In 2002, John Osborne won a competition on John Peel’s Radio One show. His prize was a box of records that took eight years to listen to. This five-star, sell-out smash theatre hit of the Edinburgh Festival, adapted for BBC Radio Four and broadcast in 2011, is an ode to radio, those records and anyone who’s ever sought solace in wireless.
John Osborne’s debut storytelling hour features records previously owned by Peel and it is script edited by Joe Dunthorne (Writer of Submarine). Following its fifty-date national tour, John Peel’s Shed comes to London’s Soho Theatre.
Take a listen to a playlist of songs featuring in and inspired by the show.
Please note: The performances of this show take place during the London Olympics. We advise that you please check your travel routes in advance to make sure you can get to and from Soho Theatre safely, and be advised that journeys make take longer than usual. Click here to read Transport for London’s special travel guide.
‘Genius… A comic highlight’
The Guardian
‘John Osborne captures the intimacy of the medium, the startling human connections and priceless stories. It’s an uplifting story that makes a classic, nostalgic fringe piece’
Total Theatre
‘Beautifully-written, funny and poignant… Just as John Peel’s records changed his life this lovely, simple, beautifully executed show has enriched ours.’
★★★★★ The Scotsman
‘Shy and awkward but with a keen eye for a killer line and the significance of the trivia of daily life, Osborne sits somewhere between Tom Wrigglesworth and Daniel Kitson, which is a very good place to sit. I could have listened for hours.’
★★★★★ The Independent
‘Funny, perceptive and charming.’
★★★★ The Telegraph
‘One of the loveliest things you’ll see all year.’
★★★★ The Herald
★★★★ Sunday Express
★★★★ Edinburgh Evening News
★★★★ What’s On Stage
★★★★ Fest Magazine
