After four consecutive sold-out runs at Turbine Theatre, London’s smash hit comedy COCKFOSTERS transfers to Southwark Playhouse Borough (The Large) from Wednesday 30th April - Saturday 17th May 2025.
COCKFOSTERS is a “screamingly funny” (The Prickle) off-the-rails comedy about the London Underground that perfectly captures “the love-hate relationship we’ve all had with the tube” (★★★★BroadwayWorld). It is a brilliantly surreal comedy that will change your commute forever.
Strangers James and Tori meet on the Piccadilly Line at Heathrow and travel across London on a journey they'll never forget.
1 Tube Carriage. 38 Stops. 0 Refunds.
With original music, relatable sketches and hilarious characters - this is sure to be an enter-train-ing ride of a lifetime.
The show is written by Hamish Clayton (who also directs and produces) and Tom Woffenden (who also produces). We sat down with the duo to learn more ahead of the transfer.
What can you tell me about this production of COCKFOSTERS?
It's back! And it's bigger than ever. It's a truly madcap-mind-the-gap comedy about the London Underground. There's in-jokes for the 10m+ Londoners which have been connecting very well with audiences - full of relatable sketches and recognisable characters. We like to think it's an inherently British comedy, with a good dose of irreverence thrown in too.
How are you both approaching the transferring of the production?
We were sad to see Turbine Theatre close (though wonderful to see it will be reopening under a new name and team!) It was a perfect setting for it, with trains racing overhead. But we always felt that Southwark Playhouse would be a similarly perfect setting for the show - given their championing of exciting new work. Our dream is for the show to follow in the footsteps of Operation Mincemeat and Benjamin Button towards the West End! This means constantly developing the script, the set, the team and our audiences.
With the Tube ever changing, do you have to update the material for this transfer?
Certainly there's always jokes that need updating or revising to ensure they don't feel too dated. We have a bunch of ideas for new sketches - which we'd love to include for a future longer show. But we're keen to keep this show around the hour mark, so have had to refrain from bringing in too many new sketches.
How much of your own lived experiences make it in the work?
Many of the sketches are from our own personal lived experiences. We've often then exaggerated those ideas to their natural conclusions - such as trivia questions about the tube transforming into a 'Tubeity Tube' gameshow. Others, such as going back in time to 1863, are a comedic look back on London in those times.
How do you reflect on the journey with the show so far and what are your hopes going forwards?
It's a fairytale story so far! We wrote the first draft in about 48 hours, and had 2 nights in the Drayton Arms pub theatre. Without that opportunity (we were given two nights for free there) this whole project may never have seen the light of day. Turbine was the perfect next step, and allowed us to improve the material, the set, and the length of runs with friendly audiences in a high-tech theatre that was still under 100 seats. We were lucky enough to have a few different options for a transfer, one in a far larger capacity space than The Large at Southwark Playhouse Borough. But we want to be careful in still growing the show at the right speed, at the right venues for the right audiences.
Moving forwards, we'd love to see the show continue to a fairytale end! Either a permanent home at a site-specific venue (maybe a disused tube tunnel...), or convert it into a longer show with an interval - and maybe more songs. Cockfosters The Musical anyone?
What keeps you both inspired?
A huge inspiration is seeing the success of shows like Benjamin Button. We are working with Jethro Compton, who is helping on the set, and he is a huge source of inspiration of where truly hard graft can get you. In many ways he single-handedly hauled that show to the West End, and Olivier awards, and shows to a tiny company like us that it can be done.
On the other hand, it's also tough to stay inspired sometimes! We've not had a huge amount of interest to date in any producing partners seeing the show's potential and growing it to larger stages - even though it has sold out every run!
What was the first piece of theatre you saw that had a big impact on you?
Cymbeline by Kneehigh Theatre.
Why should anyone book to see Cockfosters The Play?
It's fast, funny, and after an hour you'll be free again! But we think you'll still remember the show when you're sat on the tube and something happens to remind you of a scene...
Where can audiences see the show?
Southwark Playhouse Borough (The Large) from 30 April - 17 May.
Tickets are available from https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/cockfosters/
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