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Comedy Director & Writer

"Octopus Soup! is a breath of fresh airThere’s never a dull moment and lots of laughs.Fine acting, excellent comic timing and a fast-paced plot.A good old Brit comedy"

UK Theatre Network

"Octopus Soup! will have you crying with laughter.If you long for a good belly laugh, then this brand-new British farce Octopus Soup! is the performance to see"

Newstyle Radio

"Octopus Soup! easily earns its laughsAn entertaining farce with a moral message that delivers on laughs…Plenty of entertaining physical comedy"

The Stage

“The actors are hilarious. The health effects of laughter are considerable, and the Theatre of Kotka gives an honorable contribution for a better health”

The Mummy - Kymen Sanomat, Finland

“…audience rewards the gags with constant laughter and applause. The Mummy, a classic to live for five thousand years”

The Mummy - La Platea, Argentina

“A delightfully silly and gloriously entertaining evening.”

The Mummy - Reviewsgate

“If you long for a good belly laugh, then this brand-new British farce! Octopus Soup!… is the performance to see.”

Newstyle Radio

"From deepest, darkest, dangerous Egypt a legendary curse is stirring back into life and we're all going along for an outrageous, terrifying ride!" Now available from stagescripts.com

"I love the unpredictability of his writing across all his work that I have read. There is always an eccentric angle taken as he explores ideas and characters and that leads to strong and performable comedy."

Joe Harmston, theatre director

"There is a lot to love about Octopus Soup, including Marvin’s witty one-liners and Malapropisms and Gloria’s chaotic character”

Chalmers News PR

"The first thing we ask is whether the director can bring something a bit different, a vision that we never envisaged. Jack did that brilliantly for us with Maggie's End."

Ed Waugh co-author of Maggie's End

Octopus Soup! – A Reading, A Riot, and Possibly a Revolution

Well, we read it. And they laughed. A lot.

Our Octopus Soup! reading at the Lyceum Theatre was a ridiculous joy. Five actors, one set, and more chaos than Elon Musk's "X" strategy. Huge thanks to our cast – Owen Teale, Lucy Montgomery, Justin Edwards, Sylvestra Le Touzel, and the physical comedy wizard that is Javier Marzan. All directed by the legendary John Nicholson (Peepolykus, Dracula: The Bloody Truth) with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker and the madness of a caffeinated meerkat.

The audience was full of producers, programmers and investors; and we’ve had some properly exciting follow-ups. Dom Hodson from Fiery Angel said he could “see a well-put-together, economic tour doing really well” and would be happy to present it to their board with the right team and cast in place. Caroline Gorland at Kenwright’s said she “really enjoyed it” and called it “ready for next stage.” Jonathan Russell from Cheltenham loved it so much he offered us a week next year on the spot.

And Eleanor Lloyd’s team said it’s “funny and well written” with “clear commercial potential.” (They also gave us notes, because they’re helpful like that.)

So what’s next? We’re looking for brilliant producers and investors who want to help us take this to the next level, whether that’s a workshop, a short tour, or something a little more West End shaped.

If you missed the reading but want to hear more, let’s chat. Or email me at jack@jackmilner.co.uk.

The soup is simmering. We just need the right kitchen.

Looking for Jack’s presentation skills courses? Click here for Stand up and Deliver.