York Grand Opera House – until 9 February 2019
Reviewed by Marcus Richardson
4****
The Comedy About a Bank Robbery, is a comedy but you probably would’ve guessed that by the name. A play with laughs and gags from start to finish, with witty one liners and gags that will make the serious prunes belt out the most heinous laughs. This isn’t a show with jokes inserted in, this show is a joke. Set in Minneapolis in the late 1950’s, it follows a plan to steal a very big diamond worth a very big sum. With mishaps and confusing plots along the way, we witness the hilarious chaos unfold as characters fall into lies and tricks.
The cast does a phenomenal job of having perfect precision, which is needed for the slapstick being the funniest aspect of the play. From being smacked over the head many, many times throughout a scene, to being caught in a pull out bed. The best part of the comedy in this play was the physicality and energy of the cast, sure the jokes make you laugh but in a scene where Sam, expertly played by Seán Carey, pretends to be Caprice Freeboys father, as he know virtually nothing about him we watch him take hints from Caprice as his character get more and more angered and over the top. Another actor who stood out was Jon Trenchard who played Warren Slax, who seemed to take pretty much all of the beatings throughout the show, however in his moment of fame, being suspended against a wall as if to appear that we were looking down on him, we watch as he struggles and fails to work his way around the gravity defying set. This scene had the whole entire audience laughing at the bizarre and funny play on gravity.
The stage was cleverly put together with items being used as weapons and disguises. With the play being so physical we needed a stage to meet the energy and character of the actors, and this is something that once again proves that Mischief Theatre can do, just like the production of The Play That Goes Wrong. Costumes are used well and the use of some characters pretending to be other character without trousers really makes the audience laugh.
It’s an incredibly fun and playful show, however it doesn’t lack the creativity and intelligence that goes into creating a slick and innovative performance. You will be laughing and amazed at how cleaver this show really is. The jokes are cheesy, the plot is crazy and the characters are hilarious, all the things that make a good comedy. It’s no surprise that Mischief Theatre have stolen the limelight for creating comedies that are legendary, just watch this show to see why.