Here Comes J. Edgar, Book & Lyrics by Harry Shearer and Tom Leopold, Music by Peter Matz. The King's Head Theatre, London N1 | until 16 August 2026 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review by William Russell
Photo credit: Mark Douet
Here Comes J. Edgar
Book & Lyrics by Harry Shearer and Tom Leopold
Music by Peter Matz
The King's Head Theatre, 116 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 | until 16 August 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review by William Russell
“The funniest show in town.”
Possibly the funniest show in town this boisterous musical about someone little known here who died in 1972 is proof that in the theatre anything can happen. J Edgar Hoover was director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1924 until 1972, and his deputy and close companion was Clyde Tolson. The show makes no bones about it - they were lovers. In real life it was never proven, although they were apparently known to their staff as Johnny and Clyde and Edna and Mother Tolson. What is true is J Edgar was one of the great American monsters who abused his power to deal with the Mafia, influenced the world in his favour using the columnist Walter Winchell, another great American name Generation Z here will never have heard of, and blackmailed pretty well every President he served all of whom had secrets to hide from the electorate. He stooped to pretty well anything and persecuted Martin Luther King. So why does the show work? As satire it is pretty blunt at times. but it is also full of life and very funny. Partly it works because Shearer, famous from the likes of The Simpsons and Spinal Tap, and Leopold from Seinfeld have crafted a terrific script, partly because director Josh Seymour has staged it with the necessary speed and also there are the performances of the entire cast, especially Bryan Batt as J Edgar, a Mummy's boy forever looking for love, and Hugo Bolton as Clyde, who just wants to have a child and live a domestic life with his man and a pussy cat which are the icing on the cake. They dazzle and delight. The chances are lots of the jokes mean nothing to today's audience and the references to the golden age of Hollywood icons and political figures and mobsters of the past - like Roosevelt, Cohn and Dillinger - are way outside the world they know. But the opportunities they get to shine are seized by each member of the supporting cast while the two leads match any double act you can think of as a comic partnership. We meet J Edgar on his death bed watched by a couple of louche nurses. Then his younger self turns up – played by a girl naturally, then his mother and after that we are treated to his life as he shapes the FBI into the instrument he wants it to be while everyone sings, dances, moves props around and grabs their moments centre stage with all the brio of a Rose doing her turn. Just why it is having its world premiere in Islington is one more oddity about the show – one would have thought it would have first seen the light of day off Broadway although chances are that America's Generation Z would be just as ignorant as the British lot are about who Hoover was. If there is a highlight, and high points abound, it is when J Edgar goes to a special party in drag, although it is possibly matched by the moment when the ever, so conservative Clyde has his business suit ripped off to reveal he is rather pretty in pink. It is staged in two acts although it might be even better if played straight through, but it really is a night out to relish which should fill the theatre for its entire run.
Cast
Bryan Batt – J Edgar Hoover
Hugo Bolton – Clyde Tolson
with
Laura Medforth, Mark Elliott, Lucy O'Byrne,Jess Pratley, Judith Owen, Isobel Grace, Simon Anthony, Ryan Heenan, Martha Pothen, Reuben Khan, Holly Willock, Alfie Parker, Joanna Kirkland
Creatives
Director – Josh Seymour
Choreographer – Bill Deamer
Musical Director – Luke Holman
Musical Arrangements & Orchestration – Ben Feguson
Set Designer – Sophia Pardon
Costume Designer – Tom Paris
Lighting Designer – Jamie Platt
Sound Designer – Nick Lodge
