What's On Stage *****
‘Pitman is extraordinary. He is the imaginary friend you always wanted and has both children and adults peeling into giggles with his face (which we can only assume is made out of rubber) and full-throttle physical comedy.’
ABOUT
Luke Pitman is an emerging actor, based in London. He has worked largely in theatre productions, including multiple Edinburgh Fringe runs and in Off West End theatre productions. Luke aims to make his audience laugh; he is highly skilled in physical theatre, clowning and comedy, currently training in improvised comedy.
Luke is a neurodivergent actor, being unable to read or write, he has honed his craft and styles of performance to help him in his acting career. Luke discovered early on that his niche was in physical comedy and character work. He is exceptionally skilled at audience participation, improvisation and sketch show work.
Luke joined the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre company as a teenager, working with established stage directors such as Lucy Betts (Associate Director of The Watermill Theatre) and Adam Forde (Creative Director of Story Pocket Theatre). Through his strong relationship with the company he became a principal actor in Guildford-based company, Story Pocket Theatres. Their debut show Arabian Nights, has its inaugural tour which included venues in Bath, Aldershot, West Totton and Wimbledon before reaching the Gilded Balloon at the Edinburgh Festival. This show went on to have great success at the Edinburgh Fringe season in 2014 and 2015. Due to its popularity the show went on to tour extensively until 2019.
The show received high praise, with the Edinburgh Evening News and the Edinburgh Guide awarding it 5 stars. Luke’s performance was highly accredited within these reviews…
‘A twisting, engaging and hugely physical actor’ (The List)
‘Luke Pitman is splendidly physical in a bewildering range of noisy and face-stretching roles’ (The Stage ****)
‘Luke Pitman is an explosion of facial expressions and bodily contortions’ (The Scotsman ****)
‘Luke Pitman, with his elastic face, skelly-eyed exuberance and masterful morphing clowning, has the audience on board, involving and engaging to great delight.’ (Edinburgh Guide *****),
‘Pitman's facial expressions were astounding, and had the kids in stitches’ (Rowena Henley)
‘Luke Pitman as the storyteller is what gives it zing’ (Fringe Review)
Luke continued to work with Story Pocket Theatre, later helping create and act in, Storyteller Storyteller. This show has an Edinburgh Fringe run in 2015 and 2016. It later toured in the UK and beyond until 2023. Storyteller Storyteller also received high praise, being described as ‘quite simply the most brilliant piece of children’s theatre ever devised. It’s that simple. In fact, it would be fair to say that it is one of the best pieces of farcical, comedic theatre at the Fringe this year’ (Arts Award Voice *****).
Luke further in Story Pocket’s Theatre adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's novel about King Arthur, performing as a puppeteer at Edinburgh 2016.
Luke then went on to perform, in his debut Off West End theatre Production at the Jermyn Street Theatre, acting alongside Micheal Brandon, Jeff Bridges and Cherie Lunghi. Luke plays comedic hotel concierge in Neil Koenigsberg, Off The King’s Road, directed by Anthony Cohen.
Luke is currently working on a physical theatre comedy show, SPLAT! Splat is a physical comedy about Art and Creativity devised for a younger audience. SPLAT! Will be touring summer 2025 around the UK.
Alongside his current work touring with SPLAT! Luke is dedicated to making his own work, and has begun to devise his own show, Class Clown. As a grown adult Luke cannot read or write. Luke's schooling years were different from most, in fact Luke went to a special education boarding school. Through stand up comedy, autobiographical retellings and clowning, new comer performer, Luke Pitman, delivers an intimate yet hilariously chaotic retelling of his life growing up as the Class Clown.
