STORY
Comedy About a Bank Robbery – West End
Theatre
Criterion Theatre
Duration
150 minutes
Age Restrictions
11+ years
The creators of ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ struck gold with this classic comedy crime caper. Now into its third year in the West End, ‘The Comedy About a Bank Robbery’ is a slapstick-heavy spoof of every Hollywood heist movie ever committed to camera. By all accounts, it’s a gem.
The plot (such as it matters) sees a team of old-school safe-busters trying to crack one last crime. The year? 1958. The place? Minneapolis City Bank – a high security outfit so lax it makes your bottom drawer look safe. Inside, a priceless diamond owned by (who else?) a louche Hungarian prince has caught the attention of a magpie-like jailbird, Mitch, and he’s gathered his guys (and gals) together for one last job: a screwball sidekick, his trickster girlfiend and an unwitting maintenance man.
Ditching the shonky theatrics and am-dram disasters of their debut show, Mischief Theatre has turned its hand to overblown pastiche instead, revelling in the overblown absurdities of a classic genre. As one critic put it, ‘The Comedy About A Bank Robbery’ swaps the criminal stylings of Agatha Christie for those of Naked Gun – not a ‘whodunnit’, but a ‘howaboutit’. Needless to say, everything almost goes awry in a tangle of mistaken identities, love triangles and scheming scullduggery.
As ever, writers Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields have stuffed their script chock-full of set-pieces and pratfalls, and the result is uproarious – arguably Mischief’s most accomplished show so far. It is certainly a mark of how far the group of drama school graduates have come since debuting in a room above a pub.
It might be classic comic fare, but such is the company’s panache and goodwill, ‘The Comedy About a Bank Robbery’ is infectious stuff. Inventive too: director Mark Ball has once again roped in a clever creative team to pull off a couple of coups des theatre. As choices go, this one’s safe as a high-security vault.
CREATIVE
Cast and Creative
Cast
Jenna Augen – Ruth Monaghan
Jack Baldwin – Officer Randall Shuck
Matthew Cavendish – Warren Slax
Leonard Cook – Robin Freeboys
Rhiann Francis – Understudy
Gracie Lai – Understudy
Chris Leask – Everyone Else
Dale Mathurin – Understudy
Kieran Mortell – Understudy
Finlay Paul – Understudy
Emily Stott – Caprice Freeboys
Gareth Tempest – Mitch Ruscitti
Jason Whittle – Sam Monaghan
Jean-Luke Worrell – Neil Cooper
Creative
Henry Lewis – Writer
Jonathan Sayer – Writer
Henry Shields – Writer
Mark Bell – Director
Kirsty Patrick-Ward – UK Tour Director
Katie-Ann McDonough – Resident Director
Nancy Zamit – Director
David Farley – Set Designer
David Howe – Lighting Designer
Roberto Surace – Costume Designer
Jon Fiber – Sound Design
Joey Hickman – Musical Director
Matt Leventhall – Associate Lighting Designer
FAQ
Which theatre and where?
The Comedy About a Bank Robbery is showing at the 588 seat Criterion Theatre which is located at 218-223 Piccadilly, St. James’s, London W1V 9LB
How does it work?
Choose your seats via our live booking platform, once payment is completed you will receive an email confirmation with your booking reference number. Collect your tickets from the Criterion Theatre box office on the day of the show, a minimum of 30 minutes before the performance start time, print and bring along the ticket confirmation email. Tickets must be collected by the purchasing customer with a valid photo ID. Please have your booking reference number at hand when collecting your tickets.
Any Questions?
If you have any questions about your ticket purchase you can contact our customer services team on 020 3670 8887
Good to know
Strobe lighting is used several times during the performance.
Suitable for children?
The Comedy About a Bank Robbery is recommended for ages 11 and above.
Cancellation policy
No exchanges or refunds available after purchase.
Can I video record or take photos?
The use of camera and sound recording equipment is strictly prohibited.