The Ladykillers

On entering the Memorial Hall at Brentwood School, I was delighted to be greeted by an intricate and cleverly designed set. The set had been expertly constructed to include three distinct acting areas and was full of perfectly chosen props and furniture. This was no mean feat on a small stage, and the way the actors negotiated the hallway, lounge and box room in Mrs Wilberforce’s house was, in turn, very clever and very funny.

To demonstrate the accuracy of the 1940’s setting, an audience member in front of me was delighted to point out all the items that she recalled being in her home in her youth!The open stage at the beginning made it possible to visually explore and appreciate every nook and cranny of the set as we waited for the action to begin.

The Ladykillers was originally, a 1950’s film produced by the Ealing Studios and the director and cast got the period just right. Constable MacDonald, played by David Staley, gave a witty performance and in combination with the wonderful Lindsey Crutchett playing the ‘little old lady’ Mrs Louisa Wilberforce, set the scene for the detailed plot that ensued. Her interpretation of this role was masterly even to the way she struggled getting up and down the stairs. Her interactions with each of the gang members was subtly different and very clever. The actors did not use microphones but relied on their clear and precise diction to project the dialogue for the audience to hear. There were a couple of times that the tight acting areas dictated that dialogue was a bit muffled, but it was lovely to see that it isn’t always necessary to use amplification to enable the show to be heard and comprehended.

Professor Marcus, portrayed by Elliot Porte gave a masterclass in timing and the correct amount of diffidence to guide the plot along. I loved his exasperated demeanour in dealing with the foibles of his companions as well as the throwaway comments that had the audience in fits of laughter. Major Courtney, played by Roy Hobson, was just distracted enough to carry the believability of the character along and I really enjoyed his asides as well. Richard Spong as Harry, Mark Griffiths as One -round and Will Atkinson as Louis had really well-developed characters and their interactions during the course of the show were hysterical. They were all very comfortable in their roles. The giggling ladies were great fun, as was the Parrot (?), General Gordon, who we never did see but was, apparently, so ugly that, perhaps, it was just as well.

Huge congratulations to the director, William Wells, who achieved a fantastic result from a film script, which is a nearly an impossible task when transferring it onto the stage. I am lost in admiration as to the way he managed the set and actors in this production. I’m still not sure how they got everyone into and out of the cupboard and found space for the cello case. The casting was so appropriate that I cannot imagine anyone else playing those parts! It was a wonderful way to celebrate your 121st season and I look forward to your 1000 performance next time. Thank you for inviting me and making me feel so welcome.

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