Show: The Ladykillers
Society: Questors, The
Venue: The Questors Theatre, Ealing
Credits: Graham Linehan
Type: Sardines
Author: Jess Pether
Performance Date: 24/03/2017
The Ladykillers
Jess Pether | 25 Mar 2017 11:52am
I’ve discovered that I really enjoy going to see a show I know basically nothing about. This is my third Sardines review, and although I read bits about the last two shows I saw, and probably promised myself I’d “thoroughly research” each one before I went, I’ve actually decided it’s much more fun to be surprised.
Take The Ladykillers for example. I was aware that it was an old film, and that it was re-made not too many years ago starring Tom Hanks. (“Watch the original.” advised my step mum. She knows about these things.) And I think I knew it was about a group of conmen. But if I’m being truthful, I took the title literally and thought at least one person of the female persuasion would probably be bumped off. Oh how wrong I was!
In short, The Ladykillers is a black comedy set in 1956, telling the story of a sweet and somewhat eccentric old lady, Mrs Wilberforce. She often reports fanciful suspicions to the police, such as believing the local newsagent is a Nazi criminal. (Cue many chuckles right from the off when policeman Constable Macdonald asks if the newsagent was just “reaching for something” rather than doing the Nazi salute.) All her stories of course turn out to be untrue. Alone in her home, with only a very ill parrot for company, she welcomes a Professor into the spare room she has for rent. Soon, she in mixed up in a £200,000 robbery and is pitted against a gang of criminal misfits who will stop at nothing to escape with their share of the dosh.
I hadn’t been to The Questors Theatre in Ealing before, but I will 100% make sure I visit again. What a glorious place, with its vintage tearoom decked out in bunting and its cosy theatre bar whose prices could have you believe you’re back in 1995. Theatres are my favourite places in the whole world, and this little gem will go on my list of top discoveries.
Walking into the auditorium, I was immediately impressed with the set. Mrs Wilberforce’s whole house had been constructed on the stage, with every little detail thought about. When I read in the programme that the set was designed by a third year undergraduate of Theatre Production, Imogen Ffion Brown, I was even more impressed! Coupled with train sound effects and Constable Macdonald roaming the aisles whilst the audience took their seats, I really felt immersed in the production from the off.
I was initially worried about the cast not being miked, as it’s not something I’m used to. But after my ears got used to the level of the dialogue, it was never a problem. From the off, I could tell I was about to see a very professional production. Being a musical theatre girl to the core, plays can sometimes bore me (why isn’t anyone breaking out into song?!), but I didn’t once wish for the interval to come or let my mind stray to dinner.
Professor Marcus tells Mrs W that he is part of a musical group who will be coming over to practice for an upcoming concert. As each gang member entered, I loved it more and more. Thinking that the next person couldn’t possibly be more comical than the last, I was wrong, as each one turned up at the house trying to remember their pseudonym and back story. John Dobson as Major Courtney was suitably flustered at all times and had excellent comic timing. The fact that it turned out he liked dressing in women’s clothes, and had a dance around with one of Mrs W’s dresses later on in the show (“I fell against it!”), made me love him even more. He fully committed to the part and I think was probably have a ball!
Josh Lewis as Harry Robinson, the youngest of the gang, was a delight to watch, and the story he told about his poor blind and insane mother who liked washing her face had me in stitches. Mike Hadjipateras looked perfect in the part of well-dressed and violent gangster Louis Harvey, whose fear of old ladies was very funny. But my favourite of the motley crew had to be One-Round, or Mr Lawson, played by Chris Waldock. Taking a while to get to grips with the fact that HE was in fact Mr Lawson, he took to announcing it whenever he entered a room. But no matter how many times I heard the dumb sounding “I’m Mr Lawson!”, I still laughed out loud. His oafish, idiotic character was a joy to watch, and it was especially nice to see him become the one gang member who really tried to protect Mrs W.
As the two main characters, Mary Davis as Mrs Wilberforce and Simon Higginson as Professor Marcus held the show together well. Mary was suitably doddery and emotional when it was required, and her interactions with General Gordon (her parrot) were sweet and funny. My only slightly negative observation was that every time she had to accidently stand on the Professor’s floor length scarf, she gave a very obvious look towards the floor before firmly placing her foot in the right place. I don’t doubt that this piece of physical comedy is probably hard to do using just your peripheral vision, but perhaps they can hone this a little more throughout the run. Simon was a strong lead, especially in a part that is probably the least comical out of everyone. He kept my attention and I liked his interactions with everyone.
The lighting was great, especially when the Professor first entered the auditorium. He was backlit as he came through a doorway towards the stage so that you first saw only the looming shadow of a man in a hat on the back wall, which grew larger and larger. There were a few timing issues between sound/lighting and action that was taking place on stage. A few times, someone would switch a light off after it had already gone dark and at one point, Harry was cleaning his violin loudly and stopped polishing before the loud noise itself actually came to a halt! These things made the audience titter, but as it was opening night, I image they were just teething problems. I also thought the second act seemed a little less polished than the first, but considering the amount of physical comedy in this half, it’s easy to see why. As each gang member gradually comes to a sticky end (yes, there are no ladies killed but plenty of men!), it becomes clear who is really the winner in the situation as Mrs W ends up happily weeping over a cello case full of cash.
You may realise I find it hard to write ‘short’ reviews, but there was just so much to enjoy about this production, I didn’t want to miss any of it out! From personal experience, I know that acting in a comedy and good comedic timing are very hard skills to master, but these guys had all that in abundance. Special mention to the theatre staff, who were extremely welcoming and pleasant to me and my guest, and when there was a slight mix up with my tickets, they couldn’t have been more helpful. Congratulations to The Questors on a thoroughly enjoyable production, and thank you for having me along for the ride.
- : admin
- : 24/03/2017