The Ladykillers @ Oldham Coliseum

Review by Steve Timms | 28 Jun 2016

The tradition of plays being adapted for film is nothing new, but over the last 20 years it’s been happening in reverse. 

MiseryWhen Harry Met Sally and The King’s Speech have all been turned into stage plays – but only a fool would argue these shows eclipsed their source.

Now its the turn of beloved Ealing comedy The Ladykillers. On paper this sounds a safe bet, but Father Ted writer Graham Linehan’s adaptation seems tame compared to the biting black farce of William Rose’s original screenplayThis Oldham Coliseum production also features some odd artistic choices from director Kevin Shaw, resulting in a production that is only intermittently successful.  

Led by Professor Marcus, a band of mismatched crooks plot a railway robbery and end up lodging in the house of old lady Mrs Wilberforce (Roberta Kerr). There’s gentle giant One Round, wide boy Harrymoody thug Louis, and fallen war hero Major Courtney. The gang’s cover story is that they’re amateur musicians, rehearsing for a tour. With the loot divided, they’re ready to go their separate ways when Mrs Wilberforce uncovers the truth. She won’t be bought off, so Professor Marcus believes they have no alternative; somebody needs to kill the old bag, but the problem is: who? 

Graham Linehan is a gifted sitcom writer, but perhaps not a playwright. There are some good gags but that’s not enough to sustain interest. A good farce thrives on pace but the Coliseum cast are hampered by an awkward set that leaves little room for dashing aroundRenny Krupinski’s fight scenes are similarly ill-conceived; some Marx Brothers slapstick would've worked better than gritty realism.           

However, The Ladykillers is redeemed by its strong performances and the best scene comes when the gang members hide, and are discovered, squashed in the cubby hole under the stairs. Howard Gray is gormless and quietly touching as One Round; Chris Hannon brings a fresh energy to the part of the Professor and veteran Northwest actor Chris Wright is excellent as the twitching, secretly cross-dressing Major.  

A little more surreal lunacy could have earned this show an extra star. 


Runs until 2 Jul 

coliseum.org.uk/plays/the-ladykillers

http://theskinny.co.uk/theatre