As The Librarians: A Very Serious Comedy! prepares to arrive at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, co-writer and performer Jack Michael Stacey is reflecting on a journey that began long before the rehearsal room. The new farce from Cabbage Productions promises rapid-fire comedy with a satirical bite, set within a crumbling library fighting for survival.
“I was always a drama kid at school,” Jack explains, recalling an early determination to perform. “When I was about 13, I decided it was a good idea for me to become a professional actor.” That decision led to a bold start in the industry, submitting for roles independently and quickly securing auditions. “I said to my mum, ‘I’ve got this audition for a Hollywood movie’, and she was like, ‘what are you talking about?’” they laugh. “But that was the moment everything became real.”
Alongside acting, writing quickly became central to Jack’s creative identity. “I made my first short film when I was 15 by saving up money and persuading my friends to go to an abandoned church in Guildford,” they say. “I thought it was going to be this Academy Award-winning World War II film, but it ended up silent because all the camera picked up was our heavy breathing.” The experience set a precedent for a career built on ingenuity, experimentation, and humour.
That path eventually led to a formative collaboration with co-writer Matthew Howell. “I met Matt when I was understudying on The Play That Goes Wrong,” Jack explains. “I thought he was so funny, almost annoyingly funny. I asked him to look at a script and instead of sending notes, he sent a redraft, which is basically how we’ve worked ever since.” Together they went on to create Spy Movie: The Play!, before making the conscious decision to pivot stylistically for their latest work.
“With The Librarians, we didn’t want to repeat ourselves,” Jack says. “We asked, what makes Spy Movie what it is? Loads of locations, lots of characters, breaking the fourth wall. So this time we’re doing none of that. It’s an old-school farce set in one location with a fixed group of characters and one situation.” The result, they explain, is tightly constructed chaos. “It’s that classic sitcom setup, but told across different parts of the same library as the story unfolds.”
At its core, the show blends big ideas with a deceptively small setting. “It’s a satirical farce,” Jack explains. “We wanted to write something about the state of the nation and public institutions, which is a huge subject. So how do you make that feel manageable? You set it somewhere small and familiar. That’s a library.” The choice is deliberate, reflecting a wider commentary on contemporary Britain. “Libraries aren’t just about books. They’re community hubs. If we lose them, we lose something vital.”
Yet despite its political undercurrent, Jack is clear that comedy remains the primary aim. “The idea is that you laugh the entire time, but maybe leave thinking, ‘there might be a problem here’,” they say. “We really believe theatre comedy can say something about our lives and culture while still being brilliantly funny.”
Jack’s experience with Mischief Theatre continues to shape that approach. “The biggest thing I learned is that you should play comedy seriously,” they explain. “The situation is funny, but watching someone think something is funny isn’t. Comedy is a person in trouble, and that’s where the laughter comes from.” This philosophy feeds directly into the mechanics of The Librarians. “Our characters don’t solve problems logically. They think, ‘how do we make it look like everything’s fine?’ and then escalate everything in the most ridiculous way possible.”
Audience interaction and theatricality also remain key ingredients. “One of the reasons to see live comedy is that it’s different every night,” Jack says. “We love that relationship with the audience. It keeps the show alive and surprising.” At the same time, the company is committed to pushing creative boundaries on a limited budget. “Our ethos is to push the envelope with what can be done with as little money as possible,” they add. “We want people to take a risk on our shows and feel glad they did.”
Looking ahead to Edinburgh, Jack is both pragmatic and passionate about what audiences can expect. “We promise to make you laugh at least once,” they say. “That’s a genuine thing. We work incredibly hard to make every line either a joke or a set-up for one.” They pause, then add with a grin: “And if you don’t laugh, come and complain to me and I’ll buy you a drink.”
For a show rooted in the precarious fate of a local library, The Librarians: A Very Serious Comedy! sounds anything but quiet. As Jack puts it, “Come and have a really good time, and then maybe go and visit your local library afterwards.”
Listings and ticket information can be found here
