The League of Gentlemen Live at Drury Lane: Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London, 2001
Steve Pemberton is one third of the bizarre cult TV and radio series The League of Gentlemen. Alongside, Reece Sheersmith and Mark Gatiss, the three actors (together with director Jeremy Dyson) created a fictitious northern town Royston Vasey (which happens to be the real name of comedian Roy Chubby Brown) and all the characters that inhabited the town. The black comic TV series was a smash hit and transformed into a live show and tour. I had never really watched the TV series but was intrigued by the live stage show. The theatre was transformed into the grim town and the combination of classic sketches and new sketches with old characters gave the horror style bizarre comic twist. All the classic characters made an appearance: Tubbs (Pemberton) and Edward (Sheersmith), Mickey (Gatiss), Pauline (Pemberton), Geoff Tipps (Shearsmith), Herr Lipp (Pemberton), Papa Lazarou (Sheersmith) and Mr Chinnery (Gatiss). The surreal show worked extremely well on stage as ever producing a well-written story along with shocks, surprises and humour. The actors have continued with successful careers in television comedy and drama.