King's Head Theatre, London
Running time: To be confirmed
Age Restrictions: This production is recommended for ages 13+
Tickets from £12.00
Meet Alex, an out-of-work actor who finds himself working beneath Barbra Streisand’s Malibu home in her legendary basement shopping mall. A big hit in New York and London, Buyer & Cellar is an outrageous comedy about the price of fame, the cost of things, and the oddest of odd jobs.
Ten years after the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway production closed, this hilarious one-person show returns to London with the magnificent Rob Madge starring as Alex. Rob is best known for writing and starring in their hit show My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?), which won the 2022 WhatsOnStage Award for Best Off-West End show and, following two West End runs, was nominated for a 2023 Laurence Olivier Award.
Written by Jonathan Tolins, known for his work on Schmigadoon! and The Good Fight and as showrunner of the new hit series Elsbeth, this production will be directed by Kirk Jameson (Song From Far Away, Madagascar The Musical) with scenographer Ingrid Hu (Song From Far Away, Chotto Xenos), lighting design by Jack Weir (To Wong Foo The Musical, Death Drop), composition & sound design by Emily Rose Simons (Miss Julie, Pickle), wig design by Craig Forrest-Thomas (Hairspray, The Magic Flute) and stage management by Rosie Morgan (The Artist, My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?)).
King's Head Theatre
King's Head Theatre
115 Upper St, Islington, Greater London
London
N1 1QN
The King’s Head Theatre stands on a plot of land that has been used as a public house since 1543, though for most of its history it has been known as the King’s Head Tavern (the name itself coming from an old story about Henry VIII supposedly stopping for a pint on his way to see his mistress). The current building dates back to the 1800s.
Dan Crawford took over The King's Head in 1970, and founded the King’s Head Theatre in a room that had been used as a boxing ring and pool hall, establishing the first pub theatre in London since Shakespeare’s day. Under his leadership the pub became well-known for ringing up pounds, shillings and pence until 2008, a full thirty-seven years after the rest of the UK had switched to decimal currency. Five years on, the old till still sits behind the bar. The pub is packed full of other period details, including gas lights, the original bar, old photography, and coal fires that burn continuously throughout the winter.
Crawford led The King's Head for thirty-five years, establishing it as a breeding ground for new talent and great work. The walls of the pub display the multitude of famous faces that began their career here. In 2010, Olivier Award-winning UpClose Productions became The King's Head Theatre’s resident company, and Adam Spreadbury-Maher was appointed the venue’s second Artistic Director, working alongside Robin Norton-Hale who leads the company’s opera programme. UpClose Productions produce at least eight shows a year, and curate the work of visiting companies all year round. The venue’s reputation for nurturing new talent continues, with pioneering Trainee Director scheme (winner of the Royal Anniversary Trust Award in 1992) still being run by UpClose Productions. Recent graduates have gone on to work at the National Theatre, RSC, Lyric Hammersmith and the Globe, plus many other internationally-renowned companies.
Travel by train: Nearest tube: Angel