Alison Larkin Brings GRIEF...A COMEDY to Soho Theatre

Alison Larkin, celebrated for her multifaceted career spanning writing, comedy, acting, and narration, will bring her poignant and uproarious show, ‘Grief …A Comedy’ to Soho Theatre, prior to a UK tour. This unique production delves into themes of love, loss, rediscovering joy, and the resilience of the human spirit. 

Larkin, known affectionately on both sides of the Atlantic as the English American, has captivated audiences with her autobiographical works and performances. Her first solo show and bestselling novel The English American explored her adoption into a terribly British family and her reunion with her birth mother, in Bald Mountain, Tennessee.

Larkin's life took an unexpected turn when she found true love for the first time in her 50s with Bhima, an Indian climate scientist who had also immigrated to the US. Five days after they became engaged, Bhima passed away, challenging Larkin to confront profound grief. Rather than succumb, in time, to her surprise, she found she wanted to live more fully than ever, drawing inspiration from the words of her friend Archbishop Desmond Tutu: "I can't control what happens to me, but I can control how I respond to it."

Tutu knew Larkin’s comedy and encouraged her to return to it affirming, "You must do what you need to do to make sure this story is told, because it will bring hope." So, Grief…A Comedy was born, featuring music by Emmy award-winning composer Gary Schreiner.

Alison Larkin's career is a tapestry of achievements: a prolific narrator with over 280 audiobooks to her credit, including the globally acclaimed Complete Novels of Jane Austen; a seasoned comedian headlining at prestigious venues such as The Comic Strip in New York and The Comedy Store in Los Angeles; and an actress celebrated for her performances on and off Broadway and with the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Her creative breadth extends to screen and voice acting, with notable contributions to films, games, and cartoons, including roles in Grand Theft Auto 5 and Fargo, among others. Larkin's podcast ventures, such as The Jane Austen Podcast and the upcoming Love and Laughter after 50 with Alison Larkin, continue to engage and inspire listeners worldwide.

A limited advance edition of Alison’s brand-new book of the same name will be available exclusively after every performance.

SOHO THEATRE is London’s most vibrant producer for new theatre, comedy and cabaret. Our central London venue is established as one of UK's busiest with a buzzing bar, lively audiences and diverse year-round festival programme with a queer, punk, counter-culture flavour. In 2025 our second venue Soho Theatre Walthamstow opens. Work extends beyond our venues with a full touring programme and strong international connections with New York, Melbourne and Mumbai. Edinburgh Fringe is a huge part of our year, we present many shows and scout hundreds more and we are UK's leading presenter of Indian comedians. Our filmed specials can be seen on international airlines and Soho Theatre Player. And our artist development and participation programmes are as important as the work on our stages. Soho Theatre is a charity and social enterprise.

 

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