★★★★
After a decade of chaos, calamity, and catastrophic theatre faux pas, Mischief Theatre returns with A Comedy About Spies, and the result is another tightly choreographed triumph of slapstick, satire, and breathless hilarity. Now playing at the Noël Coward Theatre, this Cold War caper injects the company’s trademark manic energy into a genre ripe for parody: espionage thrillers.
Set in 1961, at the height of Cold War paranoia, the story revolves around a mysterious case that global superpowers are scrambling to secure. Representing Mother Russia is the fervent Elena (Charlie Russell), who is hindered more than helped by her blundering partner, Sergei (Chris Leask). Meanwhile, America’s best (if not brightest) hope lies in the hands of Lance Buchanan (Dave Hearn), whose outlandishly suave stunts won’t be deterred by the stress of saving the world… or the nagging presence of his mother (Nancy Zamitt).
But the chaos doesn’t stop there. Caught in the crossfire are mild-mannered Bernard Wright (Henry Shields), who’s more focused on proposing to his girlfriend Rosemary (newcomer Adele James) than on international affairs, and fame-hungry actor Douglas Woodbead (Henry Lewis), en route to an audition as James Bond… if only some guy called Sean wasn’t also in the running.
Performance-wise, the “usual suspects” are in top form, very much in the same vein as their previous stage escapes. Still, no less addictive. Henry Shields shines as the everyman protagonist, injecting Bernard Wright with a John Cleese-esque desperation. Henry Lewis booms with authority and hilariously theatrical vanity as Woodbead. Dave Hearn, as always, exudes a clueless charm that’s impossible to resist. Charlie Russell’s Elena is a wonderfully intense counterbalance to the madness, while Nancy Zamit wrings every laugh from her maternal meddling.
The breakout star, however, is Chris Leask. Often relegated to behind-the-scenes roles in past Mischief shows, Leask steps into the spotlight here with scene-stealing precision. His mastery of accents and physical comedy leads to two sequences so riotous that even his fellow actors struggle to keep straight faces. Adele James, who plays Rosemary, is a welcome addition who blends seamlessly with the seasoned cast. Her timing and presence are assured, and she never feels like a weak link.
If there’s any criticism to be made, it’s that the script leans a little heavier on slapstick and innuendo in its second act, losing some of the groan-worthy “dad humour” that peppers the first half. But honestly, if the only complaint is wanting more jokes, that’s hardly a serious flaw.
Running just two hours, A Comedy About Spies is a whirlwind of expertly timed mayhem with not a single dull moment. For fans of Mischief Theatre, or anyone who enjoys a good laugh, it’s an essential viewing.
And as a bonus for die-hard fans, scripts of all Mischief productions, including this one, are available at the theatre’s merchandise stands. Just don’t peek at the script before seeing the show; the plot’s classified, after all.
Playing at the Noël Coward Theatre until 5 September, A Comedy About Spies proves that, even ten years on, Mischief Theatre still knows how to blow the roof off, but less with explosives and more so with laughter.
Words by Joseph Jenkinson
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