Andrew Cartmel’s “Dressing Gown” stage play

By John Freeman on January 5, 2026 • ( 0 )

Dressing Gown, an award-winning play by former Doctor Who script editor and the creator of the Vinyl Detective novels Andrew Cartmel opens at the Union Theatre in London this week, for a three week run.

Dressing Gown | 7.30pm performances, 7th January – 23rd January 2026, The Union Theatre, 229 Union St, London SE1 0LR | Tickets £20 (Full Price) by Andrew Cartmel | Poster Design by Robert Hammond — *Poster design by Robert Hammond*

Tom Asher has two immediate aims. To prevent his life tipping into catastrophe. And to get dressed.

It turns out neither will be easy — in fact both rapidly escalate towards impossibility — as he fends off a series of eccentric visitors whose sole aim seems to be test his patience, his professionalism, his sanity — and his resolve not to be dragged into a disastrous liaison with an alluring young woman who really just wants revenge on her boyfriend, who just happens to be Tom’s best friend and his business partner. What unfolds is an hilarious series of events, underscoring the significance of the simple (or complicated) act of getting dressed.

Best Director Jenny Eastop (London Pub Theatre Awards 2024) directs the award nominated ensemble cast (Jamie Hutchins, Rosie Edwards, Ryan Woodcock and Freya Alderson), with her recent credits including shows at The Charring Cross Theatre, The Park Theatre, Finborough and Riverside Studios.

Award-winning writer Andrew Cartmel’s previous shows include acclaimed runs at the OSO Arts Theatre, the Hen and Chickens and the White Bear. He is well known for his tenure as script editor on Doctor Who and his Vinyl Detective and Paperback Sleuth series of crime novels.

Presenting this revival is Ben Aaronovitch, English author and screenwriter. He is the author of the series of novels Rivers of London. He also wrote two Doctor Who serials in the late 1980s and spin-off novels from Doctor Who and Blake’s 7.

Dressing Gown is a riotous comedy that demonstrates how even the most innocent conversation can land you in deep trouble. And how hard it is, some days, just to get dressed…

If you’re in London, why not head to The Union Theatre, very near Waterloo Station and even nearer Southwark (a minute or two away) and catch a performance!

• Dressing Gown | 7.30pm performances, 7th January – 23rd January 2026, The Union Theatre, 229 Union St, London SE1 0LR | Tickets £20 (Full Price) | Book Tickets here

About the Author
Latest Posts

John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.