Unusual Suspects - Cockpit Theatre

I’m really excited to share that my brand-new farce, Unusual Suspects—co-written with the ever lovely Mark Stevenson—is taking a major step forward, and I’d love for you to be a part of it.

Some of you might remember the show from its successful UK tour and its fantastic two-year run in Prague under its original title, Octopus Soup! Since then, we have given the script a significant polish and redevelopment, and we are now getting everything in place for a brand-new UK production.

This upcoming showcase is the culmination of a brilliant week-long workshop directed by John Nicholson, whose comedy work has played everywhere from regional UK theatres to the West End and New York. We’ve also got an incredible cast headed by the brilliant Pearce Quigley and Tim Wallers, bringing together some of the best comedy credentials in the business.

We are already feeling incredibly grateful for the encouraging feedback and ongoing conversations with some top producers, and several UK touring venues as we map out the next stage of the show’s journey.

The feedback so far has been wonderfully simple: people laugh. A lot.

At its heart, Unusual Suspects is a gloriously silly, highly commercial farce built for wide audience appeal. It has strong touring potential and is scaled to sit comfortably in both regional and commercial theatres.

Come and Join Us

The main goal of this afternoon is to gather a small, select group of producers, investors, and venue partners to experience this fresh version of the show. It is a relaxed space to chat about potential routes forward for production, touring, and commercial development.

Date: Friday 3 July 2026
Time: 1:30pm – 3:30pm (Followed by drinks and a proper catch-up with the cast and creative team)
Venue: The Cockpit Theatre, Gateforth Street, Marylebone, London, NW8 8EH

We would be absolutely delighted to welcome you there.

Space is quite limited, so please let me know if you can make it:

Email: jack@jackmilner.co.uk
Phone: 07906 284708

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

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"

"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"

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

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

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

“A delightfully silly and gloriously entertaining evening.”

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

"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."

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

"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."

Unusual Suspects - Cockpit Theatre

Come and Join Us

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

Comedy Director & Writer

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

"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"

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

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

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

“A delightfully silly and gloriously entertaining evening.”

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

"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."

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

"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."

Unusual Suspects - Cockpit Theatre

Come and Join Us

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

"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"

"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"

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