Leeds Grand Theatre – until 27 October 2108
4****
I have a huge love for Mischief Theatre, I was there at the beginning for The Play That Goes Wrong – now a Worldwide success.
Bank Robbery is equally as hysterical as its predecessors. The highly complex plot, set in the 1950’s, involves a giant diamond, deposited for safeguarding in a Minnesota bank, and some already imprisoned crooks who plot a heist from their prison cell. First they need to break out of prison — a task for which they are easily facilitated by their equally crooked, yet gormless, guards who want in on their criminal plans – and then break into the bank.
There are word gags with the character of Freeboys and Three Boys being used often. And many laughs at Robin Freeboys and robbing three boys. You can imagine the laughter when the character of Roger Freeboys appears! And, as Mischief are famous for, visual gags – involving seagulls (Stephen and Deborah), a pull down bed and a sideways office scene are among the many hilarious scenes.
Sam Monaghan (Dave Hearn) is a petty criminal who promises his mum Ruth (Ashley Tucker) he is on the straight and narrow. Ruth works at the bank holding the diamond, run by Robin Freeboys (Damien Lynch), also working at the bank are Freeboys’ incompetent nephew Roger (George Hannigan) and 67 year old intern Warren Slax (Jon Trenchard). Warren is in love with Caprice Freeboys (Julia Frith), the daughter of Robin. Caprice is a con artist but is in love with Sam. However her ex boyfriend Mitch Ruscitti (normally Liam Jeavons but on press night Eddy Westbury) breaks out of jails with the help of Neil Cooper (David Coomber) a jail guard who loves amateur dramatics. Helping to guard the bank is Officer Shuck (Killiam Macardle) who falls for Ruth.
Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, the show has feats of physical daring, and exquisite comic timing. Rounded off with musical interludes in between the scenes.
This is a laugh out loud comedy that could and should be a 5 star show. However two things stopped that for me. The first was the door in Caprice’s flat, it wouldn’t remain shut – so when one actor was trying to escape the flat having a door that wouldn’t shut spoilt the comedy. And the second thing was that the music, at times, drowned out the exquisite voice of Ashley Tucker when she sang. Sort these two little things and you’ll have a 5 star tour right there.
In Leeds until 27 October and on tour around the UK, one of the funniest things I’ve seen this year