The Curious Case of Benjamin Button musical opens custom-built pub, The Pickled Crab

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has added a pub to its West End home!

Set in a Cornish fishing village, it tells the story of Benjamin Button – a man who ages in reverse. F Scott Fitzgerald’s short story has been adapted for the stage by Jethro Compton and Darren Clark. It has received three glowing reviews from WhatsOnStage – with a maximum of 15 stars.

Stars John Dagleish, who plays the title role, and Clare Foster, who plays Elowen Keene, are both nominated for Olivier Awards this year.

They are joined by Matthew Burns, Jonathan Charles, Oonagh Cox, Katy Ellis, Anna Fordham, Philippa Hogg, Damien James, Ann Marcuson, Jack Quarton, Benedict Salter, and Elliot Mackenzie.

Now open at the Ambassadors Theatre, The Pickled Crab is based on the fictional drinking house on the north Cornish coast, where Benjamin Button meets the only woman he will ever love. Audience members are invited to experience the world of the production.

Open six days a week, the custom-built pub, designed by Compton and constructed by Datum Production Solutions, provides Cornish treats from pasties to ales, including Proper Job on draught.

It is open to the public ahead of each performance and remains open until the end of the interval. During double-show days (Tuesday and Saturday), the bar continues to trade between shows. 

Compton said: “It’s so exciting that we’re the first theatre to build our own pub right in the heart of the West End. The Pickled Crab is the drinking house in the show where Benjamin falls in love – to actually bring it to life was such a joy. It’s filled with all things Cornish and hundreds of little details that expand the world of the show out into the streets of London.”

The production is the most nominated new British musical at this year’s Olivier Awards – see the full list of nominees here. In addition to the performer nominations, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button received nods for Outstanding Musical Contribution (Darren Clark for music supervision, orchestrations, and arrangements, and Mark Aspinall for musical direction, music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements), and for Best New Musical.

The creative team includes Compton (director and stage designer), Aspinall and Clark (co-music supervisors, orchestrators, and arrangers, Aspinall also as musical director), Chi-San Howard (choreographer), Anna Kelsey (costume and associate stage designer), Luke Swaffield (sound designer), and Zoe Spurr (lighting designer). Casting is by Ginny Schiller.

The musical is produced by ATG Productions, Gavin Kalin Productions, Gary Beestone Associates, Eilene Davidson Productions, Susan Edelstein and Teresa Tsai, Umeda Arts Theater, Rupert Gavin and Mallory Factor, Winkler and Smalberg, Thomas Steven Perakos and Jethro Compton Productions.

A new initiative, Anchor Seats, has also been revealed. 200 tickets are anchored at £40 for every Thursday evening performance. 

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is booking until 30 August 2025.