The Ladykillers - Vaudeville Theatre

The first things that jumped out at me was the set – almost literally! It’s slanted, making it look as though actors may topple over in certain positions and there’s lots of little trickery moments – like the sheets from the covered furniture removing itself. Tables and chairs also move unaided every time a train passes through Kings Cross station; the location of the house.

 Professor Marcus (John Gordon-Sinclair) is the leader of a bunch of would be criminals. He rents a room from an unsuspecting Mrs Wilberforce (Angela Thorne) where, under the guise of practicing for a musical concert with his friends, they plot the robbery of a security van laden with cash. Un-wittedly, Mrs Wilberforce features as a major accessory to the crime. Even though she plays an elderly woman, I felt the character needed to liven up a bit.

My favourite of the gang members is One-Round (Chris McCalphy), the slow witted, gentle giant who makes you think ‘he’s going to single handedly ruin the entire heist.’ Unfortunately, I found several dull moments during the show and the car chase for the bank robbery is extremely lame. This production is by no means brilliant theatre but there are enough laughs and an intriguing set to keep you fairy happy for the duration.

The Ladykillers can be seen @ Vaudeville Theatre 26^th October