Review: THE COMEDY ABOUT SPIES, Adelphi Theatre
The Cold War spoof returns for another run.
Set in 1961, the same year that a balding former milkman and coffin-polisher from Edinburgh was interviewed for the role of James Bond, The Comedy About Spies sees two pairs of agents (one American, one Russian) face off in London’s Piccadilly Hotel as they hunt for the mysterious “Project Midnight” documents. This being a slice of classic Mischief Theatre tomfoolery, there’s no prizes for guessing just how smoothly everything will go.
No prizes, but perhaps a few surprises. This is Mischief Theatre’s grandest adventure yet and unlike their “Goes Wrong” series — in which the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society shambolically attempt (and fail) to put on a murder mystery, Peter Pan or A Christmas Carol — this motley crew of characters are mostly strangers to each other.
The biggest laughs come from seeing the relationship between Dave Hearn’s gung-ho American Lance Buchanan and his overenthusiastic partner-slash-mother Janet (Nancy Zamit). A senior CIA operative, she’s there to make sure that her “big, strong boy” doesn’t blow his cover for the fourth mission in a row; he, meanwhile, just wants to retrieve the papers, defeat the enemy and shoot someone in no particular order. Opposite them, Bryony Corrigan is the crafty Soviet spy Elena Popova masquerading as "Annabel Plank", one half of an English married couple together with the useless Sergei Ivanov (Chris Leask), a man too busy creating increasingly bizarre backstories for “Tim” to actually do real espionage work.
Other guests are caught in the crossfire and add to the confusion. Henry Lewis’s thespian Douglas Woodbead is a one-man running joke factory who is preparing to audition for the plum role of James Bond and mistakes the Buchanans for casting directors; bolstered by an endless supply of self-regard, his only obstacle is an almost complete lack of acting talent can be seen from Moscow. Then there is the innocent high street baker Bernard Wright (Henry Shields) who, after doing battle with various bread-related trade bodies, has been looking forward to this weekend so he can propose to his girlfriend Adele (Rosemary Wilson). Albert Tipton’s hotel manager has the thankless task of keeping all parties happy and unharmed.
There are two noticeable differences since last year’s debut run, one small, one large. Petrova’s is the only new face in the cast with Charlie Russell having stepped out and Corrigan stepping in to equally dazzling effect. And the move from the Noel Coward across to the Adelphi means there are over five hundred more places to fill each night.
That jump in seat numbers might be mission impossible for some productions but that shouldn’t be the case here. Even if this is not a night out to everyone’s taste — WhatsonStage handed it Best New Play award in the same year that the Oliviers only went as far as nominating it in the grab-bag category of “Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play” — this is a class show from soup to nuts and repeat viewings only enhance one’s admiration for every single aspect.
Take DiCarlo's direction which zigs, zags and zings like a magic bullet, rarely predictable, always hitting the target. Fans of Frasier or Friends will likely find the pacing too frenetic, the back-and-forth patter too fast and will miss the chance to make a cup of tea in punchlines. Those who hold revel in the zaniness of Police Squad! and the underrated Val Kilmer spy spoof Top Secret! will revel in the script from Henry Lewis and Henry Shields that effortlessly switches between talk of threesomes, daft puns and the challenges facing modern bakeries.
Most impressive of all is David Farley’s sublime set design. Whizzing us from the standard hotel lobby to a lift shaft, terrace bar, a laundry room with a spinning washing machine and a side-on arrangement of four rooms with one wall removed allowing the audience to peer in, this is less functional dressing than a sophisticated engine for the play’s high-energy mechanics.
Ultimately, The Comedy About Spies is a triumph that proves Mischief Theatre can handle a mission of this scale with the suave precision and devastating effect of 007 himself. It is a relentless, joyfully exhausting spectacle that managed to be both a sharp satire of the genre and a heartfelt tribute to the sheer silliness of the stage. Whether you’re a fan of high-stakes espionage or just high-quality slapstick, this is a mission you cannot afford to skip. It is a show so polished and entertaining that it would undoubtedly leave even the legendary James Bond stirred, if not shaken.
The Comedy About Spies continues at the Adelphi Theatre until 26 September
Photo credit: Matt Crockett
|
Powered by
|
Reader Reviews
To post a comment, you must register and login.