Joz Norris Turns the Phantom of the Opera Into Hugh Jackman
Why the Phantom Still Haunts West End Audiences
Anyone who has walked past Her Majesty’s Theatre on the Haymarket knows the Phantom of the Opera is not a relic. The show has held its place on the West End for decades, and it still pulls in audiences who grew up humming its songs. Now a local comedian is giving the masked villain a fresh, very silly twist. Joz Norris has spent the past year touring his show Joz Norris Is Hugh Jackman Is The Phantom Of The Opera, which has enjoyed sold-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and at Soho Theatre, just a short stroll from the bright lights of Shaftesbury Avenue. The production also picked up Best Show at the Leicester Comedy Festival in 2026, a useful reminder that good sketch writing travels well beyond the capital. For those of us who live in London, the appeal is easy to understand. We have all had a long-running favourite that we loved as teenagers and then looked at again as adults. Norris has built an entire evening around that feeling, asking what happens when you revisit a story you thought you knew and find it has changed. The result is a show that rewards both longtime musical fans and people who have never bought a theatre ticket in their lives.
The Comedian, His Friend, and the Hugh Jackman Connection
The show began with a favour. Norris’s friend Luke Rollason, who was organising a comedy night, asked him to host the event in character as the Phantom. Norris agreed, then did what many fans never bother to do: he went back to the source material and studied the story properly. He discovered that the character he remembered as tragic and misunderstood was, on closer inspection, rather difficult to like. That realisation became the spine of his material. The Hugh Jackman angle came from a different direction. Norris had been developing a character based on the Australian star, whom he finds genuinely funny, and he later learned that Jackman was once offered the lead role in the 2004 film adaptation and turned it down. That small piece of trivia gave the comedy an extra layer. Local performers and promoters are paying attention to how Norris has turned a niche idea into a commercial success. For Rollason and the other organisers of small comedy nights across the city, it is a reminder that a strong premise, a clear voice, and a willingness to take a risk can carry an act from a back-room gig to a festival award.
What Londoners Should Know Before Booking
If you are planning a night out, the show is a good choice for anyone who enjoys character comedy with a slightly unhinged streak. It is not a musical, and you do not need to know every lyric to enjoy it, although fans will catch plenty of in-jokes. Check the Soho Theatre listings for upcoming dates, as sold-out runs mean tickets can disappear quickly, and booking early is the safest bet. Soho is well connected by Tube, with Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Tottenham Court Road all within easy walking distance. If you want to make a full evening of it, a stroll from Whitehall London past the Houses of Parliament and London Big Ben before heading into the West End makes a pleasant route, especially in the evening when the clock tower is lit. The area is one of the best examples of where to go in London for a mix of history, theatre and food. Keep an eye on announcements from the comedian and the venue about future tour dates, particularly if you live outside the capital. Festival wins like the Leicester award often lead to wider touring, so this may not be the last chance to see it locally.
Source: “Why I Became The Phantom Of The Opera… In The Guise Of Hugh Jackman”
