Reviews for When You Fall Down

“In this exquisite new one-man show… Dangerfield’s dance, mime and physicality are riveting, and can be compared directly with Keaton’s when his films are projected onto a screen behind the stage. His songs and singing technique are reminiscent of contemporary West End shows, but it is the palpable intensity of his commitment that makes this show very special”. ★★★★★ (ThreeWeeks)

“Entertaining, engaging and full of charm, it’s a very fitting tribute to one of Hollywood’s greatest actor-directors… This musical one-man show is performed and written by James Dangerfield, who clearly has a great admiration and depth of knowledge of Keaton and his body of work. There are some neat comedy tricks and re-creations of Keaton’s work… For anyone who is an admirer of Buster Keaton’s work, loves the silent movie era or just likes a good musical, this show is for you.” ★★★★ (London Pub Theatres)

“The hugely talented James Dangerfield has succeeded so magnificently in bringing Buster to life before our very eyes… It’s a thrilling 50 minutes… The moments in which the action shifts from James as Buster live on stage to Buster in film clips are uncanny. One feels as if the real Buster has walked out from the screen onto the stage. It’s a very convincing tribute… James Dangerfield really is remarkably talented not only does he perform but he also wrote the book, music and lyrics. Moreover, during the course of 50 minutes he acts, dances, sings, mimes, draws and most movingly gives voice to Buster the man… James Dangerfield has performed an important act of homage. He has created a convincing portrait of Buster Keaton that will introduce a whole new generation to the films of one of the all-time greats of 20th-century popular culture. I urge you to see it.” ★★★★ (LondonTheatre1)

“The success and hardships of Keaton’s life are portrayed in amusing and heartbreaking ways by Dangerfield’s wonderful performance… Dangerfield is a natural performer with charm and talent in abundance, and the show is a joy to watch.” ★★★★ (VoiceMag)

“An impeccable performance and a sublime show… Dangerfield is an incredibly charming performer, and puts his body & voice on the line, all in the name of the show… Enchanting yet informative, full of slapstick, beautiful music, and a dash of pathos – a gargantuan effort by writer/performer James Dangerfield.” ★★★★ (Mind The Blog)

“I walked away from the show with an enlightened view on the life of one of the most famous actors of his time. Dangerfield uses a wide range of impressive techniques to entertain the audience, with his vocal talents on full view throughout the performance.” ★★★★ (London Theatre Reviews)

“James Dangerfield captures Buster Keaton’s innocence and melancholy to a tee through a series of seven intricately constructed songs…he compliments his sweet singing voice with loose-limbed clowning and sketch re-enactments. All of which are a joy to watch”. ★★★★ (Reviewsphere)

“James Dangerfield captures the essence of Buster Keaton, one of the greatest film-makers and comic artists in movie history… ‘When You Fall Down’ is a triumph, a must-see for silent film buffs and a gateway for the uninitiated to Buster Keaton’s comic brilliance.” (Binnie Brennan, Keaton scholar and author)

Reviews for Honk!

“James Dangerfield’s performance as the Cat was bright, colourful and completely disconcerting as he hid behind bulrushes and spied on Ugly from behind his camera, and his stellar number ‘Play with Your Food’ was delightful”. Culture’s Coffee

“A highlight for me is a tango between two cats (Danni Payne and James Dangerfield).  Dangerfield in particular impresses with his villainous characterisation as the Cat, managing to be sinister and funny at the same time, using movement and physicality to enhance the role.  He also plays a mean violin, augmenting the band at the side of the stage”. Bum on a Seat

Reviews for Rags

“The actor musicians worked wonders for this production, as the music really is the soul of the show. James Dangerfield, Emma Fraser, James Hastings and Hanna Khogali work incredibly hard throughout the show taking on numerous roles and playing their instruments with expression and flair.” ★★★★★ (Sincerely Amy)

“The ensemble created a strong sense of the varied strands of American culture throughout by turns menacing and engaging with James Dangerfield my particular highlight enacting an unforgettable Jewish Hamlet that had the audience roaring!” ★★★★ (Northwestend)

The predominant use of piano, clarinet and violin evoked the sense of the Russian and Jewish heritage, particularly plaintive during ‘Shabbos’ and perfectly executed by the four musicians.” ★★★★ (Northwestend)

“Klezmer musicians are another aspect of the Jewish experience that this production utilises well. Two violinists, a clarinet and an accordion player move around the stage… the Klezmer musicians are a major plus for the production” (Whatsonstage)

Reviews for Brexit The Musical

“Comedy gold: James Dangerfield as Michael Gove and James Witt as Boris Johnson… an exuberant power play with Govey and Boris.” ★★★★ (Daily Business Group)

“How many times in the past year can you say that you felt genuinely sorry for Michael Gove?… The effort and precision that the cast have gone to mimic the movements and speech of each political figure is incredible.” ★★★★★ (Broadway Baby)

“Merciless satire is an unexpected pleasure… Michael Gove (James Dangerfield) swishes around in a tartan bathrobe and fuzzy chipmunk slippers.” ★★★★ (The Times)

“The show is stomach-achingly hilarious, with pointedly perfect caricatures of the main politicians at play.” ★★★★★ (Voice Mag)

Reviews for Henry V

“James Dangerfield in the title role did a superb job of juxtaposing the young and reckless King Harry’s complex character, shifting between wilfulness, pride and hunger for war, to bouts of fear, anger and self doubt as the Battle of Agincourt looms. He, and the other actors, were also adept at slipping from emotionally charged scenes to the mood- lightening escapades of the smaller players, such as Pistol, Nym and Bardolph.” (The Hague Online)

“James Dangerfield as Henry was powerful and imposing.” (The Brighton Argus)

“It was remarkable how easily James Dangerfield slipped from the role of Henry to that of Nym, and how utterly different he became.” (South Oregon University)

“A bearded James Dangerfield (who also played a particularly splendid Nym) was a fine Henry… The great speeches were made to come over perfectly- ‘Once more unto the breech’ was done in the midst of real smoke, and ‘St Crispin’s Day’ was beautifully articulated.” (This is Nottingham)

“James Dangerfield as the young king maintained a martial pitch of some intensity throughout, his rousing speeches infused with go-get-’em vigour.” (Friends of Queens Park)

“James Dangerfield in the title role… produces an outstanding portrayal of a man imbued, to the point of obsession, with a belief in the importance of his kingship, his England and his words- and all these in God’s name. With an appropriate trace of a Welshness in his voice he revels in every syllable and drew spontaneous applause for some of Henry’s most famous soliloquies, notably the St Crispin’s Day speech.” (Lytham Express)

“One place where a quieter approach was used very effectively was in Henry’s meditation on the burdens of kingship, which James Dangerfield was in fine contrast to his strongly projected Heroic speeches.” (This is Somerset)

Reviews for The Taming of The Shrew

“James Dangerfield leads the way, using facial expressions superbly as both Lucentio and Katherine.” (Lancashire Evening Post)

“The tall, skinny chap played the shrew Katherine brilliantly, being the seething angry sister that everyone is scared of.” (Silvertraveladvisor.com)

Reviews for As You Like It

“A cast of five shared the roles with Theresa Brockway and James Dangerfield both outstanding as star-crossed lovers Rosalind and Orlando.” (Wales online)

“Highlights were some frantic pantomime between Kevin James’ Touchstone and James Dangerfield’s Audrey (who also was a decent Orlando).” (Brighton Argus)

“There was a lot of fun, for instance between Orlando (James Dangerfield) and Rosalind, when she was masquerading as a man…And a lot of laughs came from Audrey, the goatherd (Dangerfield).” Nottingham Post

Reviews for Pantomime

“James Dangerfield excels as a very watchable Wishee Washee”. (The Stage)

“James Dangerfield was a well matched ‘side-kick’ as Wishee Washee and I admired his easy humour, ready smile and the audience were instantly on his side, as should be the case with a comedy role. ” (Break a Leg Review)

“The role of Buttons, played by James Dangerfield in a very touching performance, emphasises a lot more the friendship and devotion that he offers to Cinders. He does, of course, get comic moments, particularly when he appears with the Ugly Sisters.” (The Sussex Newspaper)

“James Dangerfield is the most likeable, comical, vocally proficient Dandini I’ve seen, his native Lancashire accent is as warm as his rapport with the audience.” (Derbyshire Times)

“It is James Dangerfield as Dandini who catches the eye with an apparent flair for delivering the funnies.” (The Stage)

“James Dangerfield plays Dandini with considerable stage presence. He can act, sing and dance.” (Artsbeat)

“There are fine vocal performances too from James Dangerfield as Dandini.” (The Stage)

Reviews for Free as Air

“The Paparazzi trio of Kane Verrall, Anthony Harris and James Dangerfield, previously in character as island yokels, excel in the execution of a saucy lyric, ‘Geraldine’.” (Musical Theatre Review)