A vibrant and polished biography that offers a great deal of fun.
The life of J. Edgar Hoover, the controversial, deeply flawed, and arguably villainous architect of the modern FBI, might not seem like the most obvious fodder for a musical. Yet, a new musical production attempts to do just that in Here Comes J. Edgar. The result is a highly polished, fiercely enthusiastic production that delivers plenty of laughs, even if it occasionally struggles to find its creative footing.
From the beginning, the performances are uniformly strong. The show adopts a very particular, tongue-in-cheek tone where every character is played large, proud, and with a relentless commitment to high camp. The cast maintains a breathless level of energy throughout, successfully wringing every drop of potential comedy out of the script. Musically, the show acts as a slick pastiche of classical Broadway. Audiences are treated to traditional show-tune choreography and robust vocal performances across the board. There is a palpable level of professionalism and polish here. It is undeniably a well put together and visually sharp piece of theatre.
Where the production falters, however, is in its narrative execution. The central conceit of the show is lost almost immediately. We open on a dying Hoover in his hospital bed, who envisions a younger version of himself and is forced to revisit his past. While the script winks at the audience by mocking this exact trope, acknowledging a cliché doesn’t make it any less uninspired. Worse still, the framing device is abandoned mere minutes later. We stop viewing the show through the lens of a dying man’s reflection and instead just watch a standard chronological biography unfold.
This leaves Here Comes J. Edgar feeling somewhat aimless. The focus flits haphazardly between Hoover’s romantic life, his deep-seated corruption, and his remodeling of the Bureau, without ever establishing a clear thematic throughline. The narrative often feels like a loose framework built solely to transition between comedic sketches. While the show is undeniably funny, the humour rarely elevates from “amusing” to truly side-splitting. Without that transcendent level of comedy to anchor the piece, you are occasionally left wondering what the ultimate point of the show is supposed to be.
When the comedy hits its stride, though, it genuinely shines. The absolute highlight of the evening belongs to Lydia Medforth, who plays Hoover’s long-suffering secretary, Helen. Medforth delivers a standout, delightfully raunchy number describing her dream date with her boss. It is the funniest, most outrageous sequence in the musical, building into a wonderful crescendo of pure comedic joy. The show would benefit greatly from more of these longer-form, character-driven comedic set pieces to balance out its reliance on quick, superficial one-liners.
Ultimately, Here Comes J. Edgar is a strong, well-executed production. While it never quite scales the heights of the riotous, side-splitting comedy it aspires to, it remains a thoroughly entertaining evening at the theater. Backed by a stellar cast and a highly professional veneer, it’s a slick ride, even if the man at the centre of it remains a bit of an enigma.
Here Comes J. Edgar is playing at the Kings Head Theatre until the 16th August.