The Lavender Hill Mob

Hold on tight to your purses, The Lavender Hill Mob are in town and they’re looking to steal some laughs in the New Theatre this week. Featuring comedic stars Miles Jupp and Justin Edwards as the unassuming gentlemen who pulled off the heist of the century, this comedy caper adaptation is making its world premiere in the UK this autumn and Cardiff was lucky enough to bag a front row seat.

Based on the classic 1951 Charles Crichton film of the same name, the play follows the story of London bank clerk Henry Holland as he recounts the tale of his infamous bank heist from the comfort of his new life in Rio De Janeiro. The film shot on location in London and Paris which some would have thought could be tricky to bring to life on stage, but the set designer (Francis O’Connor) and cast seamlessly hopped between roles to transport the audience across Europe. With impressively transformative set pieces, a whole range of props, and an array of accents from the cast you could really switch off an allow yourself to be sucked into the story, despite all of the action taking place in a single scene.

The cast themselves worked their socks off on opening night! Miles Jupp certainly had his work cut out, choreographing Henry’s story through the days of the heist, but he pulled it off with style. His comedic timing and delivery were as you would expect from a man with a background in stand-up comedy. Equally brilliant on opening night, Justin Edwards best known for his role in The Thick Of It and a whole host of other sitcom roles, brought gravitas to the character of Pendlebury.

The rest of cast filled in the supporting roles expertly, delivering some cracking one liners and old school comedy. Unlike some other shows I’ve seen that have been developed from 1950’s source material, The Lavender Hill Mob feels fresh and modernised while still retaining its air of nostalgia from an era of silver screen stars and Hollywood glitz and glamour. A lot of the time the play felt like a blend between the style and class of The Italian Job and the slapstick comedy of Only Fools And Horses.

Overall, The Lavender Hill Mob is a brilliant blend of twists, turns and comedy capturing the essence of 50’s cinema and bringing it to a modern audience. Its fun and light hearted, something that all ages are sure to enjoy. Whether you’re a fan of comedy, heists, thrillers or classic cinema, this is the play for you.