Bryan Batt makes his London stage debut as long-serving FBI boss in the world premiere of the sizzling new comedy musical, Here Comes J Edgar!.

This raucous, no-holds-barred musical tells the public and private story of J. Edgar Hoover, who, as director of the FBI from 1924 to 1972,  secured his position as the most powerful man in America by gathering information on the private lives of others. Yet, behind all the machismo, was his concealed sexuality, his secret partying and his lifelong love affair with his deputy, Clyde Tolson. This was a man who stopped at nothing to use the secrets of others to build and exert his control. Yet, underneath the petticoats of power lay his own secrets, hidden in plain sight.

This weird and twisted tale is told in the style of a 1950s musical romantic comedy.  What emerges is a sharp and irrepressible comic musical about the love of power and the power of love … and what a simple black dress and a single strand of pearls can do for a guy!

Byan Batt is no stranger to musical theatre. On Broadway, he has starred in such shows as Sunset Boulevard, Saturday Night Fever, La Cage Aux Folles, Cats, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, Starlight Express, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Seussical, and Beauty and the Beast. He has also appeared in many roles Off-Broadway, including as a key cast member of the long-running, award-winning revue Forbidden Broadway. He has featured in over twenty-five feature films, including High Tide, 12 Years a Slave, Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game, Spike Lee’s Tales from the Hood II, and Jeffrey. His numerous TV appearances have included Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas, The Blacklist, Law & Order: SVU, NCIS, Scream, and Ugly Betty. Bryan is also the author of three books: She Ain’t Heavy, She’s My Mother, Big Easy Style, and Pontchartrain Beach: A Family Affair.

“I am beyond thrilled to make my London theatrical debut in Here Comes J Edgar! at the King’s Head Theatre this summer. I truly love everything about London; the people, the history, the culture, and especially the theatre. It’s a special assignment to play a historical figure, especially one so shrouded in intrigue and nefarious rumor. The creators Tom Leopold, Peter Matz, and Harry Shearer have crafted a hysterical, sometimes touching, and wildly entertaining musical. Fun will be had by all…including the cast!”

– Bryan Batt

Harry Shearer and Tom Leopold’s collective background spans The Jack Benny Show, Abbott and Costello, Saturday Night Live, National Lampoon, Ellen, Seinfeld, Spinal Tap, Cheers, The Simpsons, and much, much more. Throw in Peter Matz, and you have Noel Coward, Marlene Dietrich, Barbra Streisand and Carol Burnett to add to the mix of comedy musical magic.