Instead we have a piece that makes us smile and laugh for over two hours, and what's so bad about that? This could be the most purely entertaining new musical of the year and it is surely bound for big things."
- Musical Theatre Review

"If you want good, camp fun with a lot of laughs and catchy songs, Here Comes J Edgar is for you. The two hours ticked over nicely, I was hooked throughout, and not once tempted to clock watch. Since reopening in its new space, The King's Head Theatre has been home to some extremely impressive shows. They can now add Here Comes J Edgar to that list I've no doubt this isn't the last we've heard of him!" 
- Theatre And Tonic

"Ultimately, Here Comes J. Edgar is a strong, well-executed production. While it never quite scales the heights of the riotous, side-splitting comedy it aspires to, it remains a thoroughly entertaining evening at the theater. Backed by a stellar cast and a highly professional veneer, it's a slick ride, even if the man at the centre of it remains a bit of an enigma."
- A Youngish Perspective

"This is a show that deserves to go places, and allows each performer to shine. The band musical director Luke Holman are not too loud or strident. The atmosphere is very tongue-in-cheek, the book is pointed and cutting."
- Lou Reviews

"Possibly the funniest show in town this boisterous musical about someone little known here who died in 1972 is proof that in the theatre anything can happen."
- Reviews Gate