Black Comedy
by Peter Shaffer
for the Orange Tree Theatre, 2026
“I have never laughed so hard at a man simply trying to move some damn furniture..”
***** Theatre Weekly
What an excellent production, guided by director Caroline Steinbeis.
Hats off to the cast for bringing this performance to life in the most electric and hilarious manner, and to the crew for supporting the livelihood of this production.
If you think you’ve seen comedy, think again, and go and watch Black Comedy.
***** Theatre Weekly
“Steinbeis has great fun exploring the comic potential of the play, loading every moment with an absolute maximum of controlled chaos.”
***** The Stage
“Caroline Steinbeis achieves the necessary relentless, helpless laughter otherwise equalled in theatre only by Michael Frayn’s Noises Off.”
“This is a very happy 100th for Shaffer.”
**** The Guardian
“Laugh-out-loud delightful.”
**** The Times
“It’s hard enough to perform farce well when there’s a fair distance between the audience and the stage. So full credit to director Caroline Steinbeis, along with physical comedy consultant John Nicholson (of anarchic comedy theatre company Peepolykus), for creating a catalogue of very well-executed, increasingly frenetic physical slapstick, pulled off at such close quarters.“
**** WhatsOnStage
“Astoundingly virtuosic precision”
**** Time Out
“It’s fluff, but brilliant fluff.”
**** The Review Hub
“This must be one of the funniest evenings currently on offer in London: surely what we need at a time like this.”
**** West End Best Friend
“Steinbeis’ approach to the physical comedy is as precise and committed as anything seen in the recent West End revival of Accidental Death of an Anarchist.”
“Joe Bannister is simply electric as the sculptor simultaneously juggling two lovers, a prospective father-in-law, two eccentric neighbours and a power cut.”
“There's class comedy here.”
**** Broadway World
“Highly recommended!”
**** London Theatre
“Perfectly executed comic mayhem.”
**** The Arts Desk
“The real artistry in Caroline Steinbeis’s direction lies in the fact that, despite the audience initially being unable to see a thing, the performances are so precise and fully realised that every movement and interaction plays perfectly to the conditions on stage.
The comedy and pacing are relentless, yet Steinbeis manages to control the chaos within such a small space with remarkable detail and nuance.
It is astonishing how something so carefully choreographed can appear so utterly chaotic, and that contradiction sits at the very heart of the play.”
**** All That Dazzles
“Steinbeis has assembled a cast that radiates commitment to the bit.
She handles the farce perfectly.”
“An evening of chaos, physical comedy, and so much laughter.”
“It takes real skill to make something so coordinated look like pandemonium. This production is a wild and joyful ride in the dark.”
**** Everything Theatre
by Peter Shaffer
for the Orange Tree Theatre, 2026
“I have never laughed so hard at a man simply trying to move some damn furniture..”
***** Theatre Weekly
What an excellent production, guided by director Caroline Steinbeis.
Hats off to the cast for bringing this performance to life in the most electric and hilarious manner, and to the crew for supporting the livelihood of this production.
If you think you’ve seen comedy, think again, and go and watch Black Comedy.
***** Theatre Weekly
“Steinbeis has great fun exploring the comic potential of the play, loading every moment with an absolute maximum of controlled chaos.”
***** The Stage
“Caroline Steinbeis achieves the necessary relentless, helpless laughter otherwise equalled in theatre only by Michael Frayn’s Noises Off.”
“This is a very happy 100th for Shaffer.”
**** The Guardian
“Laugh-out-loud delightful.”
**** The Times
“It’s hard enough to perform farce well when there’s a fair distance between the audience and the stage. So full credit to director Caroline Steinbeis, along with physical comedy consultant John Nicholson (of anarchic comedy theatre company Peepolykus), for creating a catalogue of very well-executed, increasingly frenetic physical slapstick, pulled off at such close quarters.“
**** WhatsOnStage
“Astoundingly virtuosic precision”
**** Time Out
“It’s fluff, but brilliant fluff.”
**** The Review Hub
“This must be one of the funniest evenings currently on offer in London: surely what we need at a time like this.”
**** West End Best Friend
“Steinbeis’ approach to the physical comedy is as precise and committed as anything seen in the recent West End revival of Accidental Death of an Anarchist.”
“Joe Bannister is simply electric as the sculptor simultaneously juggling two lovers, a prospective father-in-law, two eccentric neighbours and a power cut.”
“There's class comedy here.”
**** Broadway World
“Highly recommended!”
**** London Theatre
“Perfectly executed comic mayhem.”
**** The Arts Desk
“The real artistry in Caroline Steinbeis’s direction lies in the fact that, despite the audience initially being unable to see a thing, the performances are so precise and fully realised that every movement and interaction plays perfectly to the conditions on stage.
The comedy and pacing are relentless, yet Steinbeis manages to control the chaos within such a small space with remarkable detail and nuance.
It is astonishing how something so carefully choreographed can appear so utterly chaotic, and that contradiction sits at the very heart of the play.”
**** All That Dazzles
“Steinbeis has assembled a cast that radiates commitment to the bit.
She handles the farce perfectly.”
“An evening of chaos, physical comedy, and so much laughter.”
“It takes real skill to make something so coordinated look like pandemonium. This production is a wild and joyful ride in the dark.”
**** Everything Theatre
Set and Costume: Simon Daw
Lights: Elliot Griggs
Music/Sound: Simon Slater
Physical Comedy: John Nicholson
Casting: Helena Palmer CDG
Assistant Director: Freya Griffiths
Costume Supervisor: Emma Kylmälä
Wigs, Hair and Make-up: Faye Booth
Cast: Patricia Allison, Joe Bannister, Jason Barnett, Chris Chilton, Leah Haile, Julia Hills, Simon Manyonda, Javier Marzan
Photos: Sam Taylor
