Quiz
Written by James Graham
Directed By Daniel Evans and Seán Linnen
King's Theatre, Glasgow | 10 October 2023
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"In a shockingly shameless scam, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was duped out of £1,000,000. Or was it?
Quiz is the thrilling and entertaining ride through the infamous Coughing Major scandal which engulfed the world’s most popular TV quiz show. Now, uncovering new evidence, it’s time to ask the audience to put fingers on keypads and answer the ultimate 50/50: guilty or not guilty?
Nominated for two Olivier Awards including Best New Comedy, James Graham’s smash hit play, Quiz, transferred to London’s West End with sensational reviews in 2018, following a sold-out run at Chichester Festival Theatre."
Telling the story of not only the scandal, but also the inception of iconic TV show 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire', Quiz is a contender for the most enjoyable night at the theatre I've had all year. James Graham's writing cleverly intertwines the drama of the TV show with the drama of the courtroom, and it works brilliantly! It's funny, entertaining, polished and interactive.
The stage direction and design are inspired, the action didn't let up for one minute. The lighting by Ryan Day is superb, and with live and projected video by Tim Reid, there truly is a feeling of being in a TV studio at times.
On stage cameras capture much of the action and we never miss the all important facial expressions. The cast and set are never still for long, yet despite the intricate choreographed movement on stage, it all runs like a finely oiled machine.
Rory Bremner is marvellous as host of the legendary TV quiz show, Chris Tarrant. But every one of the quite sizable ensemble cast are excellent. Bringing confidence, humour, and a touch of humanity to the play, many of them take on multiple roles and all of them were terrific and believable. Great casting! The cast includes Charley Webb (Diana Ingram), Lewis Reeves (Charles Ingram), and Mark Benton, Stefan Adegbola, Marc Antolin, Danielle Henry, Sukh Ojla, Jay Taylor and Leo Wringer.
Mark Benton is a fantastic actor; if you're of a similar age to me you will know him from Early Doors, but more recent TV shows include Waterloo Road and Shakespeare and Hathaway. I've been lucky enough to see Mark on stage a few times now and he never fails to impress. Here as the Judge and a number of other characters, he is exceptional.
The theme music from 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' is so recognizable that I couldn't help but notice that the jingles used throughout the play are not quite the original. This is because 'Quiz' is a fictional depiction based on real events, and the production is not connected with the makers of the TV programme.
There must be royalty issues preventing the theatre production from using the original tunes, but honestly what they do have is very close and still as impactful. If you didn't grow up watching the TV show every Saturday night you may not recognize anything untoward.
A fun and unique aspect to this play is the audience interactivity. Every audience member is given a small keypad on the way to their seats and this is used throughout the show to vote (Ask the audience!). It is only used a few times so as not to detract from the smooth running of the play, but the technology works impressively well.
The keypads are reactive and the results are quick; The audience votes are clearly displayed on screen almost instantaneously. So easily the show could have been derailed by clunky, gimmicky tech... but there was no hint of that despite the large auditorium space. I applaud the logistics and tech wizardry that must be needed behind scene to make this run so smoothly. (And to the Front of House team diligently collecting every device from the audience on exit!) I've never seen audience opinion integrated so seamlessly into a theatre production. It's very well conceived and flawlessly executed.
Quiz really caught me by surprise; I did not expect to be so enthralled, so entertained by a courtroom drama. I enjoyed learning more about the various 'real-life' characters involved in the scandal, and being afforded an insight into the workings behind scene of a popular prime-time TV show is riveting. The book, the cast, the visuals, the tech - it's all so well done here. Being able to vote on the accused's guilt or innocence (and seeing the results from the prior 3 shows) is an added bonus. From what I saw of the recent results, every city and every show has a different option. Fascinating!
Quiz is an impelling, slick and thoroughly entertaining night at the theatre. I highly recommend you catch this on tour across the UK now.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ON TOUR FROM 18 SEPTEMBER 2023 – 2 DECEMBER 2023
Quiz plays at The King's Theatre, Glasgow until Saturday 14th October and then continues to tour across the UK.
🎟️ Glasgow tickets available from £13 https://prf.hn/l/ZYo5Ze8
➡️ More information and full tour dates: https://www.quiztheplay.co.uk/
Written by James Graham
Directed By Daniel Evans and Seán Linnen
Produced by Jonathan Church Theatre Productions & Wessex Grove, by arrangement with William Village
Lighting by Ryan Day
Composition and Sound Design by Ben and Max Ringham
Video by Tim Reid
Casting by Matilda James CDG
📸 Production photography: Johan Persson
Quiz review - The Coughing Major Millionaire Scandal, UK Tour 2023, The King's Theatre, Glasgow. Rory Bremner, Chris Tarrant, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
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🎟️ Disclosure: I was invited to review this show and received a complimentary ticket in exchange. Whether I am invited or not has absolutely no impact on my reviews or star ratings.
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