Rowan Atkinson will return to the West End next year to stage Rowan Live,
a 30-performance run featuring characters from across his career including Blackadder and Mr Bean, theguardian.com reported. The production will combine famous TV sketches from shows like Not the Nine O’Clock News with new routines written specifically for the stage.
The upcoming show follows a recent theatrical trend of television nostalgia that has brought stage adaptations of Fawlty Towers, The Good Life, Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em, and Only Fools and Horses to theaters. Rowan Live is scheduled to run at the Gillian Lynne theatre from February 8 to March 13, following the conclusion of My Neighbour Totoro on January 3.
Collaborating Again With Richard Curtis and Ben Elton
Atkinson is re-teaming with writer Richard Curtis and composer Howard Goodall, with whom he originally created comedy stage shows at Oxford University. The team later achieved mainstream success on BBC television in the 1980s through the satirical series Not the Nine O’Clock News and the historical comedy Blackadder, which also featured writing contributions from Ben Elton.
It is 40 years since I last did a comedy sketch show in the West End,
Atkinson stated, as reported by theguardian.com. I thought it would be fun to perform again the sketches that began it all for myself and Richard Curtis, and in which my most well-known characters originated, alongside some surprise new material written especially for this show.
Curtis noted that 50 years have passed since he first saw Atkinson perform on stage. All that magic, that unique accuracy and comic genius is still there for all to see,
Curtis said, according to theguardian.com. It’s such a joy and honour for me to be part of a show that will include the very best of Rowan on stage – all his voices, shapes, faces and characters.
Rowan Atkinson brings decades of physical comedy to stage
The production will feature Atkinson’s physical comedy and character work developed over decades, spanning from his early solo shows in the West End in 1981 and five years later to his portrayal of the speechless Mr Bean in the 1990s. The Gillian Lynne theatre production is directed by Raz Shaw.
Promotional imagery for the show includes props from previous routines, such as a gorilla mask referencing the Not the Nine O’Clock News sketch where Atkinson played Gerald the gorilla opposite Mel Smith, and vestments from a priest routine performed at the 2012 Prince’s Trust gala at the Royal Albert Hall. During that same 2012 event, Atkinson also debuted a modern Blackadder sketch featuring Edmund Blackadder as a bank chief executive and Tony Robinson returning as his gardener, Baldrick.
Frequently Asked Questions About Rowan Live
Where and when will Rowan Live take place?
The production runs at the Gillian Lynne theatre in London’s West End for a limited engagement of 30 performances, opening on February 8 and running through March 13.
Who is involved in the production besides Rowan Atkinson?
The show reunites Atkinson with writer Richard Curtis and composer Howard Goodall, alongside Blackadder writer Ben Elton. Raz Shaw is attached to direct the 30-performance run.
Will the show feature entirely new material?
The production mixes famous sketches from Atkinson’s career—including material from Not the Nine O’Clock News and historical characters like Blackadder—with surprise new material written specifically for this stage run.