Stating the bleedin' obvious

Groucho Marx is as famous for his cigar as he is for his bushy moustache and wisecracking quips.

But a theatre staging a new play about the comedy icon have felt compelled to warn audiences that the piece 'contains use of Haze and prop cigar'.

And while it may seem sensible to warn patrons with asthma of the presence of smoke, the cigar in  Dinner With Groucho is never actually lit. 

Audience members are sent a note alongside their emailed tickets to the show at The Arcola Theatre in Dalston, East London, stating: 'Content warning: Contains use of Haze and prop cigar.’  A similar notice is posted on the door of the auditorium.

The absurdist play, by Irish playwright Frank McGuinness, imagines a meeting between the Marx brother and the poet TS Eliot, inspired by their real-life interactions

In 1961, they began a correspondence when Eliot sent an admiring letter to Marx asking for a signed photograph. They finally met over dinner three years later.  

The Arcola say they are following official guidance issued by the Health and Safety Executive.

Published: 19 Nov 2022