Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd was given a superstar’s reception as he performed live for the first time since the controversial Netflix show sparked a £92 million lawsuit.
Fans heaped riotous applause on the 35-year-old comedian and actor after he appeared in off-beat West End play White Rabbit Red Rabbit, where a different star takes to the stage every night with no rehearsal.
They don’t even get to see the script in advance – it’s placed in a sealed envelope on the stage – and so they have to read the lines and follow the stage directions compleltely cold.
Fans were desperate to catch Gadd in the solo ‘experimental’ production after seeing him play himself in the dark TV comedy which won multiple Emmy awards.
Soho Place Theatre was sold out for his only performance and ticketless fans who turned up hoping for cancellations had to be turned away.
Gadd is currently at the centre of legal action taken against the streaming giant over Baby Reindeer’s depiction of his ordeal at the hands of a stalker.
Fiona Harvey is demanding colossal damages for defamation, emotional distress and gross negligence in a writ alleging Martha Scott, the show’s stalker, is based on her.
Fans heaped riotous applause on the 35-year-old comedian and actor (pictured at Chateau Marmont) after he appeared in off-beat West End play White Rabbit Red Rabbit.
Georgia Meacham said the play was ‘amazing’ and described how Gadd gave 100 per cent to the role
It is Gadd’s first stage role since the Netflix hit Baby Reindeer – and his first on stage role since the Edinburgh Fringe show it was based on
On Sunday, Soho Place Theatre was packed with people who cited Gadd’s Netflix sensation as the reason they saw the obscure play about Iranian tyranny.
They were thrilled by the way he turned a script about Tehran’s oppression into a funny routine where he impersonates an ostrich and brings audience members on stage.
The Scottish-born performer also signed autographs and took selfies with some fans at the stage door before the show.
Model and actor Georgia Meacham, 31, said after watching the hour-long play: ‘I though it was amazing.
‘I’m a huge Baby Reindeer fan and Richard is not just an actor, he’s a writer, he’s involved in production, so that’s why I decided to go and see it.
‘He gave 100 percent which was so nice. Everything was so unexpected. There was so much suspense.
Jose Andrade, 44, and DanielSadecki, 28, said they enjoyed the audience interaction
Katie Mison, 26, from Brighton said: ‘It was really funny. It had some really dark themes but they were covered up by the humour.’
‘It was so interactive, the audience got up and got involved.
Georgia, who appeared in Channel 4’s royal soap The Windsors and movie Hollywood movie Wonder Woman 1984, added. ‘Richard was so good, so funny.
‘I’d love to see him again doing another theatre show.’
Katie Mison, 26, from Brighton said: ‘It was really funny. It had some really dark themes but they were covered up by the humour.
‘You didn’t know what was coming next. There were lots of unexpected twists.
‘We watched Baby Reindeer and we saw he was in this, so we thought let’s do it. It was brilliant.’
Friends Daniel Sadecki, 28, and Jose Andrade, both from London, also enjoyed Iranian playwright Nassim Soleiman’s work about the oppressive Tehran regime.
Daniel said: ‘It was very interactive and I also really liked Richard. He was a very good performer.’
Jose added: ‘I liked it. I particularly liked the way they interacted with the audience. That was fun.’
Oliver Newman, 19, from Southend, said: ‘The show was brilliant. It was really thought provoking.
‘It was so different from anything I’ve seen before – a really cool concept for a show.
‘I was a big fan of Baby Reindeer and I was looking at a few options but thought I’d come and see Richard.
‘I expected more dark than comedy but there was a really nice mix of everything.’
Fiona Harvey, the real-life inspiration for stalker Martha in Baby Reindeer
The smash-hit television show Baby Reindeer – could end up costing the TV streaming service Netflix anything up to $120 million (£92 million), plus legal fees
Actress Jessica Gunning, who plays ‘Martha’ in the show, and Richard Gadd, who plays himself, pose with their Emmy awards in California earlier this year
Sisters Holly Rea and Amber Pollard-Rea, from Tunbridge Wells, said they arrived late, so struggled for a few minutes to catch up with the dialogue.
But Amber, 31, said: ‘It’s a bit of a cliche but probably the only reason we went was to see Richard Gadd because of Baby Reindeer.
‘It took us a few minutes to get into it and I thought I needed some convincing.
‘But it was really interesting and thought provoking – like a social experiment on stage.’
Holly, 25, said: ‘We were five minutes late which didn’t help, so we had to get into it really quickly.
‘But very quickly, we were all sucked in and hanging on every word.
‘I thought the concept worked for his style because he’s a stand-up and used to being the only one on stage.
‘He could hold his own and because he was at ease with it, we were all at ease with it as well.’
But Heidi Kubisa, 44, who came all the way from Bath hoping to get a ticket for the show was disappointed and had to remain outside.
She said: ‘We’re fans of Baby Reindeer and fans of Richard Gadd so we were hoping to get tickets.
‘But it was sold out so quickly. Three tickets became available today and we hesitated and they went. I’m very disappointed.’
However, she was consoled by meeting the star as he arrived at the stage door, where he signed autographs and posed for selfies.
‘He was lovely. He did some autographs and photos for the group that were there, so we just wished him well and hoped that the show went well.’
Gadd was the latest big name to appear in what the promoters say is a ‘theatrical adventure embracing comedy and tragedy’ and an ‘edge of your seat experience’.
Previous stars have included Michael Sheen, Jonathan Pryce, Jason Isaacs and Daisy Edgar Jones, while future shows will feature Lenny Henry, Toby Jones, Matt Lucas and Catherine Tate.
Gadd won three out of the six Emmy’s handed to the show last month – another went to Jennifer Gunning, who played the stalker.