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
The only part of 'One Man, Two Guvnors' that translates effortlessly into the universal language of lunacy is the last scene of the first act, a two-doors-and-one-staircase miniature farce adorned by the presence of Tom Edden, who plays an 87-year-old waiter of the utmost ineptitude. Since the program credits Cal McCrystal as the show's 'physical comedy director,' I assume that he is mainly responsible for the masterly staging of this bit, which reduced me to helpless howling. If you do see 'One Man, Two Guvnors,' be forewarned that it's downhill all the way after that.
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.
| 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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