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theatre

Flyby (2026)

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Rupert features as Jonathan Jay in the new musical Flyby at the Southwark Playhouse Borough, London from 3 April to 16 May 2026. Flyby is created and directed by the team Theo Jamieson and Adam Lenson.

Click here for more info and tickets direct from the Playhouse!

It will probably help if you have some idea about what is happening before you attend, so here’s this charming synopsis:

Rehearsal photos were taken by Alex Brenner. Pictured with Rupert are Gina Beck, Simbi Akande and Poppy Gilbert.

Reviews

Unfortunately some of the Press Night reviews were not as glowing as we might like, but kudos to the Flyby team for doing something different!

The Stage (limited access to free articles): 4 stars: Extraordinary and absorbing musical

Refreshingly unconventional new musical exploring the fallout from a deeply troubled romance

London Theatre: 3 stars: The roles of the three narrators – Rupert Young, Gina Beck, and Simbi Akande – are underdeveloped; they provide a vaguely professorial commentary, and Young and Beck briefly play Emily’s parents. It’s luxury casting as all three performers are unusually high profile for what’s essentially ensemble work.

… It’s undoubtedly a perplexing piece, and while the book could do with a considerable amount of revision, it is deserving of admiration for being so unusual and wilfully uncommercial. It follows its own path and everyone who sees it, for better or worse, is sure to have a different response.

Theatre Weekly: 2 stars: Emily’s backstory is more developed, though no less clichéd. She is a nepo baby who witnessed her father’s infidelity, a formative experience that the show suggests has turned her into a sociopathic bully. Rupert Young does strong work in the role of the father, largely because he is given something approaching emotional complexity. Gina Beck and Simbi Akande, by contrast, are criminally underused.

… Jamieson’s score is, in isolation, often very beautiful. There is a clear musical intelligence at work, but it is let down by opaque lyrics and muddled narrative framing. A song about sitting still exemplifies the issue.

… The creative team are clearly ambitious and aiming high, but ambition alone is not enough. Flyby reaches for the stars, yet without a clear trajectory it drifts, and it is only the exceptional cast that stop this journey into the void from feeling entirely weightless.

The Arts Desk: new musical is stratospherically impressive

… We start with the chorus (Rupert Young, Gina Beck and Simbi Akande – and, with talent like that, you’re straight away wondering about how good the principals will be!). 

… And, just in case I have left you in any doubt, Flyby is one of the best new British musicals I’ve seen in years, bold in conception and execution and dazzlingly performed. Don’t miss it!

Musical Theatre Review: 3 stars: Their chemistry is clear, but there are also constant disagreements, a hint as to why Daniel will end up travelling solo. Stuart Thompson, as Daniel, is brilliant in bringing the character to life, portraying a whole range of emotions. The same can be said of Gilbert who gives a meaningful performance. Gina Beck, Rupert Young and Simbi Akande are also excellent throughout.

… Flyby boasts unique and poignant storytelling, which works well in the space at Southwark Playhouse. If you’re a fan of new musicals, this one would be worth a watch.

Curtain Call Reviews: Previous iterations of the piece have been developed through workshops and smaller showcases, but this staging feels like a fully realised evolution, with a scale and ambition that pushes beyond typical fringe expectations.

The cast is small but mighty, with two central performers carrying the emotional core of the show, supported by three narrators who weave in and out of the storytelling with clarity and intention. The performances lean into a grounded naturalism, refreshingly real, believable, and deeply relatable. There’s a noticeable commitment to truth in the acting, which makes the more abstract, intergalactic elements feel rooted and accessible. 

… This is a show that doesn’t hand you answers – it invites you to sit with the questions. To reflect. To feel. To consider the ripple effect of our words, our relationships, and our silences.

Monstagigz: 2.5 stars: There’s much promise elsewhere in the creative team involved in this production with Adam Lenson (Cable Street, Southwark Playhouse) as co-creator and director and Rupert Young, Olivier Award-nominated for Dear Evan Hansen, playing various characters including Emily’s cheating father.

… If you’re a fan of new musicals as we are you might find something in This is a show that doesn’t hand you answers – it invites you to sit with the questions. To reflect. To feel. To consider the ripple effect of our words, our relationships, and our silences. FLYBY and Thompson is so committed he’s in tears at its close …

London Theatre Reviews: 1 star: Quite why this slender story requires three narrators is anyone’s guess. Gina Beck, Rupert Young, and Simbi Akande are all gifted performers, but they are wasted here, forced to provide commentary on a plot that consists entirely of two insufferable people being horrible to each other.

An earlier interview can be found at London Theatre Reviews here.

Liam O’Dell: 1 star: If anything, Daniel’s desire to leave (in his case, Earth) is probably the most relatable sentiment of the entire thing.

Broadway World: 2 stars: While the couple (Stuart Thompson and Poppy Gilbert, who give incredible performances and single-handedly save this show alongside the rest of the cast) slowly descends into heartlessness as their incompatibility starts to appear, the other three (Rupert Young, Gina Beck, Simbi Akande) attempt (and miserably fail) to forensically examine their downfall.

Regrettably, the shortcomings fully lie in the writing.

… While the fabric of the show is flawed and flimsy, the production looks great. Lenson’s direction is precise, with clever details sprinkled throughout. The scientists step out of Libby Todd’s gorgeous corner stage to observe their subjects, while projections shower the back walls with informational data and other graphics. These sleek, objectively pleasing visuals and exquisite performances are ultimately wasted. Turn on the news and follow the updates on the Artemis II mission, their flyby is more enjoyable than this one.

All That Dazzles: 2 stars: The other positive aspect that stops FLYBY from being a complete disaster is the sensational cast. Five incredible performers gather on a fairly claustrophobic stage, demonstrating their undeniable talents even when the material lets them down. It is a testament to them that they manage to make FLYBY as watchable as it is, where lesser actors would have crumbled under the confusion from the writing and direction. Rupert Young, Gina Beck and Simbi Akande act as a chorus for the events, regularly appearing as a trio to break up the events between the two leads, doubling as other characters throughout. All three have phenomenal experience, with some legendary roles and even an Olivier nomination to their names, so it is criminal how under-utilised and completely wasted they are here. Their roles are the equivalent of “That could have been an email”, suggesting FLYBY may have flown by a bit quicker had it been a two-hander.

Theatre and Tonic: 2 stars: There are some lovely melodies in the score, beautifully orchestrated by composer and writer Theo Jamieson. But a lot of the songs are discordant and jarring, with quickfire lyrics that mean many are lost. The three actors who provide a Greek Chorus style of narration (Rupert Young, Simbi Akande and a woefully underused Gina Beck) produce some wonderful, rich harmonies that elevate the performance. But these are few and far between.‍ The trio do well to deliver complicated dialogue at a very fast pace with crystal clear diction, although this pace is so fast that it’s hard to keep up despite their capable delivery.

FLYBY’s saving grace is definitely in the lead performances. As Daniel and Emily, Stuart Thompson and Poppy Gilbert are natural, confident and very watchable. Thompson has a glorious singing voice that brings depth and emotion to his impressive solo numbers. Gilbert portrays a very flawed young woman, full of anger and bitterness and hard to empathise with, but once she lets the barriers drop and displays some real emotion, it’s a very powerful and convincing performance.‍ ‍

WhatsOnStage: 3 stars: But the addition of the narrators, while offering some useful context, often feels like a frustrating distraction, and their delivery strikes an odd tone that lands somewhere between excitable podcaster and cod psychologist.

That said, they [the three narrators] are strong performers and, along with Gilbert and Thompson, brilliant singers, too. Which is a good job: the show’s songs, also by Jamieson, are as ambitious as its premise, pushing beyond the usual showtunes (though there are some soaring romantic ballads) and towards chromatic melodies and classical arrangements, played beautifully by the five-piece band, with lyrics both funny and flooring. A fair few could do with a hefty trim, however.

LondonTheatre1: 3 stars: The musical Flyby benefits from having a highly talented and hard-working cast of five …

The other three actors, Rupert Young, Gina Beck, and Simbi Akande, seem grossly underused as a sort of ‘Greek Chorus’ just commenting either in song or speech on the action, and occasionally playing minor roles. For example, Young is asked to open the show in the guise of a representative of the European Space Agency (or similar!), explaining the backstory of what we are about to see. He does this very well indeed: it is not his fault that this opening monologue is far too long – it seems about ten minutes but probably isn’t – and is far too complex for us to take in! In fact, I wondered whether or not the show was actually a musical for some time!

The Guardian: 3 stars: The songs soar and blast in this inventive tale of a toxic romance – though it needs a few tweaks to be truly brilliant

theatre

Dear Evan Hansen (2019)

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Rupert appeared in the West End production of Dear Evan Hansen, as Larry Murphy, Zoe and Connor’s dad.

The production’s London home was the Noel Coward Theatre – with previews from 29 October 2019, and opening on 19 November.

The play shut down during the pandemic, but reopened on 26 October 2021. The production eventually closed for good on 22 October 2022.

This was wonderful for Rupert, as the Broadway production has been enthusiastically received, and won six Tony Awards in 2017, including Best Musical.

Links:

You might like to consider the book published by Nick Hern Books: Dear Evan Hansen: The Complete Book and Lyrics (West End edition). I’m not sure how much Rupert-related goodness is in there, but he did suggest to me that I keep an eye out for it. Though I’m sure he knows I’m a completist, so that might not be a general recommendation! Available from: Nick Hern Books.

Reviews:

5 stars from Alex Wood for WhatsOnStage: … The result is something quite extraordinary – a musical not like any other. … And its success depends entirely on its leading man.  … Debutant Sam Tutty … wears a lot of the characters’ flaws on his cast-sporting sleeve, from nervous ticks to jaunted mannerisms and turbulent dialogue. It’s hard to appear simultaneously nervy while capable of holding the attention of 900 spectators, but it’s something Tutty manages adeptly – the sort of assurance you rarely get from a first timer. … But Tutty’s success comes while sitting on the shoulders of some titanic supporting performances … In a piece that spends a large portion of its runtime focussing on the anxieties of teens, it’s often the adults that steal the show – Rupert Young and Lauren Ward present a rich, textured relationship as Murphy’s parents … Dear Evan Hansen is a desperately powerful exploration of a troubled teen sacrificing the truth for a sense of comfort – startlingly relevant for a world swaddled in screens and fleeting fictions.

Continue reading Dear Evan Hansen (2019) →

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Plenty (2019)

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Rupert is the character Codename Lazar in this production of David Hare’s play Plenty, at the Chichester Festival Theatre from 7 to 29 June 2019. The director is Kate Hewitt, and Rachael Stirling plays the lead character Susan Traherne.

Reviews

5 stars from Gary Naylor for Broadway World UK: Rachael Stirling holds the narrative together, her Susan frightened, ecstatic, cruel, seductive, charming and charmless. She’s never at ease, the old espionage agent’s compulsive desire to look over the shoulder of the person to whom one is speaking, both a literal and metaphorical compulsion.

Amongst the fine support, Yolanda Kettle shines as would-be artist Alice, the dilettante surrogate daughter, whose on-off emotional, sexual and financial dependency on Susan appeals to her fantasy of replaying the rescue scene in the forest over and over again.

4 stars from Michael Billington for The Guardian: Rachael Stirling is excellent in Kate Hewitt’s invigorating production of a play about individual and national unease.

4 stars from Ian Murray for WhatsOnStage: Some will no doubt see Plenty as a dissection of madness, yet it is more than that. It is the question of what someone will do to be truly free regardless of the consequences.

4 stars from Dominic Cavendish for The Telegraph (registration / paywall): Rachael Stirling triumphs as a fearless Bond-like figure in David Hare revival. …

Rachael Stirling gives us no cute, idealised portrait of bravery: the character’s trembling need kindles reciprocal ardour in Rupert Young’s insouciant-acting stranger (Code name Lazar); in their embrace lies the adrenal romance of wartime.

“The fact that you could meet someone for an hour or two and see the very best of them and then move on. Can you understand?” she [later] tells a diplomat called Brock …

Phil Hewitt for Chichester Observer: There are fine moments in Kate Hewitt’s revival, and she’s assembled a fine cast; but it’s difficult to believe that this is David Hare at his best or even a David Hare particularly worth revisiting.

2 stars from Dominic Maxwell for The Sunday Times (paywall): Meaty main role ends up overcooked in revival of modern classic.

Matt Merritt for The Portsmouth News: Rachael Stirling gives a fine performance in the leading role; building to eruptions of grief, purposely baiting Brock’s bosses over Suez. She’s never really served by the material though. It doesn’t help that some of her most important dialogue is thrown away as a recording to cover a scene change.

This, we’re told, is a modern classic. For the life of me I have no idea why and the hard work of the cast can do nothing to dissuade me.

4 stars from Tim Walker for The New European: On the surface, this is an incredibly stylish piece of theatre complete with great recreations of ambassadorial black tie dinner parties and parachute jumps into enemy territory. Nina Dunn’s video design is superb with its moody images of Stirling projected on to the walls, and, at the end, the whole stage opens up as much as the characters.

On a deeper level, it amounts to a timely full-blown exercise in psycho-analysis for the nation, and it asks a question pertinent to our times: what ultimately have we got, when we take away the occasional historic moments of unity and acts of heroism, to bind us all together? In short, who are we? I’m honestly not sure any more.

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Twelfth Night (2018)

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Rupert stars as the Duke Orsino in this musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night. The adaptation was conceived by Kwame Kwei-Armah and Shaina Taub, with Taub writing the music and lyrics, and is co-directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah and Oskar Eustis. It is Kwei-Armah’s first offering as Artistic Director at the Young Vic Theatre.

The show runs from 2 October to 17 November 2018 at the Young Vic in London. More details and tickets available at the official website.

You can read an interesting interview with Gabrielle Brooks (Viola) by Kate Berrington, about the accessibility of Shakespeare, in the British Vogue, 14 October 2018.

The banner is from a production photo by Johan Persson, sourced on the Young Vic page on Facebook.

Julie’s Response (with spoilers)

I’ve been lucky enough to see this play twice now, and I’ve loved it. I have to admit to being a bit wary the first time, as the reviews (quoted below) had led me to fear the play was Not Quite Shakespeare, and maybe there wouldn’t be enough Orsino, either. So I was very relieved to find that none of this was so.

The story we’re already familiar with from Shakespeare’s play was certainly compressed in this adaptation, but it was all in there. (And it’s not one of his longer plays, anyway.) The romance and comedy from the original was emphasised in this version, and the cruelty and pain featured less so, but again it was all there. Or maybe I just didn’t miss a lesser emphasis on the aspects of the play I find most challenging and/or problematic…?

Or maybe we feel the pain less because in this production Malvolio retains his self-love, his belief in his own intrinsic greatness, despite being so cruelly dealt with. I’ve seen productions which end things very bitterly, with Sir Toby’s marriage to Maria being foreshadowed as disastrous, Malvolio’s threat of revenge coming from a broken man, Feste alone, Andrew Aguecheek dismissed, and so on. This adaptation does not interpret the outcomes in such ways, and I don’t know that there’s any reason in the original text why it shouldn’t do so. Why not, instead, end with not only the main romances being properly aligned, but also with a joyous song including everyone in a renewed community, and Orsino and Antonio (formerly wartime enemies) shaking hands in a spirit of kindness and reconciliation…?

The themes of this show are love and joy, acceptance of others as they are, and having the courage to be one’s own full self. To find such subject matter in Twelfth Night is no stretch at all.

Much of the spoken dialogue came directly from Shakespeare, and the lyrics were often inspired by the original play as well. I can’t imagine Shakespeare himself being fastidious about such a joyous and accessible experience. He created popular entertainment, too, after all!

As for Rupert … oh, he does play a lover so very well! Orsino isn’t exactly the largest role in the original play. However, this adaptation focuses more on the confused triangle of love between Orsino, Olivia and Cesario/Viola, and so we are blessed with more Rupert than I’d feared! Alas, he is absent for a longish stretch in the latter parts of the play, but he has so much lovely stuff to do in the early parts and in the last scenes, that I can cope with that.

It’s not unexpected to find Rupert called “effortlessly charming” in reviews, including one reviewer this time who wondered why on earth Olivia was resisting him at all! But we know that love doesn’t work like that, or at least not in this play. It was sweet to watch Orsino feeling heart-wrenched by Olivia, but also responding despite himself to Cesario. Right from the start he’s noticing Cesario’s irresistible smile, and soon he’s returning it in kind. (This comes with extra frisson, as Brooks is the most convincing Cesario I’ve seen.) The love triangle is all very genuine, as is the resolution once Sebastian makes a fourth – which compares nicely to the irresponsible antics of Sir Toby’s crew, and to Malvolio’s self-important dramatics.

Everyone does an absolutely terrific job here, though my heart was mostly caught up by Rupert, Gabrielle Brooks (Cesario/Viola) and Natalie Dew (Olivia). There is lots of laughter and lots of energy along the way, and only one scene which left me a bit indifferent. The community chorus were superb, and it was great to see they were diverse in all kinds of ways – including age, with a few older characters. Inclusion is, self-evidently, the way to go!

So, it’s five stars and three cheers from me for the Young Vic and the artistic directions of Kwame Kwei-Armah!

Reviews

Review Round-Up by Fergus Morgan, The Stage, 10 October 2018.

The first show by a new Artistic Director is an important indicator of what’s to come, a chance to establish the tone for the ensuing years with a memorable statement about the kind of theatre they want to make. In assuming responsibility for the Young Vic, a musical version of Twelfth Night may not be the obvious choice for an inaugural show but it’s community-based inclusive staging and strong equality message has Kwame Kwei-Armah setting-out his stall from the start. … This version of Twelfth Night is designed to engage the audience as much as possible beginning with barbecue food and interaction with some of the performers. Robert Jones’ cartoonish set juts-out into the audience guaranteeing everyone a good view, while maximum use is made of the auditorium’s exit points and staircases. They really want you to have a good time and with plenty of comic focus and a rousing love-in finale the feel-good factor is dialled-up to the max. … Gerard Carey may be the best Malvolio you’ve ever seen, utterly embodying Olivia’s taunt that “you are sick of self-love” and given the most astonishing tap routine with a hilarious interpretation of the yellow stockings segment. … Olivia (Natalie Drew) becomes amusingly beguiled by Cesario, an interaction played for comic effect which Drew sells superbly, but Orsino’s devotion is almost entirely serious and Rupert Young is charming as the heartbroken Duke aching with unrequited love. Brooks is equally enchanting as the suffering Viola in disguise, but the emphasis on the humour takes away from some of the pain of Shakespeare’s original, that fine balance between light and dark captured in the songs isn’t reflected in the storytelling as well as it could be. 3.5 stars from Maryam Philpott, The Reviews Hub, 12 October 2018

Continue reading Twelfth Night (2018) →

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Emma: A New Musical (2018)

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I was blown and overblown with bliss to discover that Rupert was taking part in the London workshop for a new adaptation of Jane Austen’s masterpiece, titled Emma, A New Musical. Rupert was quite naturally cast as that quintessential English gentleman Mr Knightley. A separate (presumably concurrent) production is planned for Broadway.

We don’t have any details of dates yet, but here’s the announcement in broadwayworld.com.

And I would just like to add OMFG!!!

theatre

Gaslight (2017)

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Well, those of us able to catch Gaslight on its tour through England are in for another theatrical treat! This play is a classic thriller, written in 1938 by Patrick Hamilton, and set in a drawing room in Victorian-era London. This production is directed by Anthony Banks.

I loved the set, which was small and neat yet intricate, allowing for all kinds of surprises. The lighting and sound helped place the room in the real world, and also added greatly to the changing moods and a creeping sense of dread. Kudos to designer David Woodhead, lighting designer Howard Hudson, and composition and sound designers Ben and Max Ringham.

Rupert Young and Kara Tointon as the Manninghams (photo by Manuel Harlan)

Rupert is wonderful as Jack Manningham, the plausible, handsome husband who has turned into a plausible, manipulative terror. I’ve said it before, I know, but he really is far too good at this sort of thing. You can see why his young wife Bella married him, and why she still finds moments of happiness in their marriage – and you can also see how he could get away for too long with cruelly undermining her. Luckily for Bella, she has a friend or two she’s not yet aware of.

Kara Tointon is terrific as Bella, a bright young woman haunted by the memory of her mother dying insane. I won’t spoil anything, but even as the mysteries are revealed and her innocence reaffirmed, she still fears she’ll end up with the same fate.

Keith Allen is, of course, delightful as ‘Rough (a visitor)’ and delivers some of the funniest lines with great aplomb, while managing a great deal of stage business.

The main three actors are wonderfully supported by Helen Anderson, Charlotte Blackledge and the ensemble.

If you can go, I’d recommend it! The first night’s audience really enjoyed it, and I suspect we won’t be the only ones.

The play is touring England as follows. You can buy tickets via ATG Tickets, except where a separate ‘booking info’ link is provided below.

  • Birmingham, New Alexandra Theatre: 6-14 January 2017
  • Aylesbury, Waterside Theatre: 16-21 January 2017
  • Woking, New Victoria Theatre: 23-28 January 2017
  • York, Grand Opera House: 30 January – 4 February 2017
  • Brighton, Theatre Royal: 6-11 February 2017
  • Cambridge, Arts Theatre: 13-18 February 2017: booking info
  • Sheffield, Lyceum: 20-25 February 2017: booking info
  • Malvern Theatre: 27 February – 4 March: booking info
  • Richmond Theatre: 6-11 March 2017
  • Cardiff, New Theatre: 14-18 March 2017: booking info

P.S. It doesn’t hurt that Rupert looks so damned dapper in those clothes!

ETA: There is an interesting article about the lighting here. The lighting equipment was provided by the company White Light.

Reviews

It’s not, as Hamilton himself admitted, “a great work of art”. Poor Rupert Young – playing the manipulative bounder Jack with a judicious mixture of lordly but kindly condescension and explosive viciousness – even got booed at the opening-night curtain-call in Birmingham, as if this was panto. But the psychological essentials of this potboiler hold good, and, as with The Archers’ abuse storyline, who’s to say that real-life doesn’t acquire the hue of dark melodrama when male-female relations hit their nadir? 4 stars from Dominic Cavendish, The Telegraph, 11 January 2017

… the production relies heavily on the performances of its small cast as the plot gradually thickens. 4 stars from Diane Parkes, What’s On Stage, 12 January 2017

Testament to the terrifyingly convincing performance of the sadistic, psychotic Jack Manningham came by the chorus of boos actor Rupert Young received as he took a final bow at the New Alexandra Theatre where the production this week begins a national tour. Young oozed menace as he both charmed and petrified his tormented wife in a twisted power game. Humiliating her with his roving eye and deliberately shaming her before the servants to undermine and ostracise her, a cold chill swept the theatre as a hatred of the character developed. In his Victorian costume, Young swept onto the dimly-lit stage with his huge Jekyll-like shadow looming large and leaving the gripped audience biting their nails in apprehension as the tension built. Review by Diane Davies, Express and Star, 11 January 2017

While Rupert Young’s Jack Manningham is perhaps underplayed in the first half, after the interval he becomes frighteningly intense and scarily unpredictable as the air of threat increases. His moods swing ever more widely as he begins to suspect that something is now happening that is beyond even his control. 4 stars from Selwyn Knight, The Reviews Hub, 11 January 2017

… the real brilliance of Gaslight is unearthed in the joy of the actors’ craft … Going by the stellar performance the cast gave on opening night, you need to get your hands on some tickets, because it sounds like they have a whole lot more, if that’s even possible, to pull out of their theatrical bag. Review by Madeleine Bourne, Redbrick, 11 January 2017

As her bullying husband, Jack, Rupert Young domineers, exuding evil. What begins as a study in mental cruelty swiftly becomes something even darker as the true nature of the man Bella married is brought to light. … You can tell it’s working when the villain is booed during his curtain call! Review by William Stafford, Bum on a Seat, 11 January 2017

… the play’s real chill lies in the warped dynamic between Bella and her husband. Young oozes psychological menace as he slowly picks away at his wife’s grip on sanity … 4 stars from Claire Allfree, Metro, 13 January 2017

This suspenseful play kept me engaged throughout, with each character easily holding my attention. It’s a production that had everything, from gradually building tension to surprising but greatly welcome humour. It’s a shame it wasn’t longer, though – it was such a pleasure to watch that the time flew by way too quickly. Gaslight is definitely one not to be missed. 5 stars from Rhian Atherton, What’s On Birmingham, 11 January 2017

Jack is an increasingly unstable person and there were moments during the performance where the audience were genuinely shocked at the relationship breakdown between the couple; however this is to the credit of Young and Tointon with some incredibly intense and believable action on stage. … If you want to watch a play and like a twist, then this is for you. Witty, mysterious and beautiful all at the same time. Review by Matt Dudley, Black Country Radio, 11 January 2017

Rounding out the cast is the brilliant Helen Anderson as Elizabeth the housekeeper, and the delightful Charlotte Blackledge as the sassy and flirtacious maid Nancy. Anderson is a master at playing an audience and her scenes with Rupert Young’s darkly disturbing Mr Manningham are particularly enjoyable. Charlotte Blackledge, as Nancy, gets the majority of the laughs of the night, flouncing about with a sour look for her mistress and a lusty one for her master. It is clear director Anthony Banks has had lots of fun in the rehearsal room and the cast mesh beautifully. … A thoroughly exciting evening, with a great cast, Gaslight remains a pertinent piece. 4 stars from Carly Halse, Female Arts, 16 January 2017

Rupert Young gives an outstanding performance. He is completely despicable as Jack Manning the coercive, cruel and calculating husband. His manipulative, menacing character is truly hateful. … This psychological thriller, with palpable moments of edge of the seat tension is a real must see production. 3 stars from Melanie Mitchell, Rewrite This Story, 23 January 2017

The plot is by no mean the most challenging of whodunnits, but the production is well worth seeing. The casting is excellent. Rupert Young towers over Kara Tointon’s slight and frail-looking figure, emphasising visually how his character is able to dominate her. And Keith Allen’s bewhiskered detective adds many moments of levity to such a dark plot. The play is driven along by the skills of the lead actors. In particular, Keith Allen, who encompasses the voracious, and sometimes excitable, character of Rough with great aplomb and adds some wonderful comedic moments. Review by Steve Cowell, York Mix, 31 January 2017

Rupert Young as Jack shows enormous stage presence, physically towering over the frail and pasty Bella as he switches from unctuous and patronising to a furious bully in an instant. … The wonderful set and costumes focus our attention on the drama and the details. However, it’s the acting of the three main characters that carry this through – as an audience we know what’s coming, and Gaslight is all the more fun for that. A great evening, catch it if you can. Review by Gary Cook, The Brighton Magazine, 7 February 2017

Rupert Young plays manipulative and deceiving husband Jack with a mixture of haughtiness, condescension and even, at some points, he’s down right vicious. His character is booed at curtain-call, as if this were panto. Not because the character was terribly played, far from that, but without wishing to spoil what happens, the character got what he deserved. Overall, Gaslight is a dark, yet shining example of a thriller done good. Thoroughly recommend. Review by Hannah Hopkins, Quench, 14 March 2017

See also:

theatre

The Norwegians (2016)

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On 16 November, Rupert did a ‘rehearsed reading’ of The Norwegians, a comedy by C. Denby Swanson, with London-based theatre company Go People.

Links:

I managed to ask Rupert about it when I saw him after Carols in the City, and he said the reading had been a one-off thing – a trial, as it were – which may or may not come to anything.

I also asked Go People for more info, and they kindly replied to say:

This wasn’t a public performance, but rather a reading for industry professionals interested in developing the play further.

Glad to hear you’re as much of a fan of Rupert as we are!

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for a full production, as it seems like fun!

gopeoplethenorwegians500px

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While the Sun Shines (2016)

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This play by Terrence Rattigan was written in 1943, and is set in that period – in the latter parts of the Second World War when London was awash with Allied soldiers not to mention a sailor or two. The action takes place over a 24-hour period, in Lord Harpenden’s chambers in ‘Albany’, a fancy apartment block off Piccadilly in London. The production was directed by Christopher Luscombe.

Alexandra Dowling as Lady Elizabeth and Rupert as Lt Mulvaney. Photo by Tristram Kenton
Alexandra Dowling as Lady Elizabeth and Rupert as Lieutenant Mulvaney. Photo by Tristram Kenton

Rupert plays an American lieutenant, Joe Mulvaney, who befriends the Earl of Harpenden (Rob Heaps) and becomes involved in various ways with the two women in Lord Harpenden’s life, Lady Elizabeth Randall (Alexandra Dowling) and Mabel Crum (Tamla Kari). Mix in a butler, Elizabeth’s father, and a French lieutenant, and the laughs are guaranteed.

The show was very funny, and amusing throughout, even when it became clear that hearts and future happiness were at stake. The set was gorgeously detailed. All the cast were great, and Rob was particularly touching in the early-morning scenes when he seems to have lost everything.

Rupert was his usual superb self, of course. He’s just too good at these romantic and comic roles! Not to mention that we get to see rather more of him than I’ve seen thus far … bonus!

It’s a really fun evening, and I’d recommend going if you’re at all interested.

I said hello to Rupert afterwards at the stage door, and he was his usual charming self. ♥ He is in the process of switching agents to Curtis Brown, though he’s not listed there yet. I also noticed that the theatre programme lists Rupert as appearing in People Just Do Nothing, a BBC 3 show. He said that it was only a couple of scenes – but that’s something new to watch out for. Hurrah!

Reviews

… the American Lieutenant Mulvaney, played by Rupert Young (who is like a young Liam Neeson) … Nancy Connolly at the Bath Chronicle

… very enjoyable summer holiday fare. Yes, it’s a period piece, but a good one. Thoroughly enjoyable. Mike Witton at Stage Talk Magazine

In this flurry of crossed-wires and mistaken identities Rattigan shows himself as a versatile writer and farceur. For those who have only caught his darker works, this is a welcome breath of fresh air.  Marion Sauvebois at the Swindon Advertiser

Rupert Young is excellent as Lieutenant Mulvaney, playing to the full the role of a stereotypical Yank bowled over by meeting English royalty, comically matched by his rival in love Lieutenant Colbert, played with Gallic passion and cod-French accent by Nicholas Bishop. Jackie Chappell at Listomania Bath

Rob Heaps’s charmingly puppyish Bobby is a cheerfully ineffectual individual who after four years in the Navy has failed to become an officer and who sees nothing wrong in his butler tying up his boots each morning, much to the incredulity of Rupert Young’s down-to-earth Joe. … Heaps is ceaselessly endearing as Bobby … Claire Allfree in The Telegraph

The Telegraph review makes a great deal of Bobby’s uselessness, but I think his kindness, decency and cheerfulness more than outweigh these considerations. Just because the world was in transition to a more merit-based notion of leadership doesn’t mean that all the old-fashioned values need be thrown out with the bath water. I thought it also counted in Bobby and Elizabeth’s favour that they were perfectly prepared to do war-work and serve their country in rather more humble roles than they might have expected. (It’s worth noting that neither of them make use of her father’s Old Boys’ Network.) Not doomed, I think, when they are adjusting to change and accepting new roles.

… an utterly glorious, hilarious ride from start to finish, bringing a beautifully-directed ensemble cast together in perfect harmony and earning a big shiny gold star for director Christopher Luscombe, who has skilfully revived one of Rattigan’s lesser-known comedies with an invigorating blast of fresh air. All the action takes place in the young Earl of Harpenden‘s apartment in Albany, London (interestingly enough, the luxurious set is an exact replica of Rattigan’s actual apartment, in which Rattigan wrote the play). Melissa Blease in The Bath Magazine

The proceedings unfold over 24 hours in the Albany “chambers” of Bobby, the young Earl of Harpenden.  It’s the eve of his wedding and the show kicks off with a tease when, naked but for a bed-cover, a strapping American officer, Joe Mulvaney, emerges from the bedroom.  All innocent, of course. … it’s delectably droll to watch the whole chaotic sexual license of wartime exemplified by these rather tidily choreographed shenanigans. Romantic rivals who share a chaste bed, the stereotyped Allies are played with engaging panache by Heaps, Rupert Young and Nicholas Bishop as the French lieutenant … Paul Taylor in the Independent

Immaculately staged and directed by Christopher Luscombe the cast are outstanding. … Nicholas Bishop (Lt Colbert) and Rupert Young (Lt. Mulvaney) provide much humour in their confusion and attempts to repair the damage. … This is a fine production; the humour is well balanced with impeccable timing whilst the physical theatre set pieces resulting in an absolute treat. Petra Schofield at Theatre Bath

It’s hilarious. Or, at least, this production directed by Christopher Luscombe is. … It is almost perfectly cast. Ann Treneman in The Times

awards, theatre

The Philanderer (2016)

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Rupert stars as Leonard Charteris, The Philanderer himself, in this play written by George Bernard Shaw. This production is directed by Paul Miller for the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond, and runs until 25 June.

update 7 December 2016: Rupert has been nominated as Best Actor for The Philanderer, which has also garnered other nominations, in the Broadway World UK awards. You can vote here!

I went to the first show this evening, after an afternoon with Delacroix at the National Gallery and a three-course meal at Carluccio’s. That took care of body and soul, and the play took care of heart and mind!

Not being familiar with Shaw as a playwright, I was surprised by how witty and wordy it all was. Rupert came out firing on all cylinders; he’s just so good at this kind of clever, persuasive dialogue.

The Philanderer production photo by The Other Richard, with Dorothea Myer-Bennett as Julia Craven
The Philanderer production photo by The Other Richard, with Dorothea Myer-Bennett as Julia Craven

Helen Bradbury (Grace Tranfield) and Dorothea Myer-Bennett (Julia Craven) play the women Charteris is involved with, and do a fine job with two rather different characters. Indeed, the whole cast did a terrific job – and it seems unfair to even think about picking anyone out for special mention, though I have to say that Michael Lumsden (Colonel Craven) made me laugh, and made the most of his character’s various actions and reactions.

Continue reading The Philanderer (2016) →

theatre

High Society (2015)

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Oh my, it seems a long time between drinks, but Rupert’s back on stage again, doing what he does so sublimely well …

Rupert is starring as CK Dexter Haven in High Society at the Old Vic Theatre – and for a lovely long run, too, from 30 April to 22 August 2015. I just went to see the first show this evening, and loved every minute of it.

Although the Old Vic is a ‘traditional’ theatre with a proscenium arch, it has been transformed so that this production is played ‘in the round’, with the action centring on a circle surrounded (rather closely!) by the audience, and the musicians in two balconies above. Some of the set transformations have to be seen to be believed; these are nimbly aided by about half the cast and ensemble who play the staff of the estate.

The setting is Seth Lord’s (Christopher Ravenscroft) estate on Long Island, on ‘a glorious Saturday morning in June 1958’. Family and guests are gathering as Seth’s daughter Tracy (Kate Fleetwood) is getting married on Sunday to George Kittredge (Richard Grieve). Amidst a happy swirl of staff, the silk-rustling whirl of a ball is being prepared. In the midst of all this, Dexter Haven (Rupert) shows up. We discover that he is Tracy’s former husband – and we soon realise that ‘he’s a right guy’, if for no other reason than that Tracy’s little sister Dinah (Ellie Bamber) adores him. Complicating matters in charming ways are the undercover journalist duo Liz Imbrie (Annabel Scholey) and Mike Connor (Jamie Parker).

Ellie Bamber is a delight throughout the show as Dinah, and Rupert was absolutely wonderful as her friend, especially in the affectionately playful song ‘Little One’. Rupert is also great as Dexter relates to his former mother-in-law (Barbara Flynn), and he absolutely shines in the clever banter of ‘Well, Did You Evah?’ Of course the beautiful duet ‘True Love’ was guaranteed to have me in tears. I love how an article in the program describes Dexter as embodying ‘easy wit and gentle irony’ – the sort of thing Rupert does so deliciously well. But leaving Rupert aside for just one moment, I have to say I also enjoyed the love stories involving the more mature characters, both upstairs and down.

Rupert with Barbara Flynn, in a rehearsal photo by Johan Persson.
Rupert with Barbara Flynn, in a rehearsal photo by Johan Persson.

The entire cast and ensemble is wonderful, as are the musicians, including consummate showman Joe Stilgoe. It seems wrong to single anyone out for special praise (except Rupert, of course, being the subject of this site!) as everyone delivered their role beautifully – and everyone seemed full of a happy energy. The show is a great deal of fun, and there are some terrific set pieces, which I won’t spoil for you here. Director Maria Friedman has obviously brought a great deal of creativity to the project! But at the heart of it all is a moving story of love and of personal growth.

The bottom line is: Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a fun night of theatre!

Reviews

Rupert Young’s Dexter Haven is loose-limbed and lovely-voiced, with an old-fashioned cheeky chivalry that lets the character sneak by as lightly charming rather than manipulative. The Independent, 16 May 2015

… although Rupert Young cannot banish memories of Kevin Spacey’s CK Dexter Haven in the Barry play, he nicely suggests the gilded privilege of wealth. The Guardian, 16 May 2015

Rupert Young is positively dreamy as the cool and endearing Dexter. Official London Theatre, 16 May 2015

Rupert Young’s CK Dexter Haven (Bing Crosby’s screen role) is refreshingly natural and undemonstrative: a really seductive leading man. The Arts Desk, 16 May 2015

… Tracy Lord’s old flame, Dexter Haven, here played with a modicum of charm but minimal dash by Rupert Young. What’s On Stage, 16 May 2015

… former beau CK Dexter Haven – handsomely taken by Rupert Young – completes the triumvirate of her admirers. London Theatre, 16 May 2015

As the charming, yacht-loving C K Dexter Haven, Rupert Young gives his all. He is genuinely pleasing in most respects, and his scenes with Ellie Bamber’s bratty Dinah are genuine and awash with rapport. He mostly gets away with the singing, but that is not his forte. (Indeed, apart from Parker and Rawle, there is no one in the principal cast whose forte could be said to be singing – a curious position for the cast of a musical to be in.) Young brings a casual masculinity to his scenes which is endearing, but, in truth, the part requires more than that. Deep down, the audience has to want Dexter to end up with Tracy rather than either Mike or her current fiancée, George. But as Mike is by far the most charismatic and persuasive, that is not how things play out. British Theatre, 16 May 2015