The Rowan Atkinson West End comedy show that fans have waited four decades for is finally on: the star is returning to the West End with his first live comedy sketch show there in 40 years, in a new production that will bring some of his most beloved characters back to the stage alongside brand-new material.
Rowan Live will play 30 performances at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London, running from 8 February to 13 March. The show has been described as a celebration of Atkinson’s “extraordinary body of work”.
“It is 40 years since I last did a comedy sketch show in the West End, and 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,” Atkinson said.
The production has been developed in collaboration with long-time partners Richard Curtis, Ben Elton and Howard Goodall. It will be directed by Raz Shaw, with music composed by Goodall, and is presented by Playful Productions in association with PBJ Management.
Curtis, who has worked with Atkinson for decades, said: “I first saw Rowan perform on stage in 1976, 50 years ago – and it was instantly clear to all of us that we were watching a unique, once-in-a-lifetime talent.” He added: “50 years later, this summer, we started putting this show together in front of a small audience, and all that magic, that unique accuracy and comic genius is still there for all to see.”
“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,” Curtis continued. “I hope it will make people very happy.”
The show was workshopped in front of small audiences over the summer, and promises the full Atkinson repertoire: the rubber-faced physicality, the unmistakable voices and the characters that made him one of Britain’s most recognisable comic performers.
Atkinson first found fame on the BBC’s Not the Nine O’Clock News in the late 1970s, before starring in the much-loved sitcom Blackadder and co-creating the global phenomenon that is Mr Bean. His screen career has since spanned the Johnny English films and some of British comedy’s biggest cultural moments.
His last appearance in the West End came in 2013, when he starred in a revival of Simon Gray’s award-winning play Quartermaine’s Terms — meaning London audiences have waited more than a decade to see him on a West End stage in any capacity, and four decades for a live comedy show of his own.
The Gillian Lynne Theatre, formerly the New London Theatre, was renamed in 2018 in honour of the Cats choreographer, becoming the first West End theatre to be named after a woman. Sitting on Drury Lane at the heart of Theatreland, it is a fitting stage for one of British comedy’s biggest homecomings.
The announcement lands as the West End continues to pull in bumper crowds — Wicked recently celebrated 20 years in London after being seen by nearly 14 million people, while new work keeps the capital’s stages fizzing, from a rowdy audience-participation rom-com in Kilburn to star turns at the National Theatre.
Tickets for Rowan Live go on general sale at 12pm on Wednesday 7 October via the Rowan Live website, with priority booking available ahead of the public release. With just 30 performances on sale, demand is expected to be fierce.
For everyone who grew up on Mr Bean’s silent mischief or Blackadder’s withering put-downs, the chance to see Atkinson live — performing the very sketches in which his most famous characters began — is set to be one of the theatrical events of the year.
