The Bush Theatre has confirmed it has “no plans” to stage another run of Richard Gadd’s Baby Reindeer, amid a Netflix adaptation of the stage show landing a ‘perfect’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and breaking into the streaming giant’s Global Top 10 chart.
The seven-part series stars Gadd and Pride actor Jessica Gunning in a drama about a comedian and his stalker, inspired by the real life experience of its creator.
Speaking to Netflix’s Tudum, Gadd said of the series: “Stalking on television tends to be very sexed-up. It has a mystique.
“It’s somebody in a dark alleyway. It’s somebody who’s really sexy, who’s very normal, but then they go strange bit by bit.
“But stalking is a mental illness. I really wanted to show the layers of stalking with a human quality I hadn’t seen on television before. It’s a stalker story turned on its head. It takes a trope and turns it on its head.”
Gadd’s debut play premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2019, where it won awards from The Stage and The Scotsman, before transferring to London’s Bush Theatre later that year.
The Bush run saw the play nominated for an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre, which it won in 2020 ahead of a planned West End transfer.
However, asked about Baby Reindeer’s latest success, and whether it may return to the venue in the future, a Bush Theatre spokesman said: “Everyone at the Bush is thrilled by the Netflix success of Baby Reindeer and are proud of our role in helping the show on its way to a wider audience.
“Whilst we’ve no plans to welcome the show back to the Bush, Richard will always be part of the Bush family and we can’t wait to see what he does next.”
The West End run at the Ambassador Theatre, due to take place 2 April to 2 May 2020, was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, as was a scheduled New York transfer to the Brooklyn Academy of Music from 21 May to 12 June.
In a statement released at the time, Ambassador Theatre Group – now known as ATG Entertainment – said: “We intend to find a way to bring Baby Reindeer to the West End at a later date.”
It is not known if a West End run has since been rescheduled.
The show’s producer, Francesca Moody Productions, has been approached for comment.
Photo: Andrew Perry.
Liam O'Dell 