Jonathan Maitland’s play An Audience with Jimmy Savile is transferring to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The controversial show, starring impressionist Alistair McGowan, about the disgraced, late BBC star has broken box office records at London’s Park Theatre during its run, and McGowan said some survivors of abuse said they wanted more people around the country to see it.
The play explores how Savile was able to get away with his crimes for so long and uses material from interviews, transcripts and TV shows.
The Daily Mail called it, “A striking, memorable, urgent piece of work … a powerful ‘J’accuse”, while Mark Lawson said in the New Statesman that McGowan “delivers what amounts to one of the most compelling and successful displays of stage acting I have seen. Genuinely terrifying”.
McGowan said: “The response to the play has been extraordinary. Many survivors of abuse and victims of Savile have seen it in London and said it needs to be seen by more people around the country.
“The Edinburgh Festival is one of the best showcases in the world for contemporary, controversial and cutting-edge theatre, and performing it there gives us more chance to let more people see this important play.”
Maitland said, “I’m delighted our play is coming to Edinburgh. The reaction it’s had – from audiences, survivors of abuse and critics – has exceeded everything we’ve hoped for and confirmed my belief that writing this play was absolutely the right thing to do
“The success we’ve had at Park Theatre has also meant that we have been able to give a substantial donation to support the amazing and vital work of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood.”
An Audience with Jimmy Savile will run at Assembly George Square Studios, One in Edinburgh between 11 and 22 August.
