Discover the magical yet dark world of The Grinning Man
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(Updated on 9 Oct 2023)
Just what exactly is hiding behind Grinpayne's mysterious grin? Perhaps it's all the show's rave reviews! See why the critics are going mad about this tragicomic musical.
Award-winning [West End musical](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musicals) *[The Grinning Man](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/2920/the-grinning-man-tickets.aspx)* recently [announced in January](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/news/1866/the-grinning-man-announces-west-end-extension.aspx) that it would be extending its run at [Trafalgar Studios](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/venue/17/trafalgar-studios.aspx) until 14 April 2018. The show has been universally acclaimed by critics.
The new musical, which is a magical reimagining of Victor Hugo's classic novel, *The Man Who Laughs*, follows new carnie act Grinpayne, who is treated as a freak for his mysteriously hideous smile before eventually becoming a star at the fairground. Meanwhile, a visually impaired girl may be the only key to unlocking Grinpayne's horrible secret.
*[The Grinning Man](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/2920/the-grinning-man-tickets.aspx) *premiered at the Bristol Old Vic last year with huge success before transferring to the West End in December, scoring a fleet of five-star reviews. The critics, bloggers and audiences are raving about this London hit.
*The Observer *called it "fabulously theatrical" while *What's On Stage *said, "[The show] is as satisfying and heart-wrenching as anything you might see on stage at the moment."
The London theatre production features the "best puppetry since *War Horse*" (*Mail on Sunday*), reuniting Tony award-winning director Tom Morris with Finn Caldwell and Toby Olié, who now run their own Gyre & Gimble puppetry company.
Many celebrities have weighed in on the show's riveting production. Mel Giedroyc, a frequent presenter for the Eurovision Song Contest, stated that [*The Grinning Man*](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/2920/the-grinning-man-tickets.aspx) was "clever and haunting" and admitted, "I want to see it again." Harry Enfield declared, "The whole thing is amazing."
*[The Grinning Man](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/2920/the-grinning-man-tickets.aspx) *is one of several recent shows from the Bristol Old Vic to transfer to London's West End, including *Peter Pan *and *[Jane Eyre](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/ballet/2960/northern-ballet-jane-eyre-tickets.aspx) *at the National Theatre, *Swallows & Amazons *at the Vaudeville, and the [Wyndhams](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/venue/27/wyndhams-theatre.aspx)[ Theatre](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/venue/27/wyndhams-theatre.aspx) production of [*Long Day's Journey Into Night*](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/play/983/long-days-journey-into-night-tickets.aspx), starring [Lesley Manville](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/post/1166/spotlight-on-lesley-manville.aspx) and Jeremy Irons.
London Theatre Direct has teamed up with [*The Grinning Man*](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/2920/the-grinning-man-tickets.aspx) to bring you a unique and easy Twitter competition. All you have to do is retweet [our tweet](https://twitter.com/theatre_direct/status/972046110436069378) for your chance to win **two tickets** to [*The Grinning Man*](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/musical/2920/the-grinning-man-tickets.aspx)!
The prize also includes **two programmes**, **two free drinks** during the interval, and **two signed posters**. The tweet will be pinned to the top of our Twitter page on Friday, 9 March 2018.
For a direct link to our tweet, click [here](https://twitter.com/theatre_direct/status/972046110436069378). The winner of this retweet competition will be announced on Friday, 16 March 2018.