Audience members were keeling over in fits of laughter at the opening night of The Comedy About The Bank Robbery last night (Tuesday) at the Bristol Hippodrome.
With gravity-defying stunts and quick-witted humour, the Mischief Theatre were at it again to bring tears of joy to the Tuesday night crowd’s faces.
The Comedy About The Bank Robbery is the theatre group’s second time at the Hippodrome after the roaring success of The Play That Goes Wrong.
MORE: Hilarity as chaos ensues at Mischief Theatre play.
The story follows a gang of somewhat interesting and ditsy characters who are out to either steal or protect a half-a-million-pound diamond belonging to Prince Ludwig of Hungary.
The set of this show must be complimented. When I walked into the theatre and saw the single, solitary diamond in its case I was disappointed not to see the same-style set which had played tricks on the cast in The Play That Goes Wrong.
But my disappointment was misplaced, for hiding in the wings were folding scenes including Caprice’s apartment and the Minneapolis City Bank.
The unfolding set was the perfect back drop to this play, with creative touches to keep the audience on its toes.
But the set came into its own as our criminals climbed through the vents to break into the vault - well suffice to say I can only sum it up to you in a handful of words, actors dangling from the ceiling by harnesses and some very strong glue.
I wouldn’t want to give anymore than that away as I simply cannot ruin this play’s highlight.
The kooky show really celebrated the talents of its actors and actresses, with some showing a flare for comedy while others had a true finesse for singing.
Ruth Monaghan (Ashley Tucker) was the lead singing star in this show, doing her best to recreate the 1950s songs.
She was joined by the cast but stood out among the chaos and moving sets.
Neil Cooper (David Coomber) was another surprising star as the utterly useless sidekick who always managed to execute the plan perfectly wrong.
His dumb character and comical stupidity worked perfectly to balance out the dangerous and criminal nature of Mitch Ruscitti (Liam Jeavons).
Sam and Caprice (Sean Carey and Julia Frith respectively) were a power duo when they shared the stage, especially when the love-sick pair’s attempt at a passionate tryst was thrown into anarchy with the arrival of Mitch and Cooper.
Some excellent charades and swift moves created an unforgettable ending to the first half of the show.
The Comedy About The Bank Robbery was not without its gags, with some odd and very corny ‘dad jokes’ to warm the audience up before the full artillery was unleashed.
What made this play special was how jokes were carried through right to the final scene... and now I will never be able to trust a friend who takes off their glasses when telling me something for fear it could be a lie.
I could talk for days about this show and its nods to its award-winning predecessor, loveable characters in Robin Freeboys (Damian Lynch) and Warren Slax (Jon Trenchard) but then this review would be far too long.
This show is on at the Hippodrome, in St Augustines Parade from today (Wednesday) until Saturday at 7.30pm each night, with additional performances at 2.30pm today, tomorrow (Thursday) and Saturday.
Tickets, priced £13-36.90, are available at www.atgtickets.com/Bristol or from 08448 713012.
This is a show you do not want to miss.
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