Here Comes J Edgar at King’s Head Theatre Review
Written by Bronagh for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review. All views are our own
Content Warnings: smoking, haze, flashing lights, death & illness, violence, references to homophobia, mentions of self harm, depictions of firearms and gunshots and references to sensitive material.
Throughout his nearly fifty-year career as Director of the FBI, J Edgar Hoover was widely regarded as controversial. Blackmail, bugging offices, blackmailing presidents… the list goes on. The last thing you would expect is a camp comedy based on his life. In this new musical premiere, we meet Hoover (Bryan Batt) on his deathbed, as his young self (Jess Pratley) takes him through his life as he climbs the ranks to become the self-declared second most powerful man in the United States of America. We get a glimpse into his romantic relationship with Agent Clyde Tolson (Hugo Bolton), old-school showbiz in the shape of Walter Winchell, and, of course, jazz hands.
If you’re like me and have never even heard of J Edgar Hoover, fear not. We don’t need knowledge and history of the FBI service to enjoy the show. In fact, I left the theatre looking forward to googling Hoover and reading his Wikipedia page on the bus home. After watching the show and my subsequent internet rabbit hole, I know that ultimately Hoover was a dark figure who abused his power hugely and had plenty of secrets of his own. Enter Bryan Batt, who is phenomenal in his role as Hoover. Whether he’s acting charming or darkly encouraging suicide, it’s hard to take your eyes off him when he’s on stage.
Written by Harry Shearer and Tom Leopold, the story is simple and easy to follow. No need to overcomplicate things when you have a script full of razor-sharp wit and quotable one liners. Nothing is off limits, and there are a few jokes that make you wince and the odd homophobic slur – even Winchell’s daughter can’t catch a break, and she doesn’t even feature as a character. Despite this, for the most part, the show focuses on the relationship between Hoover and Tolson, as opposed to the backlash and homophobia you’d expect to greet them ‘back in the day’.
The cast make Here Comes J Edgar a total delight to watch. Two personal favourites of mine weren’t on stage for very long, but were both very impactful. Judith Owen, as the Lady in Red, had the audience close to hysterics with her solo number and dirt on gangster Dillinger. Alfie Parker was on stage for a shorter length of time as Tony Clownpants, but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it, not expecting it to be he who unmasks Hoover's cross-dressing antics in front of Tolson. This is a true example of smaller parts being just as important as main parts – you just don’t know what secrets they may uncover.
Sophie Pardon’s set design was very simple, with movable props doing most of the legwork. The space transformed seamlessly from a hospital room, to an office, to a nightclub bathroom with the slick help of the ensemble cast. The orchestra sat ever so slightly out of sight above the stage, not that we could forget they were there for one moment. I could certainly envision this set and show on a larger and grander scale.
If you want good, camp fun with a lot of laughs and catchy songs, Here Comes J Edgar is for you. The two hours ticked over nicely, I was hooked throughout, and not once tempted to clock watch. Since reopening in its new space, The King’s Head Theatre has been home to some extremely impressive shows. They can now add Here Comes J Edgar to that list – I’ve no doubt this isn’t the last we’ve heard of him!
Here Comes J. Edgar! A Comedy Musical plays at King’s Head Theatre until 16 August.
★★★★★
