Always-famished and easily-confused, Francis Henshall agrees to work for a local gangster as well as a criminal in hiding ("TWO GUVNORS"), both of whom are linked in a tangled web of schemes and romantic associations... none of which Francis can keep straight. So he has to do everything in his power to keep his two guvnors from meeting while trying to eat anything in sight along the way. Simple.
Falling trousers, flying fish heads, star-crossed lovers, cross-dressing mobsters and a fabulous on-stage band are just some of what awaits at the most "deliriously funny" (The Daily Telegraph) new play to cross the pond in decades.
Tickets on sale December 1, 2011
Few theatergoing experiences are as joyously liberating as being part of a packed house roaring with laughter at low comedy. That shouldn’t imply any lack of genuine wit in the broad farce and bawdy humor of One Man, Two Guvnors, Richard Bean’s gut-busting update of the Carlo Goldoni commedia dell’arte nugget, The Servant of Two Masters. Striking an ingenious balance between meticulous planning and what plays like anarchic spontaneity, Nicholas Hytner’s production has been a deserved success in London. With virtuoso ringmaster James Corden on hand to juggle the demands of dual employment while wrapping the audience around his pudgy finger, the show now looks set to slay Broadway, too.
I can picture a lonely member of the audience finding “One Man, Two Guvnors” less funny than the people guffawing in the surrounding seats. Perhaps the English accents will present a barrier, or they will be put off by the show’s willingness to include jokes involving protected classes (the hard-of-hearing, gay people, supporters of Margaret Thatcher), or by the persistent silliness or mildly off-color air: A lawyer character works for the firm of Dangle, Berry and Bush. The most likely scenario is for a theatergoer to be disappointed because of the high expectations set by word of mouth, or reviewers like me, giving the impression that “One Man, Two Guvnors” is the funniest thing on earth.
2011 | West End |
National Theatre Production West End |
2012 | Broadway |
National Theatre of Great Britain Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | James Corden |
2012 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Tom Edden |
2012 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Music in a Play | Grant Olding |
2012 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | James Corden |
2012 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Production of a Play | 0 |
2012 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | James Corden |
2012 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Play | Nicholas Hytner |
2012 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Tom Edden |
2012 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Play | 0 |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | Mark Thompson |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Play | Nicholas Hytner |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Grant Olding |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | Tom Edden |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | James Corden |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Play | Mark Thompson |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Play | Paul Arditti |
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