‘I Must Be Mr. Boswell’ Delights in Literary London

James Boswell (Kenneth Tigar) is not having a good day. Waking from a fitful sleep, he cries, “Pray for me, Dr. Johnson, my much respected friend. If you can hear me, pray for me,” before he jumps out of bed to run and vomit discreetly offstage.

In the one-man “I Must Be Mr. Boswell,” written and performed by a congenially delightful Tigar at the Odyssey Theatre, Boswell is in London on Dec. 20, 1784, to attend the funeral of Samuel Johnson, the compiler of the first great English dictionary and the author of essays, sermons, poems and plays.

Born in Scotland, Boswell trained to be a lawyer to please his father. He later befriended Johnson and was pulled into the center of London’s intellectual elite, which included portrait painter Sir Joshua Reynolds and actor David Garrick. He yearned to become a great cultural beacon, like his friends.

Boswell eventually would find fame himself when he finally wrote the biography “Life of Johnson,” and the play delineates this turning point in his life.

If this sounds like too much obscure history, don’t worry. The program provides the particulars about everybody except Boswell, who tells his own story with great flourish.

According to the program notes, Tigar perused Boswell’s journals and published works, extracting almost every scripted word. There’s nothing musty here. Director Lawrence Osgood keeps the action lively, yet tasteful, even when Boswell is describing some youthful debauch.

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* “I Must Be Mr. Boswell,” Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West Los Angeles. Sundays, 2 p.m.; Mondays, 8 p.m. Dark June 13. Ends June 21. $15. (310) 477-2055. Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes.