Bryan Batt Will Make London Stage Debut in HERE COMES J EDGAR! at King's Head Theatre

Star of the hit US TV series Mad Men, Bryan Batt is set to take London by storm this Summer as J Edgar Hoover in the world premiere of the new comedy musical, Here Comes J Edgar!, which opens at King's Head Theatre in July. Performances will run 10 July to 16 August 2026.

Batt, who starred as the closeted art director Salvatore Romano in the TV blockbuster set in a 1960s Manhattan advertising agency, makes his London stage debut in the role of the long-serving FBI boss in the eagerly-awaited stage-show, written by US comedy aristocracy, Harry Shearer (The Simpsons and This Is Spinal Tap) and Tom Leopold  (Seinfeld and Cheers), with a musical score written by the legendary musician, composer, arranger, and conductor Peter Matz (Barbra Streisand and Carol Burnett).

This raucous, no-holds-barred musical tells the public and private story of J. Edgar Hoover who, as director of the FBI from 1924 to 1972,  secured his position as the most powerful man in America by gathering information on the private lives of others. Yet, behind all the machismo, was his concealed sexuality, his secret partying and his lifelong love affair with his deputy, Clyde Tolson. This was a man who stopped at nothing to use the secrets of others to build and exert his control … yet underneath the petticoats of power lay his own secrets … hidden … in plain sight.

This weird and twisted tale is told in the style of a 1950s musical romantic comedy.  What emerges is a sharp and irrepressible comic musical about the love of power and the power of love … and what a simple black dress and a single strand of pearls can do for a guy!

Byan Batt is no stranger to musical theatre. On Broadway he has starred in such shows as Sunset Boulelvard,  Saturday Night Fever, La Cage Aux Folles, Cats, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, Starlight Express, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Seussical, and Beauty and the Beast. He has also appeared in many roles Off- Broadway including being a key member of the long-running, award-winning revue Forbidden Broadway cast. He has featured in over twenty five feature films Including High Tide, 12 Years a Slave, Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game, Spike Lee's Tales from the Hood II, and Jeffrey. His numerous TV appearances have included Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas, The Black List, Law and Order :SVU, NCIS, Scream and  Ugly Betty. Bryan is also the author of three books: She Ain't Heavy, She's My Mother, Big Easy Style and  Pontchartrain Beach, A Family Affair.

Bryan Batt says,  "I am beyond thrilled to make my London theatrical debut in Here Comes J Edgar! at Kings Head Theatre this summer. I truly love everything about London; the people, the history, the culture, and especially the theatre. It's a special assigment to play a historical figure, especially one so shrouded in intrigue and nefarious rumor. The creators Tom Leopold, Peter Matz, and Harry Shearer have crafted a hysterical, sometimes touching, and wildly entertaining musical. Fun will be had by all...including the cast!"

Harry Shearer and Tom Leopold's collective background encompasses The Jack Benny Show, Abbott and Costello, Saturday Night Live, National Lampoon, Ellen, Seinfeld, Spinal Tap, Cheers, The Simpsons and much much more besides. Throw in Peter Matz and you have Noel Coward, Marlene Dietrich, Barbra Streisand and Carol Burnett to add to the mix of comedy musical magic.

Harry Shearer says, “Aside from his more serious acting, Bryan has lit the stage up the past several years in our annual Christmas Without Tears show in New Orleans: funny, great singing, and, to quote Stephen Sondheim, graceful as a grouse.”

Tom Leopold says, “If you thought Bryan Batt was  brilliant in Mad Men, wait until you catch his singing and dancing in Here Comes J.Edgar! The audience will leave the theatre humming his star power! Remember, we told you so!”

The show is directed by Josh Seymour, with choreography by the celebrated Bill Deamer.  The musical supervisor is Benjamin Ferguson,  scenic design is by Sophia Pardon and costume design by Tom Paris.  Lighting design is by Jamie Platt, sound design by Nick Lodgeand and the casting director is by Harry Blumenau CDG CSA. The associate director is Jessica McKenna, associate choreographer is Aimee Leigh and production manager is Adam Jefferys  Arthur Spivak and David Burns produce, with general management handled by James Quaife for Luminous Entertainment Group. Further casting is to be announced.