Sam Harrison Plays All Twenty-Two Wodehouse Characters at the Charing Cross Theatre

Jeeves Takes Charge | Charing Cross Theatre until 6 September 2026

One man, twenty-two characters, built on real physical skill

Sam Harrison is a tour de force in this hardworking Wodehouse solo show, Jeeves Takes Charge, now running at the Charing Cross Theatre.

Jeeves Takes Charge, which first appeared forty-five years ago, has garnered significant acclaim, including an Olivier Award. This latest run follows successful showcase productions at the Jermyn Street Theatre and the Tabard Theatre, as well as a Christmas season at Theatre Royal, Bath.

Based on P.G. Wodehouse’s beloved comic stories and novels, the play follows the hapless aristocrat Bertie Wooster and his imperturbable, endlessly resourceful valet Jeeves, who constantly rescues Bertie and his friends from various predicaments. Many will be familiar with the TV series starring Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry.

The play embodies that quintessential British reversal: the servant is cleverer than the master. Beyond this dynamic, P.G. Wodehouse’s wonderfully witty and clever prose is fully embraced in the show. There are, of course, many great Wodehouse characters, all played by one man: Sam Harrison. He single-handedly takes on twenty-two roles, including Jeeves, Wooster, Florence Craye, Gussie Fink-Nottle, Bingo Little, Uncle Willoughby, and the dreaded Aunt Dahlia, among many others.

Harrison is an incredibly versatile and hardworking performer, excelling in his roles. His performance involves a great deal of physicality, jumping around, vaulting over sofas, and he provides clear physical and vocal indications of each character at any given moment. At least two stories, drawn from the short stories that comprise the show, run through each act.

As if the two-hour show weren’t enough, it culminates in a curtain call where Harrison maniacally reprises all the characters he has played, in silent movie mode.

Unfortunately, the second act features a lengthy story about Gussie Fink-Nottle and a drunken presentation at a girls’ school prize-giving, which drags on for far too long. This slows the show down, and I believe it would benefit from a shorter, perhaps interval-less, running time.

I questioned whether anyone unfamiliar with the world of Jeeves and Wooster would appreciate it, and my friend, whom I brought along, did struggle a bit. However, if you are an aficionado, there is much to enjoy!

I also have a personal connection with Harrison. Many years ago, at Trinity Theatre in Tunbridge Wells, he played Bertie Wooster for me in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Alan Ayckbourn’s By Jeeves, a musical version of the Jeeves and Wooster stories, fully cast with other actors. This current production is a play rather than a musical, though we do get a small song at the end when he is joined by two enthusiastic girl guides.

In keeping with Bertie’s character, Harrison isn’t given the opportunity to fully demonstrate his singing abilities, but overall, I was thrilled to see him return to this material. He was wonderful in the show he did for me, and he’s wonderful here too.

The set deserves a special mention for its exceptional use of projection and scenery. The entire set is projection-mapped, allowing the wallpaper, curtains, and pictures to change for each story. In one instance, during a car journey, the pictures move as the vehicle does. This greatly assists the storytelling, ensuring we always know exactly where we are.

Jeeves Takes Charge brings Bertie Wooster and Jeeves to life at the Charing Cross Theatre, with Sam Harrison taking on all twenty-two P.G. Wodehouse characters single-handed. He’s an incredibly versatile and hardworking performer, giving each character real physical and vocal identity, and Wodehouse’s wonderfully witty prose is put to full use throughout. A warm, funny tour de force, undermined only by a second act that outstays its welcome.

Wodehouse devotees will find plenty to relish in Harrison’s stamina alone, but EyeOnLondon would trim that second act before the next transfer.

For more London arts and culture, visit EyeOnLondon at eye-on-london.com.

[Image Credits | Craig Fuller]

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