Jeeves Takes Charge – Charing Cross Theatre

A comedy of manners from a by-gone era, Jeeves Takes Charge is a highly enjoyable two hours in the company of P.G. Wodehouse’s famous duo. Jeeves and Wooster are brought to life by Sam Harrison, who has the daunting task of playing both, as well as a host of other characters, from a schoolgirl to a doddering uncle, in this fast-paced one-man show.

Written and performed first in 1980, the play is a collection of Wodehouse’s short stories, one of them from Jeeves’ perspective, showing some of the ridiculous situations that Bertie finds himself in. In Wodehouse’s world, women are either fickle or domineering and men are boorish or inept, and no one is more incompetent than Bertie Wooster. Fortunately, he has a remarkable valet, Jeeves, to get him out of trouble.

Co-creator of the show, Hugh Wooldridge, has returned to direct this revival of the production at Charing Cross Theatre. A self-confessed fan of Wodehouse, Wooldridge’s love for the material comes across in the portrayal of Bertie. As a rich, young man with a privileged life of ease and entitlement, Bertie could so easily be a dislikeable character in today’s world. Wooldridge’s direction keeps him from crossing that line, and he stays the lovable idiot that Wodehouse created.

Sam Harrison as Bertie is expressive and dynamic, whether he’s hungover, cowering in front of an aunt, or bouncing around the room in cheerfulness. Harrison’s skills as a physical comedian mean that each character he portrays is distinctive, no matter how little time we spend with them. Bertie’s prim fiancée, an enthusiastic boy scout, a dragon of a headmistress and Bertie’s newt-obsessed friend, Gussie Finknottle, all kept the audience laughing as Bertie careened from one scrape to the next.

Although a poised and static Jeeves is an obvious choice, making him a stark contrast to Bertie, his lack of physicality also made him a less interesting character than all the others, and the story told from Jeeves’ point of view was the only place where the play dragged a little. However, the pace soon picked up again after the interval, when we returned to Bertie’s perspective and his fear of aunts.

The backdrop to these stories was Caite Hevner’s simple set of three panels representing walls, with a Chesterfield sofa centre stage and a few decorative items scattered around the sides. The plain room was then transformed by her video design, along with Tim Mitchell’s lighting. Projections on the panels gave the impression of colourful wallpaper that changed depending on where Bertie was, while the picture frames covering the walls were actually screens that filled with portraits of elderly relatives, paintings of ships, or tropical plants, according to the room’s function. A large ‘window’ on the back panel showed views of Brighton beach or the clipped hedges of a country estate, at one point becoming a train carriage while the picture frames showed the countryside speeding past.

Hevner’s set and Harrison’s clowning left us in no doubt that Bertie’s world is bright, colourful, upbeat and, above all, silly. Two hours spent there won’t give you any great insights into the human condition, or even make you nostalgic for the past, but it will keep you entertained. With clever staging and a mesmerising performance, Jeeves Takes Charge is full of laughs from beginning to end.

The show runs until the 6th of September at Charing Cross Theatre. Tickets are available here: https://charingcrosstheatre.co.uk/index.php

Reviewer: Charlotte Mansfield

Reviewed: 18th August 2026

North West End UK Rating: