What is London Toast Theatre
Welcome to the history of London Toast Theatre
Last theatre season we celebrated our 40 years jubilee season, and this season we have proudly been taking part in the celebration of Dansk Teater 300 år with our Crazy Christmas Cabaret no. 39 !
The LONDON TOAST THEATRE is one of the most successful English theatre companies in Europe, playing regularly to audiences of more than 50.000 a year at its home base in Copenhagen and to many more, throughout Denmark and other European countries.
The theatre was established in 1982 under the artistic direction of Vivienne McKee and the administrative direction of Søren Hall, as a platform for the presentation of English language theatre to Scandinavian audiences.
Over the years the company’s repertoire has included, not only modern plays by such distinguished British playwrights such as Frayn, Wesker, Pinter, Berkoff, Russell and Ayckbourn, but also productions of Shakespeare plus musical cabarets, stand-up comedy shows and drama workshops.
In addition to its theatre work, the LONDON TOAST THEATRE offers corporate entertainment including cabarets, international stand-up comedians and Murder Mystery entertainment in castles and hotels in Denmark and Sweden.
The company’s voice-over agency, “SPEAKER’S CORNER”, provides English and American voices for dubbing and narration on commercials and films.
Every year since 1982, the company presents an enormously successful Christmas show in English; the Crazy Christmas Cabaret which contains all the elements of British pantomime blended with Monty Python, Old Time Music Hall, Dario Fo, Comedia Del Arte, satire and stand-up comedy -and Danish humour.
The show is written and directed by Vivienne McKee and attracts sold-out houses for most of the run, and now has an almost cult-like status on the Danish theatre scene. The show is known as “THE CRAZY CHRISTMAS CABARET" and offers a new story-line each year, taking, as its inspiration, well-known stories and folk-heros. For example:
Count Dracula in “A PAIN IN THE NECK” (1986)
King Arthur in “OH WHAT A K-NIGHT! (1991)
James Bond in “NEVER SAY BONDAGE IS NOT ENOUGH” (1993)
Sherlock Holmes in “THE CASE OF THE GREAT DANE” (1994)
Tarzan in “KING OF THE SWINGERS” (1998)
Captain Xavier Dicard in “SPACED OUT” (2000)
Phileas Fogg in "FOGG'S OFF!" (2007)
Robin Hood in “Shakin’ Up Sherwood” (2016)
The Three Musketeers in "The Three Brexiteers" (2019)
The show is now performed in the heart of Copenhagen, within the famous Tivoli Gardens, in the magnficent 1000 seat theatre, GLASSALEN - and forms part of the internationally renowned “Tivoli Gardens Christmas Season” - attracting thousands of people from all over the world.
In the season of 21/22 Crazy Christmas Cabaret celebrated our 40 years jubilee season and was as always written and directed by Vivienne McKee as she took the audience to the edge of sanity and beyond in "TELL ME ABOUT IT". The show was a huge success with sold out houses and fabulous reviews until it unfurtunatelly mid December was cancelled for the rest of the run due to COVID-19 lockdown of Denmark. But this theatre season we were finally back for a full run in Tivoli from November until mid January with "WHO KILLED DON CALZONE ? " - a toptuned Crazy Christmas 2022 !
Until next season - where we will be back for more madness in Glassalen, Tivoli with our 40th Crazy Christmas anniversary show called THE HOUSE OF UHYGGE - THE THING THAT WOULDN'T DIE ! - please take a look at the history of London Toast Toast in this video made for the exhibition "LONDON TOAST THEATRE - an English phenomenon in Danish theatre" at the magnificent Teatermuseet i Hofteatret in Copenhagen back in 2014 -or listen the latest podcast to hear Vivienne McKee and Søren Hall tell about the production of SHIRLEY VALENTINE at the lovely Teatret ved Sorte Hest, about this seasons Crazy Christmas Cabaret WHO KILLED DON CALZONE and about 40 years of bringing British theatre to the Danish stages:
London Toast Theatre has been proud of being part of the theatre festival of Copenhagen - CPH STAGE
Since the beginning of CPH STAGE LONDON TOAST THEATRE has contributed to the theatre festival with shows such as Don't Mention Hemingway and KILLING THE DANES 2 at Teatret ved Sorte Hest and Folketeatret, and also by being af part of the Late Night Cabaret Stage at Snorreloftet and taking part in the popular theatre flea market at Højbros Plads or in the lovely garden of Revymuseet. Due to Covid-19 in 2020 the festival was unfortunately cancelled, but in 2019 London Toast Theatre brought "Oh Baby - It's Cole" to Krudttønden for the CPH STAGE theatre festival.
CPH STAGE is the biggest theatre festival in Copenhagen. The festival presents both Danish and international performing arts. It is a high priority at CPH STAGE to make the festival accessible to an international audience. By presenting non-verbal performances, performances in English, translating performances, subtitling them and inviting international theatre groups to play at the festival, CPH STAGE is inviting non-Danish speakers as well as Danish speaking audiences to attend this unique festival.
