Excellent performance!
by MSink on 10/20/25The Lyric Theatre - BirminghamRating: 5 out of 5This was a delightful performance that kept us captivated. Lots of humor and personal anecdotes that made Churchill come alive as a person. Highly recommend!

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Winston Churchill has just been awarded honorary US citizenship by President John F. Kennedy. In recognition of this unprecedented occasion, The American-Oxford Society has asked the former Prime Minister to address them and discuss what this honor means to him.
In this often funny, sometimes touching and always engaging one-man-show... veteran British actor, David Payne brings Churchill to life onstage. Audiences will be delighted to hear of his exploits during the Boer War, his constant battles with Britain's fellow politicians, and his special relationship with America and America's presidents. But most telling of all, Churchill enlightens the audience with intimate and touching details of the two special women in his life--his wife Clementine and Queen Elizabeth.
With elements of The Crown and The Darkest Hour, David Payne once again gives audiences an opportunity to spend an evening with one of the greatest historical figures in the world--Sir Winston Churchill.
This was a delightful performance that kept us captivated. Lots of humor and personal anecdotes that made Churchill come alive as a person. Highly recommend!
Brilliant portrayal of Winston Churchill as the amazing historical figure that he was. I would go again. It was that good.
The one-man performance of Churchill by David Payne was excellent. His English draw and mannerism coupled with reminiscent history perspective was spellbinding. Mr. Payne did a tremendous job of mixing humor and a walk-thru history. We were very pleased with the performance and would highly recommend it. The auditorium seating at Sheldon Hall on Butler University was quaint and comfortable.
David Payne did an excellent job of seeming like Churchill and the stories and anecdotes and historical tidbits were all quite interesting. There was a lot of good humor included. So the script was excellent. The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is that he just spoke too slowly. It was unfortunately actually soporific. I have heard recordings of Churchill himself speaking and they never seemed as slow as this. Sometimes Churchill did speak slowly because speaking to a huge crowd like parliament with lots of noise in the audience requires slower speech than a quiet formal setting like this was being done in and I am sure Churchill knew enough about reading an audience to have talked faster to us. So speed it up to make it a 5 star. The show was long enough - from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm with a 15 minute intermission and would have been better 15 minutes shorter with faster speech that kept interest alive.
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. We learned a lot and we laughed a lot! Smart and witty take on history.
We've never seen David Payne. He was a one-man show who nailed the Churchill character. His humor kept our attention. He engaged the audience. The experience was the best history lesson we've ever had. We highly recommend Churchill and anything with David Payne.
This is an excellent one person performance that should appeal equally to someone who knows a lot about Churchill or very little. The actor is totally in character and engages well with the audience.
A wonderful dialogue of known and not so well known information about a man who helped shaped the 20th century. Presented as a conversation with the audience, the performance had just the right mix of somber reflection on difficult decisions Mr. Churchill had to make, and more lighthearted times in his personal life, both his younger years and those post Prime Minister times. An afternoon well spent.
David Payne's one-man show based on the life of Winston Churchill was true delight to a lover of history like me. Premised on attendance at a dinner gathering shortly after confirmation of US citizenship, Payne, as Churchill, uses the opportunity to reflect on his 80 years of life and not just on his time as Prime Minister of Great Britain during World War II. Covering highs and lows, special relationships, insights and, of course, his incredible and sometimes biting wit, the show is a masterful performance. For those is need of flashing lights, video imagery and non-stop movement on the stage, then this show is not for you. For those able to focus on the spoke word and appreciate and enjoy the context in which given, then I strongly encourage you to attend. Even more amazing is that David Payne is 80 years old and going strong!
Its like sitting in a study, listening to an old friend talk about his life. But no questions allowed. The gentleman sits in his wing back chair with a drink and his cigar, reminiscing. He is humorous, and insightful. Very good experience.
Enjoyed the show greatly. Like a history lesson from someone who lived it. Entertaining and informative. Excellent show!
Performance was outstanding. Had problems with Ticketmaster’s management of my account. Event wouldn’t post so couldn’t get my electronic tickets. After multiple attempts to contact Ticketmaster, finally talked with a helpful human. Getting paper tickets at venue was smooth. Whew!!
The show went by so quickly. He’s a marvelous imitator of the wit and intelligence of the great Churchill. The stories were engaging and his humor hysterical. Glad we went. Highly recommend it.
Excellent performance and writing. I wish there were more plays and performances like this one. It was worthy of its subject.
Both my husband and I loved the play. Very convincing delivery of factual statements. We wanted another two hours. The only thing to be absolutely true to the legendary character: light the cigar!
Loved his performance and that he included Churchill’s experience in Gallipoli. Wish we could have seen him as CS Lewis.
My husband and I spent a week exploring London last year - one of the best things we did was go to the Churchill war rooms. We learned so much. This performance was just lovely . It rounded out our Churchill experience. It was a very engaging relaxing way to learn about this man’s personality and his experiences. It was a delightful performance.
David Payne was outstanding. It was a brilliant 1.5 hour into the personality and highlights of Churchill’s life and people that he loved. We loved the show and Mr. Payne
The One-Person Play was incredible. I love history and however brief, I felt like I was transported back in time and to the experiences that Winston Churchill himself encountered. It was magnificent.
I thought the performance itself was excellent, I love the theater. However the set designer missed the mark. The furniture was mis-matched, not appropriate to the occasion, and I felt badly that the actor had to struggle to get in and out of the chair that was clearly too low for him.