ABOUT THE PLAY

 

LENNY manages to be both brutally frank and highly romanticized in detailing the short life and career of influential, controversial stand-up comedian Lenny Bruce. The chronology hops, skips and jumps between Lenny (Eddie Izzard) in his prime and the burned-out, strung-out performer who, in the twilight of his life, used his nightclub act to pour out his personal frustrations at great, boring length. We watch as up-and-coming comic Bruce courts his "Shiksa goddess," a stripper named Honey (Elizabeth Berkley). With family responsibilities, Lenny is encouraged to do a "safe," conformist act, but he can't do it. Constantly in trouble for flouting obscenity laws, Lenny develops a near-messianic complex, which fuels both his comedy genius and his talent for self-destruction. Worn out by a lifetime of tilting at Establishment windmills, Lenny Bruce died of a drug overdose in 1966.

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CAST &CREATIVE

 

The Judge - David Ryall

Bailiff - James Hayes

Lenny Bruce - Eddie Izzard

Club Owner - Stephan Noonan

Sherman Hart - James Hayes

Rusty Blaine - Elizabeth Berkeley

Lenny's Father - Matt Devereaux

Sally Marr - Sandra Caron

Aunt Emma - Annette Mclaughlin

Artie - Stephan Noonan

Ernie - Matt Devereaux

Cop 1 - Matt Devereaux

Chinese Waiter - James Hayes

Prison Matron - Annette Mclaughlin

Bishop - Stephan Noonan

Life Reporter - Annette Mclaughlin

2nd Club Owner - Matt Devereaux

Head Tribesman - David Ryall

Witch Doctor - Matt Devereaux

Cop 2 - Stephan Noonan

San Francisco Judge - Sandra Caron

San Francisco D.A. - Annette Mclaughlin

Lenny's Lawyer - James Hayes

District Attorney - James Hayes

Hitler - Stephan Noonan

Eichmann - Matt Devereaux

Film Student - Annette Mclaughlin

Ensemble - Guy Barker, Elizabeth Berkeley, Sandra Caron, Matt Devereaux, Clive Dunsdale, Geoff Gasgoyne, James Hayes, Peter King, Annette Mclaughlin, Stephan Noonan, David Ryall, Clark Tracy

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Author - Julian Barry

Directed by - Peter Hall

Designed by - William Dudley

Lighting by - Rick Fisher

Sound by - Rick Clarke

Choreographer -Vincent Paterson

 

Music by - Roger Kellaway

Masks by - Vicky Hallam

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Trumpet - Guy Barker

Saxophone - Peter King

Bass - Geoff Gasgoyne

Drums - Clark Tracy

Piano - Clive Dunsdale

 

 

QUOTES & REVIEWS

 

EDDIE IZZARD IS FAR AND AWAY THE BEST LENNY BRUCE SINCE LENNY BRUCE; IN POINT OF FACT, HE’S ACTUALLY A BETTER LENNY BRUCE THAN LENNY BRUCE

- International Herald Tribune

 

NOT SINCE OLIVIER PLAYED ARCHIE RICE (IN THE ENTERTAINER) ALL OF FORTY YEARS AGO HAS AN ACTOR TAKEN A DYING COMEDIAN AND TURNED HIM INTO A FIGURE OF SUCH EPIC PROPORTION

- International Herald Tribune

 

IZZARD TRIUMPHANTLY MANAGES TO SUSPEND DISBELIEF. IZZARD’S LENNY MAKES THE EVENING

-Evening Standard

 

IZZARD’S STAR CABARET TURN

-Evening Standard

 

IZZARD’S QUICK-FIRE, VEHEMENT LENNY, FOREVER SCALES THE HEIGHTS OF NERVOUS TENSION, LETS LOOSE HIS PENT-UP, MOCKING FURY AS HE SEEMS TO AD LIB AND IMPROVISE HIS WAY THROUGH SCATHING TURNS

-Evening Standard

 

IZZARD MAKES BRUCE’S JOKES SEEM VIGOROUSLY YOUNG. AND IN A BREATHLESS FINALE OF SCATTERED WITS AND WITTICISM AS HIS FINAL BREAKDOWN HAPPENS IN THE PUBLIC GLARE AND IN BETWEEN LAUGHS IZZARD’S LENNY ACHIEVES HIGH PATHOS

-Evening Standard

 

SPARKS FLY WHEN EDDIE MEETS LENNY

-Daily Express

 

IZZARD PLAYING BRUCE IS A MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN

-Daily Express

 

IZZARD’S INTENSE, INFLAMED PERFORMANCE SUGGESTS THAT MAYBE THESE TWO COMEDY MAVERICKS ARE KINDRED SPIRITS AFTER ALL

-Daily Express

 

IZZARD GIVES US THE BRUCE THE WORLD REMEMBERS

- The Times

 

A FINE PERFORMANCE..IZZARD ENGINEERS WITH GREAT SKILLS...HE IS A BETTER ACTOR THAN I DARED HOPE

- The Times

 

A TERRIFIC IDEA TO CAST EDDIE IZZARD, IN MY VIEW THE FINEST BRITISH COMIC OF HIS GENERATION, AS A MAN WHO SHOWED THE WAY TO TODAY’S YOUNG STAND-UPS

-Daily Telegraph

 

COMPELLING IZZARD TRIUMPHS AS LENNY

-Financial Times

 

THE PERFORMANCE EDDIE IZZARD GIVES AS LENNY BRUCE IS THE COMPELLING TRIBUTE OF ONE GREAT COMEDIAN TO ANAOTHER. AND IT IS AN ASTON8ISHING PERFORMANCE.

-Financial Times

 

ALL ROADS LED TO LONDON’S QUEEN’S THEATRE THIS WEEK WHERE EDDIE IZZARD IS GIVING THE DEFINING PERFORMANCE OF HIS CAREER AS LEGENDARY SATIRIC ARTIST LENNY BRUCE

-Baz Bamingboye, Daily Mail

 

EDDIE IZZARD IS GIVING THE MOST PHENOMENAL PERFORMANCE ON THE LONDON STAGE

-Baz Bamingboye, Daily Mail

 

IF YOU DON’T GET TICKETS NOW YOU’LL BE QUEUING FOR EVER, THE WAY YOU HAVE TO FOR MAMA MIA!

-Baz Bamingboye, Daily Mail