When Mischief Theatre comes to town, you know that silliness is not far behind. In the tradition of their previous productions, The Play That Goes Wrong (and its variants) and Mischief Movie Night, their latest offering is another mad romp packed with physical comedy, cringe-worthy puns, and clever staging.
The Comedy about a Bank Robbery is the story of escaped criminal, Mitch Ruscitti, and his attempt to steal a priceless diamond from a bank in Minneapolis, the town where ‘everyone’s a crook’. He enlists the help of hapless prison guard, Neil Cooper, played by the extraordinarily funny David Coomber, to break out of prison, and aid him in his crime. Ruscitti also plans to use his girlfriend, Caprice Freeboys, a confidence trickster, as part of his scheme, as her father owns the bank where the diamond is being kept. But when he arrives at Caprice’s apartment, it seems that she hasn’t been waiting around for him to get out of prison – there’s another man with her.
The best parts of this play are the farce scenes – Caprice’s new flame, Sam Monaghan, a pickpocket (/doctor/lawyer/rabbi) struggles to stay out of sight in Caprice’s one-bed flat while she seduces her ex-convict boyfriend while trying to get Monaghan out of the flat. The farce is further complicated by the arrival of a repairman, several other men being strung along by Caprice, and finally, her father, Mr Freeboys, the bank manager. Caprice, played by Julia Frith in her professional debut, is excellent – her comic timing is smart, she’s not embarrassed about looking silly, and she is tireless, barely leaving the stage for the entire play!
A few gags in the show fall flat, or continue for just a little too long – there’s a very bizarre seagull motif running throughout that doesn’t quite work, and there’s a too-long section in the middle where one actor playing three men has a fight with himself which doesn’t add anything to the narrative. However, there’s a marvellous scene with ropes (I’ll not spoil it for you) that more than makes up for these. The set work from David Farley is superb, and adds to the physicality of the whole production, and the use of music to create a 1950s atmosphere works very well. I’d go to see Ashley Tucker (who plays Sam’s mother, Ruth) in concert anytime – what a voice!
All in all, The Comedy about a Bank Robbery is an extremely fun show, and a much-needed antidote to a gloomy January. It runs at the Oxford Playhouse until Saturday 19th and I’d recommend that you see it if you’d like a laugh. ★★★★☆ @BookingAround 16th January 2019
