Rowan Atkinson to star in first West End comedy sketch show in 40 years

Rowan Atkinson will star in his first West End comedy sketch show in 40 years, marking his return to the theatre after more than a decade.

The award-winning actor, 71, will take the stage at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London next year in a show that will combine new material with some of his most famous comedy sketches and characters.

Atkinson found fame starring in BBC sketch show Not The Nine O’Clock News in the late 1970s, before taking the title role in mock-historical comedy Blackadder in the 1980s.

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The star quickly became a household name, and shot to global acclaim in the 1990s when he co-created and starred in the TV series Mr Bean as the largely silent and chaotic character, who is known for his childlike antics.

Atkinson will revisit these beloved comedy characters in Rowan Live while promising new material, which has been created with long-term collaborators screenwriter Richard Curtis, comedian Ben Elton and composer Howard Goodall.

The actor said: “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.”

Rowan Live is billed as a celebration of his “extraordinary body of work”, and will include 30 performances at the London venue from February 8 until March 13.

Curtis and Goodall have frequently collaborated with Atkinson throughout his career, having met them 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 such as Love Actually, Notting Hill and Four Weddings And A Funeral.

Curtis 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.

“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.

“I hope it will make people very happy.”

Richard Curtis hopes Atkinson’s new show will ‘make people very happy’ (Ian West/PA)

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Goodall has composed the music for Rowan Live, which will be directed by Raz Shaw and is presented by Playful Productions in association with PBJ Management.

It marks Atkinson’s first West End stage production since starring in a revival of Simon Gray’s award-winning play Quartermaine’s Terms in 2013.

Tickets for the production will be available to the public from 12pm on October 7 and can be found on the Rowan Live website, with priority booking opening beforehand.