LONDON – Rowan Atkinson will return to the West End next year with his first comedy sketch show in 40 years, marking his return to the theatre after more than a decade, reported PA Media/dpa.
The award-winning actor, 71, will take the stage at London’s Gillian Lynne Theatre in “Rowan Live”, which will combine new material with some of his best-known comedy sketches and characters.
Atkinson rose to fame in the late 1970s starring in the BBC sketch show “Not The Nine O’Clock News”, before taking the title role in the mock-historical comedy “Blackadder” in the 1980s.
He became a household name in the 1990s after co-creating and starring in the television series “Mr Bean”, playing the largely silent and chaotic character known for his childlike antics.
Atkinson will revisit these characters in “Rowan Live” while also performing new material created with his long-term collaborators, screenwriter Richard Curtis, comedian Ben Elton and composer Howard Goodall.
“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,” he said.
“Rowan Live” is billed as a celebration of Atkinson’s work and will feature 30 performances at the London venue from Feb 8 to March 13.
Curtis and Goodall have frequently collaborated with Atkinson throughout his career, having met him during his time at Oxford University in the 1970s.
Curtis worked with Atkinson on “Mr Bean” and “Blackadder” and is also an award-winning screenwriter, producer and director known for films including “Love Actually”, “Notting Hill” and “Four Weddings and a Funeral”.
“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,” Curtis said.
“Fifty 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.
“I hope it will make people very happy.”
Goodall composed the music for “Rowan Live”, which will be directed by Raz Shaw and presented by Playful Productions in association with PBJ Management.
The production marks Atkinson’s first West End stage appearance since he starred in a revival of Simon Gray’s award-winning play “Quartermaine’s Terms” in 2013.
Tickets will be available to the public from noon on Oct 7, with priority booking opening beforehand. –BERNAMA