Susan Jeremy’s show is a hilarious, heartfelt, one-woman show about work, identity, and finding your calling
Acclaimed New York comedian, Susan Jeremy, performs her laugh-out-loud memoir that turns a lifetime of job firings, false starts, and fearless reinvention into a fantastic evening of live theatre. At once, uproariously funny and unexpectedly moving, Robert Will Show You the Door chronicles Jeremy’s winding career path—from babysitting, fast food chains, bakery counters, and Radio City Music Hall to clowning at kids’ parties, roller-skating cigarette promotions, stand-up comedy, and ultimately teaching in the New York City school system, including classes in a hospital psychiatric ward. Along the way, she accidentally discovers her true calling.
With comedic charm, an encyclopedic arsenal of accents, and an electric stage presence, Jeremy commands the audience from start to finish. Her minimalist stage setup becomes a playground for her vivid character work (she portrays 15 characters!) with physical comedy. Moving fluidly across space, she transforms a bare stage into a kaleidoscope of workplaces, decades, and personalities, proving that no-frills storytelling can be utterly captivating.
More than a recitation of jobs lost, the show is a coming-of-age story that spans Jeremy’s life from childhood to the present. It explores the universal struggle to balance passion and practicality (with her mother’s recurring advice to “get a job with a pension”), the awkwardness of dating and self-discovery, and the resilience required to survive institutions that do not always reward dedication. Her reflections on teaching—by turns hilarious and deeply humane—resonate powerfully with educators and anyone who has worked under pressure while trying to do meaningful good.
Highlights include nostalgic detours to New York City’s iconic Studio 54 nightclub, where Jeremy’s physical comedy and disco-era dating tales shine, and her uncanny ability to embody people from all walks of life—parents, bosses, co-workers, students—with warmth, precision, and a distinctly New Yorker’s wit.
After 24 years as a teacher, Jeremy’s decision to retire and take Robert Will Show You the Door on tour internationally marks a triumphant full-circle moment. By reframing getting fired as fuel for creativity and growth, she delivers a performance that is both validating and inspiring.
Directed by Mary Fulham
Runtime: 60 minutes
No intermission
Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, London SE10 8ES from April 22nd – 25th
Booking a full details: https://greenwichtheatre.org.uk/
