Death of a Comedian, Soho Theatre
Owen McCafferty's new play could have had as its starting point John Updike's line "Celebrity is a mask that eats into the face", for it deals with stand-up comedian Steve Johnston, who hungers after success so much that he is prepared to jettison everything that matters to him " girlfriend, integrity, talent " to achieve it. And that description could indeed apply to many so-so comics currently plying their trade wh…