Review: THE COMEDY ABOUT A BANK ROBBERY, Theatre Royal Brighton

If you're looking for a funny play concerning a heist, this is the show for you.

Mischief Theatre's third production, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery, opened at the Criterion Theatre on London's West End in March 2016. A 2018-2019 touring production opened in Birmingham in August 2018, and it's currently playing to crowds in Brighton's Theatre Royal.

Liam Jeavons is suitably macho as escaped convict Mitch Ruscitti. He returns to Minneapolis with a mission to steal a diamond that's deposited in a bank run by the father of Mitch's girlfriend, Caprice (played on this occasion by understudy Charlotte Duffy).

David Coomber is endearingly naïve as Mitch's unexpected partner-in-crime Neil Cooper, a former prison guard who just wants to be part of the action. A similarly loveable character is Warren Slax, played by Jon Trenchard, an elderly employee at the bank who always runs into bad luck (and hard objects, it seems).

Duffy gives a sassy portrayal of gold-digger Caprice. Her promiscuous schemes come back to haunt her throughout the show. Many of her suitors are impressively played simultaneously by George Hannigan as the creatively named character "Everyone Else".

Seán Carey plays Sam Monaghan, a con artist, and one of Patrice's newest victims, and gives a performance full of wit and humour as he finds himself caught up in the criminal proceedings. A scene involving a game of charades between Duffy and him is a particular highlight.

Ashley Tucker gives an amusing performance as Ruth Monaghan, Sam's mother. She also leads a number of musical interludes between scenes, showing off a powerful vocal and stage presence.

Joey Hickman's a cappella arrangements of vintage numbers complement the 1958 setting and act as suitable vehicles for location changes.

Damian Lynch garners many laughs from the audience as oblivious bank manager Robin Freeboys and Killian Macardle revels in his role as exasperated Officer Randal Shuck.

Mischief Theatre's writing team, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, deliver a script chockfull of clever wordplays, immaculate comic timing and slapstick, executed by tour director Kirsty Patrick Ward.

On occasion the bank heist plot is almost entirely forgotten amongst the myriad of hysterical sketches, but the cast deliver back-to-back jokes - to the audience's delight.

David Farley's multi-level set design has many large pieces, occasionally inhibiting the flow of some scenes in a crowded and clunky manner. This may have been due to the size of the Theatre Royal's stage. That said, a gravity-defying sequence in the second half of the play when the bank robbery is well underway wows the audience.

The costumes by Roberto Surace ground the piece in its late 50s setting, and David Howe's lighting design brings the police car chase sequences to life.

Mischief Theatre continue to bring high-quality comedy to audiences. It would be criminal to miss this highly entertaining show.

The Comedy About A Bank Robbery at Theatre Royal Brighton until 17 November and then continues on tour.

Photo credit: Robert Day

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