"Being deceived by art is one of the few pleasures available to the middle classes..."

The Ladykillers

Saturday 12^th November at Liverpool Playhouse

Cast

Constable Macdonald… Harry Peacock

Mrs Louisa Wilberforce… Marcia Warren

Professor Marcus… Peter Capaldi

Major Courtney… James Fleet

Harry Robinson… Stephen Wight

One-Round… Clive Rowe

 

Louis Harvey… Ben Miller

Mrs Jane Tromleyton… Beverley Walding

Mrs Wilberforce’s Guests… Janice Bradshaw, Judith Cain, Alison Gent, Margaret Gill, Gillian Patterson-Fox, Margaret Jones, Lace Akopjaro, William Troughton, Marcus Taylor

I had always been a fan of the original film, but I have to confess that it was the names involved that drew me to this production.  And seeing as you couldn't get tickets to the London production for love nor money, I managed to get three seats at the Liverpool Playhouse. 

My initial fears that the play would be too far removed from the film proved unfounded, Graham Linehan, the creative genius behind Father Ted and Black Books, has created here a piece that is true to the spirit of the original, yet with an approach of it's own, and he pulls off the dark comedy with aplomb. There is not a single faulty performance, Marcia Warren's moralistic yet dotty Mrs. Wilberforce is a brilliant foil for the gang, James Fleet a nervous delight as Major Courtenay, who may or not be a policeman, but is certainly a little too interested in women's clothing, Stephen Wight gets a much-more expanded role as the pill-popping Mr. Robinson, Ben Miller and Clive Rowe (both of whom were kind enough to sign autographs for me) are both threatening and entertaining at the same time, Miller's Romanian (perhaps a reference to his film counterpart Herbert Lom) idiom spouting Mr. Harvey casually discussing his first kills but becoming petrified when faced with a mob of little old ladies while Rowe is the closest thing the group has to heart (albeit a rather dim-witted one) as the former boxer One-Round, whose operatic death throes are a particular delight, leading Louis to quip 'If only he'd had a knife in his head sooner.' Last, but by no-means least, is Peter Capaldi in a tour-de-force performance, ably stepping up to the central role of Professor Marcus with sinister charm (and an indeterminable accent) convincing both when he is flamboyantly displaying his group's 'musical talents' and when he begins to lose his mind towards the end, coldly threatening the other members of the gang into compliance.

Linehan claims to have been inspired by the theatrical production of 39 Steps, and its influence can be clearly seen with the set pieces, particularly the heist which is performed with remote control cars on tracks that cross the stage. There is also a touch of Monty Python about the characters, particularly Mrs. Wilberforce's friends, several of whom are clearly men (the actors understudies) in classic 'Pepperpot' disguises. The staging also deserves mention, producing several moments taht really leave you scratching your head in amazement as to how the effects were acheived. My only criticism of the piece is that in some places the darkness lost its humour, such as with the fate of Mr. Robinson, although this did exhibit a brilliant sinister moment as Marcus and Louis listen to the murder takign place whilst at the same time coldly barring the door, prevent any escape.

So, The Ladykillers moves soon to London, about which I am conflicted, for while such an excellent piece deserves a long run, I worry that once its excellent cast are replaced, it will lose the vital ingredient that make a good show almost perfect.