Benjamin Warren

BENJAMIN WARREN

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PRESS - The Dumb Waiter, 2011

"Riveting performances from Benjamin Warren as Ben and Tom Hackney as Gus... In the limbo of their waiting, hemmed in by uncertainty, their bleak comedy duo fills the nihilistic void. Hackney and Warren handle this brilliantly... Warren coiled up into the tightest clench... repressing his fear and self-loathing into barked orders and sudden flashes of physical rage... it's like watching the Kray Twins channelling Laurel and Hardy. As the dialogue turns ever more absurd in the context, the moment for the unspecified 'job' draws nearer. It's a credit to this fine production that when it comes, it's as credible and cruel as ever. The Guardian

"Benjamin Warren and Tom Hackney are excellent as Ben and Gus respectively... The comic timing is superb with Warren playing the strong tightly coiled Ben... Director David Lockwood keeps a firm hold on the elements: revealing all the classic Pinter attention to minute detail, building dread and releasing the tension with amusing or absurd asides at just the right moment." What's On Stage

"Taut and edgy... Reading his newspaper with perceived yet laconic amazement, Benjamin Warren's Ben establishes himself as the senior partner. Tightly controlled, his deadpan expression, sharp vocal delivery, manner and bearing exude authority... When Ben questions the validity of their mission, sporadic flashes of anger are balanced by reflective and introspective moments. Ultimately reaching a flashpoint, the pair grapple for supremacy in a violent and believable struggle." The Stage

"The Bike Shed team has done it again, conspiring to present a top-class classic in their clandestine underground venue... As Ben, Warren, with slicked hair, his expression, unemotional, speaks volumes of menace by merely flicking an eyelid or a page of his paper. Scrupulous in every detail, Ben's role is a desperate man clinging to self-control... Events and non-events create electrifying silences... The Dumb Waiter promises fulfilling drama throughout its run at the theatrical hot spot." Remote Goat

"The two leads deliver pitch-perfect performances, demonstrating exquisite comic timing that keeps the audience teetering on the edge of release... Benjamin Warren's Ben oozes the kind of sinister authority redolent of a particular kind of 1960s villain, his voice dripping disdain while the occasional facial twitch hints at uncertainty. Director David Lockwood keeps the action taut and punchy, allowing the comedy to burst through without diminishing the potential for violence. It's a cracking good play and a top-notch production. Don't miss it." Devon Life

"A fly-on-the wall sensation... The performances are perfect... Benjamin Warren gave a beautifully measured performance as Ben... If Pinter was looking down on this performance I have a feeling he would be saying: "That is how I always wanted it." Exeter Express & Echo

"The Bike Shed Theatre has another hit on its hands... relentlessly escalating tension and commanding performances... David Lockwood’s direction was nigh-on perfect. However, the play’s ultimate success rests with the actors and their performances. You have until the Saturday, May 7 to get your tickets!" News and Media Republic

PRESS 2004-2010

(Baby & Fly Pie, The Caretaker, Spies, The Ministry of Fear, Why The Whales Came, Abigail's Party, The Double Inconstancy and Entertaining Mr Sloane).

"A little shocker... engrossing... Benjamin Warren is excellent." The Independent

"There are some fine performances here, most notably from Benjamin Warren..." The Guardian

"A performance of utter conviction." The Daily Mail

"There are moments of brilliance... Benjamin Warren is excellent." What's On Stage

"Real warmth is evoked by Benjamin Warren." The Times

"Benjamin Warren is unshowily affecting." Time Out Critics Choice

"...Benjamin Warren is equally fine... an intense performance... a rare and blessed production." The Daily Telegraph

"Brave theatre...inspiringly experimental...the performances are energetic & exciting - you'd be a fool to miss it." City Life

"Particularly good is Benjamin Warren." Manchester Evening News

"A striking performance." The Metro

"An impressively committed performance." The Guardian

"...and especially Benjamin Warren's Stephen, perplexed and terrified into fatal silence, are excellent studies of variously trapped victims." The Times

"The 30th anniversary production misses nothing in Leigh's terrifying expose of the looming clash in British society... The acting has a real depth and integrity that pays rich dividends... Benjamin Warren and Helen Johns acting up a slowly-brewing storm as the ill-matched young couple next door." The Scotsman

"Dark, unsettling and philosophical but also hugely funny thanks to mesmerising performances... Frayn's novel aims to recreate the hysteria and paranoia of wartime, and the amazing energy of Benjamin Warren who plays Stephen, the sultry Jordan Whyte, as well as the dry Derek Frood, means the stage version is just as stunning." What's On Stage

"The cast are superb and create skin-crawlingly real characters. Benjamin Warren gives us in Mick a fast-talking entrepreneur... uncanny, unrelenting and grimly humorous... captivating stuff." Edinburgh Guide

"Benjamin Warren's Stephen is the outstanding performance of the night." Rogues and Vagabonds

"Adapting Michael Frayn's brilliant novel for the stage must have taken enormous courage...This is an absolute triumph... Peerless acting... Outstanding stuff!" Daily Echo

"Benjamin Warren sparks as the cocky, menacing Mick." Bristol Evening Post

"Benjamin Warren is equally engaging and turns in a fine performance as the play gets darker and more tangled...his transformation from tousled gawk to troubled young man is convincing and moving...well worth seeing." The Stage

"There are some fine performances here especially Benjamin Warren...A riveting night's theatre." East Anglian Daily Times

"An intensely realistic performance from Benjamin Warren as the tenacious Fly Pie." The Stage

"Benjamin Warren brings off Mick's combination of detachment and intimidation in manipulative style." The Stage

"Benjamin Warren's Sloane is dangerous but also vulnerable with perfectly pitched phrasing and timing... a fine performance." The Stage

"Tony, beautifully judged by Benjamin Warren, is withdrawn and taciturn to a fault." UK Theatre Network

"The production has been going down a storm around the country and you can see why. The beautifully chosen cast of five are note-perfect throughout." Oldham Evening Chronicle

"Benjamin Warren is quietly threatening." Manchester Evening News

"Benjamin Warren's Fly Pie and Emma Hartley Miller's Jane are the shows mainstays." Reviews Gate

"Benjamin Warren radiates charm." Onstage Scotland

"Benjamin Warren shines... Unmissible." Evening Herald

"Versatile and confident Benjamin Warren completes a skilled ensemble." The Stage