Andrew Pepper Live at The Crazy Coqs

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Cabaret

“Andrew Pepper, a winner whatever he’s doing”
– Evening Standard

theandrewpepper

Limby.

When Gavin Creel died, I thought I must phone Dian

When Gavin Creel died, I thought I must phone Diane. She was my best friend on ‘Mary Poppins’. We were thick as thieves. She’s not on the internet, so she wouldn’t have known about Gav. I kept thinking I must call and tell her. And then panto started. Must call Di. Panto got busy. Must call Di! I didn’t call Di. And then on Wednesday, Diane died.
There’s never enough time.

Diane Langton, West End legend, lover of big hats, strong perfume and appallingly kitsch dressing table lamps, was the second bird lady in ‘Mary Poppins’. When she joined the show I swiftly introduced myself and started grilling her on all the Broadway legends she’d worked with: Harold Prince, Bob Fosse, Michael Bennett, John Kander. From such magnificent soil grew a magnificent friendship. We’d sit in that tiny dressing room, drink tea, chat and laugh. We laughed a lot. If I told her about some unfair treatment, she’d be righteous and offended on my behalf; then in minutes she’d have transmuted it all into even more laughter. Just one of her many gifts. Undoubtedly, she was the single most spiritual and spiritually enlightened person I’ve ever known. Florence Scovel Shinn and countless affirmations were just some of her gifts to me. Every year, she’d go to India for about 5 weeks to study Reiki. One year, she decided to do “remote” Reiki on me as I was struggling financially. I really wasn’t sure if it would work but a couple of days later I got a repeat fee for an advert I’d done: £500. I called her with the news. She was most put out, “It should’ve been far more than that!”

That little room… She did her best to tart it up. In these pictures it had been bedazzled for Halloween by Gavin. He’d done it as a surprise whilst she was on stage. She loved it. The more the merrier seemed to be her mantra for dressing room decor. Never too many women’s corset lamps!

That little room. She hated it. It was more like a broom cupboard. She deserved an entire floor and yet… I loved it. Aside from the stage, it was the MOST magical place in the building for me. I miss it. I miss her.

Dear Diane. A soft and safe place to land. ALWAYS. Rest splendidly, my beautiful, beautiful friend. XXX💗💗💗💗💗

Sunday: I finally saw the mighty Slava Polunin per

Sunday: I finally saw the mighty Slava Polunin performing in person. I’d been utterly bewitched by ‘Slava’s Snow Show’ before, but this was my first time seeing it with the main man himself.

At the end of the show, the whole auditorium is turned into a snowy playground. And then the after show begins: the audience stays and plays. On Sunday, approximately half the audience played; whilst the other half stood and filmed on their phones. All the while, Slava sat quietly at the edge of the stage, surveying the chaos before him. From the dress circle, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Why is no one paying him any attention?? This is (arguably) the world’s greatest living clown! He’s sitting right there; right in front of you! What’s going on, people?! Occasionally a small child would throw snow at him and he’d smile, but for the most part no one seemed to even see him. After about ten minutes, he stood up and crowd-walked over the audience. I’ve just coined that term. You can have it. Crowd-walking is like crowd-surfing but more suitable for those who prefer being vertical. Slava slipped off the edge of the stage, climbed onto a seat in the middle of the front row, and then walked from one row to the next, supported by the audience’s up-stretched hands. He continued like this all the way to the back of the stalls and then vanished.

I’m not going to try and describe how magical this man is. His is a special kind of magic. It’s gentle and quiet. Unshowy. Economic. Oh dear, I’ve started. I’ll stop. Words are too reductive. I’ll just say this… in the second half he performed that old as time trick where a performer animates a coat that’s hanging from a coat stand. We’ve probably all seen it done umpteen times. Watching Slava do it for probably no more than 2 minutes… was… exquisite. One of the single most beautiful and moving things I’ve ever witnessed. Worth the hefty price of the ticket alone. I felt myself exhale as I watched. A full body exhale. Magic.

Now, three days later, all I can do is picture him sitting at the edge of that stage, nestled into the corner at the top of the steps, quietly sitting, quietly watching. Watching. And then he just got up and left.

Post 2 of 2. 1. Look at her! Beauty! Kudos to ou

Post 2 of 2.

1. Look at her! Beauty! Kudos to our genius lighting designer Sally Ferguson for drenching the place in magic.
2. Tall, camp and weird. Thanks, Time Out.
3 & 4. Just a couple of clowns. I recommend you share a stage with the force of nature that is Eman Akwafo some time. It’s a BLAST!
5. Sonia, our marvellous bard. Fantastic writer. Dream collaborator. Camp connoisseur. Generous to the core. The best audience member you could ever hope to have.
6. £3.
7. How did you spend your Christmas Eve?
8. Icons only. Luminous Summer
9. G# and button. Black out. Pass out.
10. I do.

There’s so much I could say but for now I need to do laundry and sleep for a month. Xmas 2024, over and out!

Post 1 of 2.
3 months. ✔️
1692 performances.✔️
1 broken husk of an actor.✔️

I’m crap at taking pictures because, for the most part, I’m trying (sometimes successfully) to live in the moment. So, here are just a few randoms from a very small selection on my camera roll (plus one I stole) to commemorate these past few glorious months.

1. Squad.
2. Isaiah. My main man. My dressing room buddy. My confidant. The sweetest soul. Teeeeea. He can do it all. Real. He reads ferociously (although he’ll deny it) and he asks the best questions. Truth. I shall miss him the most. Yert.
3. This costume nearly got cut. Not on my watch!
4. Oscar: Oh, what’s that you’re eating, Andrew?
5. Question: What is panto? Answer: Jodie Jacobs! If you wanna learn about panto, watch Jodie Jacobs. If you’re lucky, one day you might work with Jodie Jacobs. J’adore Jodie Jacobs. Jodie Jacobs!
6. Larry.
7. I was actually on the phone to my agent when this photo was taken. Real.
8. Caroline, our DSM. The very best of the best. 10s across the board. No notes.
9. Shania Twain.
10. You like me; you really like me!

Abanazaar has left the building.

Abanazaar has left the building.

An oldie but far too goodie to be languishing in t

An oldie but far too goodie to be languishing in the archives. 🍾
#current #topical #relevant

What a lovely way to end the year! Thank you so mu

What a lovely way to end the year! Thank you so much, @loureviews.blog!
People often ask me to define my shows and I always struggle because truthfully they rarely fit into a nice, neat box. So, to be recognised in a list that celebrates this is wonderful. 💗 I just wish I could have seen all the other shows on the list.
Now seems as good a time as any to remind y’all that I’m back @crazycoqs on 30th January and tickets are selling! 🎟️

#Repost @loureviews.blog with @use.repost
・・・
Some shows can’t be classified as Plays, Musicals, or Solo shows.

Here are my picks of 2024 shows from cabaret, circus, and the unclassifiable!

Perfect Show For Rachel @barbicancentre @fusetheatre

Rewind @newdiorama @ephemeral_ensemble

Afrique En Cirque @southbankcentre @yamoussa

House of Pepper @crazycoqs @theandrewpepper

Lorna Dallas: Snapshots @crazycoqs @lornadallasbrown

Philip Quast: The Road I Took @crazycoqs

Signal to Noise @southbankcentre @forcedents

Bluets @royalcourttheatre

Dagmar’s Vamps of Weimar @crazycoqs @hershdagmarr

Smashed @sadlers_wells @gandinijuggling

Just over a fortnight left in Saltbum. Snooze, ya

Just over a fortnight left in Saltbum.
Snooze, ya lose. 🧞‍♂️

Trailer by DMLK.

RING THEM BELLS! I’m back @crazycoqs on Thursday

RING THEM BELLS! I’m back @crazycoqs on Thursday 30th January!
New year. New show! Ding dong!

I hear those virtual tickets make lurvely stocking fillers. 👀🎄
Ticket link in bio!

Just in the nick of time… HAPPY PANTO DAY! Poo

Just in the nick of time…
HAPPY PANTO DAY!

Poor panto. It sure does get a bum rap; and I get it. There’s a helluva lot of panto that gets cynically thrown together. But the actual art form itself… well, conversely, I love it because it is so devoid of cynicism. What actually is the antonym of cynicism? Panto?

Think about it… if you’re asking an audience to believe that a performer can simulate the back end of a cow, and you’re asking said audience to do that without so much as a double take, well, then you’ve clearly got a helluva lot of faith in humanity, and you should be applauded, that’s what I say.

Life is hard. Cynicism is often the easiest choice. So, an art form that gently coaxes us to be anything but; an art form that actually believes it can get a room full of strangers up on their feet, year in year out, to sing some old nonsense from a giant song sheet, is bloody well worth its weight in gold, I think.

I’ve been thinking long and hard about what picture should accompany such rampant profundity, and then I stumbled across this gem. What better way to honour panto day than a photo of our fearless leader, @nicholailabarrie?! I honestly don’t think he has a cynical bone in his body. Somehow, he’s managed to survive 20 plus years in this industry with his inner child well and truly intact. It’s what makes him so eminently skilled as a pantomime director and so delightful to be in a room with. Be more like Nicholai. Be more like panto.

Happy #PantoDay, to all who celebrate!

Team abnz. Living (and loving) that life @lyrich

Team abnz.

Living (and loving) that life @lyrichammersmith until January 5th.

📸 by See Li.

Sometimes the internet is a beautiful place. Today

Sometimes the internet is a beautiful place.
Today, I picked up my phone and discovered that one of my favourite artists had created a gorgeous piece of art for me. I adore @isalu_ishii’s work; so to have inspired her to put paint to paper is just beyond. If you don’t know her work, give her a follow and bathe in the beauty!
THANK YOU, @isalu_ishii; I love it!
Happy Everything!
And yes, my legs really are that beefy! 👀
💗💗💗

People keep asking when am back @crazycoqs, so her

People keep asking when am back @crazycoqs, so here y’are: THURSDAY 30th JANUARY - 9.15pm. And tickets are on sale NOW. Link in bio, natch!
Get into the groove!

It’s so good, it’s going on the grid. This w

It’s so good, it’s going on the grid.

This was filmed about a fortnight ago when we were still in the rehearsal room. We were all quite nervous that morning. What if they don’t like us? What if they eat us alive? Worse than that, what if they’re bored?
And then they arrived. Absolute sweethearts. All of them. So adorable, so engaged, and for 2 golden hours they played with us.

We’ve moved into the theatre now and this week we’ve been performing school matinees for nearly 600 kids at time. It’s a very different experience. Glastonbury has nothing on 600 primary school kids, trust me! It’s a wall of noise. Sometimes, I wonder if they’re really enjoying the show or just the chance to scream. And then I watch this video and remember these absolute gems who got the story and truly came along for the ride. 💗

Also… when you see a tall, bald guy, just say “Boo!” It’s a great idea.

Kids know best!

Il y a un an aujourd’hui, je déménageais à Pa

Il y a un an aujourd’hui, je déménageais à Paris et pendant trois mois glorieux, j’étais française.

Btw, I’m still French (and I shan’t be taking questions at this juncture).

Ooooh, I’m having a lovely time rehearsing @lyri

Brilliant words from our marvellous panto bard, @s

Brilliant words from our marvellous panto bard, @sonjalal.

On the subject of camp…
Christmas Day in the Pepper household often takes a bizarre turn around 3 Prosecco’clock. It’s at this point that I usually find myself having to explain to my dad why the word “camp” is not just applicable to men with a certain fluidity of wrist. Inevitably…

“But how is Shirley Bassey camp?!”

HOW IS SHE NOT?!?

The question of camp is one I’ve pondered for years. I even read Susan Sontag (and had opinions 👀). I’m non the wiser. Recently, I stumbled across this interview (from the British Comedy Guide) with Sonia. These words are just about the best explanation for camp that I’ve discovered. “Multiplied by daft.” Chef’s 💋.

Btw, I knew Sonia was a true camp connoisseur when I whopped out a Carol Channing number in my audition, and she both knew the song and was excited to hear it.

P.S: Come see our show @lyrichammersmith. It’s gonna be CAMP.

P.P.S: I was once asked to write an essay on camp. I didn’t get far, but it was provisionally called “camp but…” You see, in my experience, “camp” is usually followed by “but…”; and within that “but…” are multitudes. Listen out for it.

About 30 years ago (streuth!), I went up to my bed

About 30 years ago (streuth!), I went up to my bedroom and turned the radio on. THIS song and THIS voice stopped me in my tracks.
And then I came to my senses. I rushed to find a blank cassette tape, shoved one in the player, and pressed “record”. I got about 2 and half minutes of gold and then the song ended. Maybe the DJ had introduced the song beforehand, because he ploughed onto the next track without pause or comment. So… that was that. This was in the days before YouTube or Google or Shazam. And so the song became a great mystery in my life. But I was obsessed with those 2 and a half minutes.

About 10 years later, I finally discovered it was written by Barry Manilow from an original unfinished lyric of Johnny Mercer’s.
And then… tonight… just as October is drawing to a close, I FINALLY (thanks to YouTube) re-heard that version from way back when in its entirety, and discovered it was the late, great Nancy Wilson. Needless to say, I’ve now been on a deep dive. And thank God, because I’ve just discovered this live rendition, performed in 1993 at Blues Alley, Washington, D.C. It’s probably gonna take me 30 years to get over this now. Good grief! What a performance! What a performer! 🙌

#WhenOctoberGoes
#AndWhenOctoberGoes #NancyWilson #BarryManilow #JohnnyMercer

I think we might have broken Jordan. This was take

I think we might have broken Jordan. This was taken immediately after coming off stage this time last week. I can’t believe a week has gone by already. Streuth! I’m sure gonna miss cabaret shenanigans these next 3 months. Although, truth be told, I probably won’t notice too much. If rehearsals are anything to go by, this panto is going to be FUN!

Home for the next few months. @lyrichammersmith ♥️ Just look at her. This is my first time working (for longer than a night) in a Frank Matcham-designed theatre. He sure knew what he was doing. I had a good shufti around the auditorium yesterday and (aside from the boxes) I could only find 8 restricted view seats. The sight lines here are just incredible. As well they should be.

Fun fact: the theatre officially opened
in 1895 as The New Lyric Opera House just down the road on Bradmore Grove. Then, in 1966, the theatre found itself under threat of demolition. So… the auditorium was DISMANTLED piece by piece, flat-packed, placed in storage, and then reassembled on the current site in 1979. Rather fittingly, the current owner of the site is non other than… IKEA!

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Photography by Leo Holden.

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