Steve Coogan in stage adaptation of Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Dr. Strangelove’
For those of you that have been faithful readers of Tellyspotting over the years are keenly aware of my feelings about London and the UK in general. Aside from the sheer brilliance from a telly standpoint, their theatre output whether it be in London’s West End or any of the endless regional theatres across the country is unmatched in quality anywhere.
At any one time, you could walk past a marquee and see a very familiar name that you know from your favorite British comedy, mystery or drama. IMHO, this is what sets British actors and actresses apart from their professional colleagues across the pond. There’s nothing that can compare to formal theatre training when it comes to perfecting your craft, be it telly or film.
Never has this been more on display than the current run of Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove which is, sadly, ending it’s time at London’s Noel Coward Theatre this week.
Adapted by the creative team of Armando Iannucci (The Thick of It, In the Loop, Veep) and Sean Foley (The Play I Wrote, Perfect Nonsense, The Miser, The Crown Jewels, Upstart Crow) and starring the greatness of Steve Coogan (Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge, The Trip, Philomena, Stan & Ollie, The Reckoning), the first ever adaptation of Kubrick’s masterpiece concludes its run on Saturday, 25 January 2025. Thankfully, the play is headed to Dublin for a 2-25 February run at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre.
Much like Peter Sellers in the 1964 nuclear satire film, the 7-time BAFTA Award winner plays multiple roles including Dr. Strangelove, President Merkin Muffley, Group Captain Lionel Mandrake and Major T.J. Kong.
I’ve been a big fan of Coogan’s work since the early days of Knowing Me, Knowing You. He was masterful in his 2010 series of shorts, Mid-Morning Matters with Alan Partridge and his numerous versions of The Trip with Rob Brydon. The Guardian deservedly described him as “one of the greatest and most beloved comic creations of the last few decades”.
While it’s, unfortunately, clear that I won’t be making it to London before Saturday and don’t seen getting to Dublin in February, there is light at the end of the tunnel thanks to the great folks at National Theatre Live.
The National Theatre Live’s stage adaptation of Stanley Kubrick‘s “Dr. Strangelove” is headed to global cinema screens on March 27, 2025, following its London West End run.
In: Drama
