Cal McCrystal

Exclusive: What’s It Like Performing an Entire Show Completely Naked? GARRY STARR Explains
by Michael Gioia - Sep 23, 2026

Damien Warren-Smith exclusively tells BroadwayWorld about stripping down as his alter ego Garry Starr in Off-Broadway’s ‘Garry Starr: Classic Penguins.’

All the Off-Broadway Shows to See in Fall 2026 - A Complete Guide
by Sidney Paterra - Sep 16, 2026

BroadwayWorld has your official fall 2026 Off-Broadway preview, a complete guide to everything opening Off-Broadway! See West End transfers, stars in play revivals, multiple world premieres and more.

Review Roundup: GARRY STARR: CLASSIC PENGUINS Opens Off-Broadway at Studio Seaview
by Stephi Wild - Sep 9, 2026

The U.S. premiere of Garry Starr: Classic Penguins, written and performed by Damien Warren-Smith, is now playing at Studio Seaview. Read the reviews here!

GARRY STARR: CLASSIC PENGUINS Extends at Studio Seaview
by Stephi Wild - Sep 9, 2026

The sold-out solo comedy starring Damien Warren-Smith will extend its limited New York premiere at Studio Seaview, with the engagement now set to close in October.

HEART BEATS STRONG to Make Edinburgh Fringe Debut at Pleasance Courtyard
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jul 9, 2026

Kickdrum, formed by Alfie Wickham, Kai Porter, and Noah Manzoor, will bring Heart Beats Strong to Edinburgh Fringe, a devised work blending physical theatre, dance, and personal diary entries exploring identity and masculinity.

Review: THE LADYBOYS OF BANGKOK: FULL MOON, Sabai Pavilion
by Franco Milazzo - Jul 6, 2026

Twenty-eight years ago, The Ladyboys of Bangkok made a brief appearance at what was then the Queen's Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue (now the Sondheim, which has committed itself to Les Misérables with a fervour that makes Swifties look fickle). Now the company has finally brought its full touring operation to London. The Sabai Pavilion — a vast pink tent pitched on Shepherd's Bush Green, fragrant with pad thai and ambition — houses what the company bills as its official London debut: a two-hour kathoey cabaret revue now in its twenty-sixth year of nine-month UK tours.

GARRY STARR: CLASSIC PENGUINS Will Make U.S. Debut Off-Broadway in September
by Stephi Wild - Jun 30, 2026

Garry  Starr:  Classic Penguins, written and performed by Damien Warren-Smith, will make its U.S. premiere this fall. Learn more about the upcoming production here.

Review: GIFFORDS CIRCUS: WATERFIELD, Chiswick House & Gardens
by Franco Milazzo - Jun 1, 2026

There is a moment, somewhere between the knife-thrower's insane grin and Brian the Goose making his entrance with the unruffled authority of a minor aristocrat, when you simply have to give in to the magic. Giffords Circus has this effect on people. It has had this effect on people for twenty-six years, and Waterfield — this season's new production, themed around the riverbanks and hedgerows of an England that exists mainly in children's literature — gives absolutely no indication that the spell is about to wear off.

Review: HMS Pinafore, London Coliseum
by Michael Higgs - Jan 24, 2026

A revival of Cal McCrystal’s 2021 production, HMS Pinafore at the London Coliseum charms with wit, a stunning cast, and gorgeous Victorian designs.

The High Life - The Musical Announces Full Cast
by Natalie O'Donoghue - Dec 18, 2025

The cult BBC comedy series The High Life comes to Scottish stages as a brand-new musical, with Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson teaming up with writer Johnny McKnight and director Andrew Panton.

Photos: English National Opera’s HMS PINAFORE at the London Coliseum
by Stephi Wild - Dec 5, 2025

All new production images have been released from English National Opera’s HMS Pinafore, running through 7 Feb 2026 at the London Coliseum. Check out the photos here! 

Guest Blog: 'It’s A Role Unlike Any Other In The G&S Canon': Bass-Baritone John Savournin on Returning to HMS PINAFORE at the London Coliseum
by Guest Author - Dec 4, 2025

I find myself once again poised to set sail aboard the peerless HMS Pinafore, with our production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s nautical-themed masterpiece opening at the London Coliseum tonight!

ENO's HMS PINAFORE Returns With Guest Star Mel Giedroyc
by Stephi Wild - Nov 10, 2025

English National Opera's production of Gilbert and Sullivan's nautical love triangle-themed opera HMS Pinafore returns to the London Coliseum this winter for its first revival, with a major guest star headlining the cast, Mel Giedroyc.  

Mel Giedroyc Will Appear as Special Guest Star of ENO's HMS PINAFORE
by Stephi Wild - Oct 1, 2025

English National Opera's production of Gilbert and Sullivan's nautical love triangle-themed opera HMS Pinafore will return to the London Coliseum this winter with a major guest star headlining the cast: comedian, actor and presenter Mel Giedroyc.  

Cast Set For West End Run of GHOST STORIES
by Stephi Wild - Aug 29, 2025

The cast has been set for the return of Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman's supernatural sensation Ghost Stories to the West End. Learn more about the upcoming show here!

Review: GIFFORDS CIRCUS: LAGUNA BAY, Chiswick House & Gardens
by Kat Mokrynski - Jun 9, 2025

Giffords Circus: Laguna Bay takes audiences and transports them from a 600-seat tent in Chiswick House and Gardens to a beach resort in 1950s America, with sunglasses and leather jackets aplenty.

ENO Reveals New Music Director and 2025/26 Season
by Stephi Wild - May 14, 2025

English National Opera has announced the appointment of André de Ridder as its new Music Director and unveils details of its programme for the 2025/26 Season. Learn more here!

Giffords Circus Will Celebrate Its 25th Anniversary Year With A New Show From Director Cal McCrystal
by A.A. Cristi - Mar 12, 2025

Giffords Circus will celebrate its 25th anniversary year with Laguna Bay with a new show from acclaimed director Cal McCrystal, featuring the return of Tweedy the Clown. Giffords Circus produces shows worthy of the West End but staged in a 600-seat Big Top in the green fields of the Cotswolds and beyond. Laguna Bay will tour from 17th April - 28th September.

Cast Set For UK Tour of GHOST STORIES
by Stephi Wild - Dec 4, 2024

Casting has been announced for Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman’s worldwide cult phenomenon Ghost Stories, which is set to embark on its first full UK national tour opening at Churchill Theatre, Bromley.

Review: EDINBURGH 2024: GARRY STARR: CLASSIC PENGUINS, Pleasance Courtyard
by Kat Mokrynski - Aug 29, 2024

Directed by Cal McCrystal and Georgia Murphy, Garry Starr: Classic Penguins takes audiences on an adventure through as many Penguin Classics books as possible with our host, Garry Starr (Damien Warren-Smith). There’s just one thing that’s a bit unusual - Starr is in the nude. Well, not exactly. He is wearing a tailcoat and flippers, but that’s it.