The Lady Killers.

This play is a stage adaptation, by Graham Lineham, of the 1955 Ealing comedy film of the same name, staring Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers. A Black Comedy, set in 1950’s London, tells the story of an elderly widow, with a sickly but very raucous parrot, General Gordon, who has decided to rent out a rooms for some extra income. A seemingly respectable gentleman, Professor Marcus, on the pretext that he is leader of a string quintet and they are rehearsing for a concert, answers the advert. When the others members start arriving, complete with instruments, they are a motley assortment of characters and it soon becomes clear they are up to no good. In fact they are planning to steal a great deal of money and will use Mrs Wilberforce to help them. The first Act is very funny with many farcical moments but in the second Act everything becomes much darker, but it still has its humour.

It is always difficult adapting something from screen to Theatre, having to work within the confines of a single space, and more difficult in this case as the Playhouse has a relatively small stage. But the skills of Technical Director Rod Clifford, and Stage Manager Pip Royall, had translated the designs of Rod Clifford and Peter Cluer, into an eminently workable set. The action was set in the house belonging to Mrs Wilberforce, an elderly lady who has decided to rent out rooms. It requires a kitchen, sitting room, a staircase, a cupboard under the stairs to accommodate five people, a ‘guest’ room with practical window and door to a bathroom, a roof to support someone and it has to shake every time a train goes by. It had all been solidly constructed and decorated with the slightly shabby décor and subsidence problems caused by the wartime bombings, of a house belonging to the widow.

The lighting was well designed and needed to be cued precisely as the action moved to each area of the stage. There were some lovely effects of dodgy wiring, and trains passing. The sound plot was also complicated with trains; dicey plumbing; doorbells; the gramophone and the ensuing mayhem of the robbery. The play was well costumed, with the elderly ladies depicting a bygone age, and the men dressed in outfits which helped enhance their characters. The set had been dressed to help convey the period and the circumstances of Mrs Wilberforce, with the changes taking place in subdued lighting in full view of the audience, it all worked well.

The play had been very well cast, with everyone giving strong performances. James Blofield as Constable Macdonald gave an amusing Front of House announcement in character, before the play started. He was everyone’s idea of a 1950’s friendly community ‘Bobby’ who was used to listening to the frequent reports of suspicious neighbourhood activities, from Mrs Wilberforce, which have all been the result of an active imagination, and dealing with her in a good humoured way. Claire Greenwood gave a superb performance as Mrs Wilberforce; she was every inch the slightly eccentric old lady with a tendency to righteous meddling, who is knowingly dicing with death. There was a lovely moment when she showed that she was lonely when she was trying to persuade the ‘musicians’ to give a recital for ‘her ladies’ so that they would come to her house. Tristan Holland, as Professor Marcus, portrayed the leader of the gang with panache. He appeared to be a well-educated, smooth talking charmer, but he had extremely sinister intent. Dave Kilmister, as Major Courtney, a con man, caused a good deal of amusement with his secret love of cross-dressing.  Phil Domaille gave a lovely portrayal as Harry Robinson, a crook with a cleaning obsession, who needs his ‘pills’ to keep going. Gareth Williams, as ex-boxer One-Round, captured the confusion, presumably a result of his boxing career, and sentimentality of the character, and had difficulty remembering he was ‘Mr Lawson’. Jack Curtis gave a convincing performance as hard hearted Romanian killer, Louis Harvey, who has a hatred of many things, but in particular old ladies. Mrs Wilberforce’s friends were all quite as eccentric as her, all relics of a by-gone era, with lovely responses to the ‘modern’ music. General Gordon, the Parrot, was kept covered for most of the time but made raucous comments on cue, Melanie Palmer did s sterling job controlling him.

Director Peter Cluer had harnessed the talents of his cast and created a highly entertaining production, which brought out all the humorous and more menacing aspects in equal measure. So much fun was created by Professor Marcus’s scarf; and the scene where they are trying to explain why they are in the small cupboard under the stair was wonderful. The gang are to be complimented on their musical talents producing the ‘avant-garde’ recital for the ladies. All departments rose to the challenge of this deceptively difficult play and worked together to produce a thoroughly entertaining evening.

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