Henry Lewis (playwright)

Last updated

Henry Lewis
HenryLewis.jpg
Born
Henry William Lewis

(1988-11-21) 21 November 1988 (age 35)
Slough, Berkshire, England
Education London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Occupation
  • Actor
Years active2008–present

Henry William Lewis (born 21 November 1988) is a British actor and playwright. He co-founded Mischief Theatre, responsible for The Play That Goes Wrong , Peter Pan Goes Wrong , The Comedy About a Bank Robbery , Groan Ups , Magic Goes Wrong and The Goes Wrong Show , and co-hosts Riddiculous , an ITV daytime game show.

Contents

Career

Magic Goes Wrong, Apollo Theatre, February 2022 Apollo Theatre, February 2022, Magic Goes Wrong.jpg
Magic Goes Wrong, Apollo Theatre, February 2022

In 2008, Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields co-founded Mischief Theatre while they were studying a drama foundation course at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. [1]

In 2012, Lewis co-wrote with Sayer and Shields The Play That Goes Wrong , [2] which premiered later that year at The Old Red Lion, Islington. [3] Lewis played Robert Grove in both the original London cast [4] and the original Broadway cast. [5] In 2013, another Lewis, Sayer and Shields production, Peter Pan Goes Wrong , premiered at The Pleasance Theatre. [6] with Lewis amongst its original cast, playing Robert. [7]

In 2016, Lewis', Sayer's and Shields' play The Comedy About a Bank Robbery opened at the Criterion Theatre; Lewis was amongst its original cast, and played Robin Freeboys. [8] In August 2019, Magic Goes Wrong , a play written by Lewis, Sayer, Shields, Penn and Teller, premiered at the Quays Theatre; Lewis played Mind Mangler, [9] and subsequently took him on tour. [10] [11] In September 2019, the next Lewis, Sayer and Shields play, Groan Ups , premiered at Vaudeville Theatre, as part of a projected year-long residency at the theatre (later curtailed due to COVID-19 restrictions [12] ), [13] with Lewis playing Spencer. [14] In 2020, Lewis launched The Mystery Agency, an escape-room style puzzle game, on Kickstarter. [15]

In 2016, a production of Peter Pan Goes Wrong was aired by BBC1, with Lewis playing Robert. [16] The following year, they aired A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong , with Lewis playing Robert. [17] BBC1 aired twelve episodes of The Goes Wrong Show [18] between December 2019 [19] and November 2021. [20] In 2022, he played the Riddlemaster in Riddiculous , an ITV daytime game show hosted by Ranvir Singh. [21]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
2015 Royal Variety Performance Robert Grove ITV1 (recorded at The Royal Albert Hall)
2016 Keep it in the Family Narrator ITV1 (1 episode)
Peter Pan Goes Wrong Robert Grove BBC1 (Christmas Special, also writer)
2017 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Self NBC (1 episode) [22]
A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong Robert Grove BBC1 (Christmas Special, also writer)
2018We Are Most Amused & AmazedMind Mangler ITV1 (Prince Charles' 70th Birthday Celebrations at The London Palladium)
2019 Royal Variety Performance Spencer ITV1 (recorded at The London Palladium)
2019–2021 The Goes Wrong Show Robert Grove BBC1 (2 series, 12 episodes, also writer) [23]
2020 Children in Need Robert Groves BBC1
2021 The Heroic Quest of the Valiant Prince Ivandoe Yucky Duck, The Golden Father, The Golden Grandfather, Axel the Giant Cartoon Network (3 episodes)
2022 Comic Relief Mind Mangler BBC1
2022–present Riddiculous Self/Riddlemaster ITV1 (45 episodes) [24]
2024 The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin Baron Von Louth Apple TV+ (1 episode)

Theatre

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
2010 Showstopper! The Improvised Musical Ensemble Greenwich Theatre & Arts Depot
2011Beasts & BeautiesEnsemble & Understudy Hampstead Theatre
2012 Mercury Fur Party Guest Old Red Lion, Islington and Trafalgar Studios (also producer) [25]
2012-

2013

The Play That Goes Wrong Robert Grove Old Red Lion, Islington and Trafalgar Studios (also producer and co-writer with Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields
2014 Superior Donuts - Southwark Playhouse (producer)
The Play That Goes Wrong Robert Grove Duchess Theatre, West End, UK & International Tour
2015 Peter Pan Goes Wrong Robert Grove Apollo Theatre, West End (also co-writer with Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields)
2016 The Comedy About a Bank Robbery Mr. Robin Freeboys Criterion Theatre, West End (also co-writer with Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields)
2017 The Play That Goes Wrong Robert Grove Lyceum Theater, Broadway [26]
Mischief Movie Night Ensemble & Oscar Arts Theatre, West End (also co-creator)
2018UK Tour
2019 Groan Ups Spencer Vaudeville Theatre, West End (also co-writer with Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields)
2020 Magic Goes Wrong Mind Mangler Vaudeville Theatre, West End (also co-writer with Penn and Teller, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields)
2020-

2021

Mischief Movie Night Ensemble & OscarUK Tour (Open Air Theatres)
Mischief Movie Night-InLive Stream (50 episodes) broadcast from Immersive LDN & Riverside Studios [27]
2021 Magic Goes Wrong Mind Mangler Apollo Theatre, West End
2022Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic CircleMind Mangler Pleasance Edinburgh (also co-writer with Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields)
Mischief Movie Night Ensemble Pleasance Edinburgh
Starship ImproviseFrank Brass
Good Luck, Studio-UK Tour (director) [28]
Austentatious Ensemble Arts Theatre, West End & UK Tour
2023Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic CircleMind Mangler Garrick Theatre & Prince of Wales Theatre, West End & UK Tour
Peter Pan Goes Wrong Robert Grove Ethel Barrymore Theater, Broadway [29]
Ahmanson Theater, Los Angeles
Mind Mangler: A Night of Tragic IllusionMind Mangler New World Stages, Off Broadway, New York City

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef
2012 Off West End Award Best Production Mercury Fur Nominated
2014 WhatsOnStage Award Best New Comedy The Play That Goes Wrong Won [30]
2015 Laurence Olivier Award Won [31]
2016 Laurence Olivier Award Peter Pan Goes Wrong Nominated [32]
Molière Award Best Comedy The Play That Goes Wrong Won
2017 Laurence Olivier Award Best New Comedy The Comedy About a Bank Robbery Nominated [33]
Drama League Award Best Play The Play That Goes Wrong Nominated [34]
Molière Award Best Comedy The Comedy About a Bank Robbery
Broadway.com Audience Choice AwardFavorite New Play The Play That Goes Wrong Nominated
2018 Laurence Olivier Award Best New Comedy Mischief Movie Night Nominated [35]
2020 TV Choice Awards Best New Comedy The Goes Wrong Show Nominated
Laurence Olivier Award Best New Comedy Magic Goes Wrong Nominated [36]
2022 WhatsOnStage Award Best New PlayNominated
Best Performer in a Male Identifying Role in a Play Nominated
Best West End Show The Play That Goes Wrong Nominated
TV Choice Awards Best Comedy Performance The Goes Wrong Show Nominated
2023 Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding New Broadway Play Peter Pan Goes Wrong Nominated
Broadway.com Audience Choice AwardFavorite New PlayWon [37]
Drama Desk Award Unique Theatrical Experience Won [38]
Drama League Award Outstanding Production of a PlayNominated [39]

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Mischief Theatre is a British theatre company that was founded in 2008 by a group of students from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in West London, and directed by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields. The group originally began by doing improvised comedy shows, but by 2012, they expanded into comedic theatrical performances that include choreographed routines, jokes, and stunts.

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<i>Magic Goes Wrong</i>

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<i>The Goes Wrong Show</i> BBC television comedy

The Goes Wrong Show is a British comedy television series created by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, and produced by Mischief Screen and Big Talk Productions, in association with Lionsgate UK, for the BBC. The programme stars the ensemble members of the Mischief Theatre company, who reprise their roles as the members of the fictitious theatre company, "Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society", as they conduct a "live" televised stage play, which tends to go wrong due to mistakes, accidents and other issues that hamper the company's efforts. The concept was devised by Lewis, Sayer and Shields following two television Christmas specials for the BBC, with the series premiering on BBC One on 23 December 2019. In 2020, the group conducted a second series, but under strict guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, which aired on 27 September 2021.

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References

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  2. Walker, Tim (18 September 2014). "The Play That Goes Wrong, Duchess Theatre, review: 'delightful'" . Telegraph.co.uk . Retrieved 28 November 2022.
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  10. "Mind Mangler review – Magic Goes Wrong spin-off is all fun and mind games". The Guardian . 13 August 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  11. "Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle review". The Stage . Retrieved 9 November 2022.
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  13. "A Look at Mischief Theatre's Groan Ups in the West End". Playbill .
  14. "'Groan Ups' review". Time Out. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  15. "Feature: Henry Lewis's THE MYSTERY AGENCY Launches On Kickstarter". Broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  16. "Peter Pan Goes Wrong". BBC1 . Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  17. "A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong". BBC . Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  18. "The Goes Wrong Show". BBC . Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  19. "The Spirit of Christmas". BBC . Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  20. "The Cornley Drama Festival Part 2". BBC . Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  21. "First glimpse at Ranvir Singh and Henry Lewis in new ITV game show Riddiculous". Lancashire Live. 17 September 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  22. The Interview That Goes Wrong with J.J. Abrams , retrieved 11 April 2023
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  34. "Dear Evan Hansen's Ben Platt, Hello, Dolly! and More Are Winners of Drama League Awards". Playbill . Retrieved 12 January 2023.
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  36. "Olivier Awards 2020 with Mastercard – Theatre's Biggest Night". Olivier Awards. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  37. "Into the Woods Tops Broadway.com Audience Choice Award Winners". Broadway.com. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  38. Considine, Allison (31 May 2023). "2023 Drama Desk Award winners announced". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  39. "2023 Awards - The Drama League". dramaleague.org. 3 November 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2024.