Simpsons Stage Show Comes To Britain

A stage show starring the SIMPSONS voice-actors will come to this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe, before going on to two performances at the London Playhouse. The show was premiered in Aspen, Colorado earlier this year. The Edinburgh performance has already sold out. Indeed, the August 14 engagement was the fastest seller in the history of the Fringe, according to the DAILY TELEGRAPH newspaper. The tickets sold in 55 minutes. The show features original voice-actors Dan Castellaneta (Homer), Julie Kavner (Marge), Nancy Cartwright (Bart) and Yeardley Smith (Lisa). Hank Azaria, who voices the bartender Moe and numerous other characters, will also appear. Creator Matt Groening will introduce clips from the cartoon, after which the cast will perform a SIMPSONS episode. A spokesman said, "This is only the second time the actors have stood on a stage in front of their public. Seeing Nancy Cartwright, a little, middle-aged, motherly looking lady speaking the path of Bart Simpson is absolutely riveting. (At Aspen) the highlight for me was seeing Hank Azaria playing three characters arguing all at the same time." Last month the terrestrial U.K. channel BBC2 devoted an evening to SIMPSONS-related programmes, including two documentaries and a "favourite" episode decided by viewers. (The winner was the British-based "Lisa's Wedding" episode.)