Harry Morrison is currently starring in the smash-hit West End revival of The Producers at the Garrick Theatre, playing the eccentric Franz Liebkind in Mel Brooks’ iconic musical comedy. The production has become one of London’s biggest theatre successes, delighting audiences with its sharp satire and unforgettable score.
Directed by Patrick Marber, this acclaimed revival transferred from the Menier Chocolate Factory following a sold-out run and has continued to earn rave reviews, with critics calling it one of the funniest shows in London.
Now extended due to phenomenal demand, The Producers is booking at the Garrick Theatre until 19 September 2026. Find out more and book tickets here.
You’re starring in The Producers at the Garrick Theatre, what can you tell us about the show?
Max Bialystock, a scrappy Broadway producer desperate for a hit, is ready to give up hope until he meets the meek and drippy accountant Leo Bloom. Max’s prayers are answered when Leo plants the idea that a producer could make more money from a flop than he could with a hit.
Together, Bialystock and Bloom set about producing the poorest-taste, catastrophically awful show that Broadway has ever had the displeasure of seeing. It’s wild. You’ll be watching through your fingers.
You’re playing Franz Liebkind in this production, how would you describe the character and what do you enjoy most about bringing them to life?
Franz Liebkind is an absolute joy to play. He is the playwright of the show, a joyful ode to his beloved WWII fascist dictator idol. He also keeps and adores a flock of carrier pigeons, which he keeps cooped on the roof of his Greenwich Village apartment block.
He is an absolute monster but, at heart, a big kid trying to achieve his dreams. It is the kind of role that I adore playing, balancing threat and danger with heart and soul.
Besides that, getting to be on stage every night with the most wonderful, playful and talented cast around me is every actor’s dream. To be this far into a run and still feel that way is rare. I feel very lucky.
This revival has been a huge hit since transferring from the Menier Chocolate Factory, what do you think makes it connect so strongly with audiences today?
I think people always want to laugh. The show is overflowing with heart and is sublimely joyful, and the best part of the job is talking to our audiences at stage door about how much of a tonic the show has been for them.
I think that is the superpower of the Menier Chocolate Factory. There is a magic about that place that builds shows with such heart, like a joyous little chocolate box. It is why so many of their productions go on to have such success.
The show is known for its bold humour and iconic score, how do you balance honouring the original with making it your own?
There is so much discourse at the moment around comedy, what jokes we can tell and what we are allowed to laugh at. Mel Brooks is the undeniable master at finding that line and usually crossing it, deliciously.
He calls it an equal-opportunities offender. No one gets a free ride. What is wonderful is that the show and the comedy still hit as well today as when it was first produced, potentially even more so, though I am biased.
In terms of how you play it, I do not think that has really changed with time. My instinct when playing a bold character like Franz, as with the other roles in the show, is that you can go as wild as you like as long as you find a way to root the character in something honest. It has worked for me so far.
The production has just extended due to phenomenal demand, what has the audience response been like from your perspective on stage?
It is the dream to be in a hot-ticket musical. We get so many people coming back to watch the show with friends and family, and the word-of-mouth response has been incredible.
We get a phenomenal reception on a nightly basis, which feels fantastic. The script and the music are so beautifully written that by the end of the show people cannot help but explode. It feels wonderful to take the audience to that point.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see The Producers?
I would say, what are you waiting for? If you have seen a production before, it is the show you know and love, maybe a little naughtier and scrappier, with a ton of new laughs courtesy of our director, Patrick Marber.
If you have not seen the show before, be bold, do not research, come in blind. Let it shock you and leave you clutching your pearls. I am always a little jealous of people who get to experience it like that.
