Ahead of its second birthday in the West End this spring, the critically acclaimed and Olivier Award-nominated The Comedy About A Bank Robbery announces a new company. After a year of good behaviour at the Criterion the Second Company have been released on parole, with a new band of inmates starting performances from 27 February. Joining the cast are Samson Ajewole (Cooper), Jenna Augen (Ruth Monaghan), Jack Baldwin (Officer Shuck), Leonard Cook (Robin Freeboys), Matt Douglas-Hunt (Mitch Ruscitti) and Peter McGovern (Warren Slax). Continuing their roles as the bars-crossed lovers are Samuel Fogell (Sam Monaghan) and Holly Sumpton (Caprice Freeboys), and literally completing the cast is Chris Leask (Everyone Else).
The understudies are Jack Whittle, Lydia Fraser, Jean-Luke Worrell, Samuel Thomas and Sarah Gage.
Mischief Theatre's smash-and-grab hit The Comedy About A Bank Robbery is a fast, fabulous comedy caper and the funniest show in the West End!
Summer 1958. Minneapolis City Bank has been entrusted with a priceless diamond. An escaped convict is dead set on pocketing the gem with the help of his screwball sidekick, trickster girlfriend... and the maintenance man. With mistaken identities, love triangles and hidden agendas, even the most reputable can't be trusted. In a town where everyone's a crook, who will end up bagging the jewel?
Book now for this dynamite comedy. It would be criminal to miss it!
Samson Ajewole plays Officer Cooper. Previous theatre credits include Damn Yankees (The Landor Theatre), The Life (English Theatre, Frankfurt) and La Cage Aux Folles (UK tour).
Jenna Augen plays Ruth Monaghan. Previous theatre credits include The Knowledge (Charing Cross Theatre), The Witches (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Bad Jews (Arts Theatre, St. James Theatre and Theatre Royal, Bath), The Way of the World (Chichester Festival Theatre), Sleeping Beauty (Birmingham Repertory Theatre) and Chicken Soup With Barley (Royal Court Theatre). Her work for television includes Episodes, The Night Watch and Penelope in the Treehouse.
Jack Baldwin plays Officer Shuck. Previous theatre credits include The Play That Goes Wrong (Duchess Theatre), Hamlet (Park Theatre), The Time of Your Life (Finborough Theatre), The Sessions (Royal Albert Hall), The Exquisite Corpse (Southwark Playhouse), Twelfth Night, As You Like It (Cockpit Theatre), Dare Me to the Desert (King's Head Theatre), A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Shakespeare Conspiracy (Chelsea Theatre), To the Green Fields Beyond, Titus Andronicus (Linbury Studio), Messiah (The Bunker) and 10x10x10 (Pleasance Theatre).
Leonard Cook plays Robin Freeboys. Previous credits include The Play That Goes Wrong (Duchess Theatre).
Matt Douglas-Hunt plays Mitch Ruscitti. He made his theatre debut in the Australian and New Zealand touring production of Jersey Boys and has most recently played Nick Massi in the final West End cast of Jersey Boys at Piccadilly Theatre.
Samuel Fogell plays Sam Monaghan. Previous theatre credits include The Donkey Show (Pride Camden) and The Marked (Theatre Temoin).
Chris Leask plays Everyone Else. Previous theatre credits include I Need To Vent (The Vaults Festival), The Play That Goes Wrong (Duchess Theatre), Peter Pan Goes Wrong (Apollo Theatre and UK tour), Love Your Soldiers (Sheffield Crucible), Staunch (Arcola Theatre and Theatre503), Just for Fun: Totally Random (Camden People's Playhouse) and Same Time Next Week (Edinburgh Festival).
Peter McGovern plays Warren Slax. Previous theatre credits include The Christmas Truce (Royal Shakespeare Company), Love's Labour's Lost, Much Ado About Nothing (Royal Shakespeare Company and Theatre Royal?Haymarket), Barnbow Canaries (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Nell Gwynn (Apollo Theatre), The Madness of George III (Apollo Theatre and UK tour), Squirrels (Orange Tree),?An Inspector Calls,?The Shape Of Things, Vincent In Brixton (Theatre by the Lake), The History Boys (West Yorkshire Playhouse and UK tour),?The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Royal & Derngate,?Northampton),?Kes (Liverpool Playhouse and UK tour)?and Enjoy (Gielgud Theatre and UK tour).
Holly Sumpton plays Caprice Freeboys. The Comedy About A Bank Robbery marks her professional stage debut.
Mischief Theatre was founded in 2008 by graduates of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Starting as an improvised theatre group on the London and Edinburgh fringes, they have grown into one of the UK's leading theatre companies, winning the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy for The Play That Goes Wrong, and licensing their productions worldwide. Their newest show, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery is currently running in London's West End. In December 2016, Mischief made their TV debut on the BBC with Peter Pan Goes (Olivier Award Nominee 2016) which has also had two sell-out West End seasons, followed by A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong starring Derek Jacobi and Diana Rigg at Christmas 2017. The company is led by Henry Lewis, Artistic Director and Jonathan Sayer, Company Director.
Kenny Wax Ltd is currently producing productions of The Play That Goes Wrong on Broadway, in the West End and on tour in the UK. Following its continuing success in the West End, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery embarks on a UK tour in Summer 2018. In 2017 he produced a stage adaption of the Fellini masterpiece La Strada and a new Around the World in 80 Days. Kenny presented the world première production of Top Hat, which was the recipient of three Olivier Awards including Best New Musical, The Play That Goes Wrong which won the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy 2015, WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Comedy and Best Play at the Broadway World Theatre Awards, Peter Pan Goes Wrong (Olivier Award nominated) and Once On This Island (Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 1995). Productions this year include a stage adaptation of Jilly Murphy's The Worst Witch.
Directed by Mark Bell with Nancy Zamit for Mischief Theatre; Designer: David Farley
Costume Designer: Roberto Surace; Lighting Designer: David Howe
Associate Lighting Designer: Matt Leventhall; Sound Design: Jon Fiber for JollyGoodTunes
Musical Director and Arranger: Joey Hickman
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