Gary Wilmot To Premiere Debut Play WHILE THEY WERE WAITING At Upstairs At The Gatehouse
The new two-hander will run in London from February through March 2026.
By: A.A. Cristi Dec. 16, 2025
British stage and screen entertainer Gary Wilmot will premiere his debut play WHILE THEY WERE WAITING at Upstairs at the Gatehouse in London. The world premiere production will run from Thursday, February 26 through Sunday, March 22, 2026.
Written by and starring Wilmot, While They Were Waiting marks his London playwriting debut. The production reunites Wilmot with actor and comedian Steve Furst, whose career spans stage, television, radio, and film. The two previously shared a dressing room during a production at The National Theatre, an experience that inspired the play’s central premise.
Set in a mysterious waiting room, the play follows Mulberry, a no-nonsense loner who has made waiting a personal ritual, and Bix, a curious and seemingly simple companion who unexpectedly joins him. As the two men pass the time, their initial inconvenience develops into an unlikely friendship shaped through a series of surreal and increasingly strange encounters. The play examines companionship, connection, and the significance of moments that often go unnoticed.
Wilmot, an Olivier Award nominee and recipient of an MBE for services to drama and charity, is known for his extensive career in musical theatre and comedy, including roles in Me and My Girl, The Wizard of Oz, and Something Rotten!. Furst is widely recognized for his comic work across multiple media, including his long-running persona Lenny Beige.
The production blends physical comedy and dialogue-driven scenes to explore how waiting—often seen as empty time—can become a space for reflection and transformation. The show is produced by Chromolume, the in-house production company of Upstairs at the Gatehouse, whose recent productions include Dr Freud Will See You Now and Mrs Hitler.
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