The Hampstead Theatre have contacted me about a play. “Spike Milligan’s Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall”, will be on at the Hampstead Theatre, right by Swiss Cottage tube, from 22 July – 22 August.

It’s based on Milligan’s wartime memoirs,. The theatre tell me that the three actors above all switch back and forth from acting Milligan’s wartime escapades….to being a jazz quartet.

Michael Billington of the Guardian writes (of the production which he saw in Bristol) that “Sholto Morgan [as Spike ], Matthew Devereaux, Dominic Gerrard, William Findley and David Morley Hale have the priceless ability to switch from comic sketches to music-making at the drop of a tin hat.”

Musical numbers are eg : ‘The Nearness of You’, ‘The Sheik of Araby’, ‘Honeysuckle Rose’ , ‘Lay That Pistol Down Babe’ (?!)and ‘The Thrill is Gone’. Music Director is Oliver Jackson.

I reckon I shall try my hand at being a (cub) theatre critic early in the run.

This is Spike Milligan’s SECOND appearance in LondonJazz. For the first, check out a video clip courtesy of Tommy Pearson which loads of readers enjoyed….