The Ladykillers

The Ladykillers at Gielgud Theatre

Why see The Ladykillers?

THE LAUGH OUT LOUD, CLASSIC BLACK COMEDY

Based on the 1955 Ealing comedy of the same name, this reboot of The Lady Killers by Bafta award-winning writer Graham Linehan won rave reviews when it first opened in London in 2011. It returns to the West End with a completely new cast and brand new stage design by Michael Taylor; the house in which the play is set is full of odd angles and misalignments, providing a slightly surreal and nightmarish setting which is perfect for the delightfully macabre tale.

The Ladykillers is vibrantly acted by an ensemble cast of well-known TV and theatre actors including Angela Thorne, best known for her role in To The Manor Born. They strike the perfect balance between the physical comedy and lunacy that have become hallmarks of this production.

WHAT IS THE LADYKILLERS ABOUT?

A gang of criminals, lead by the quick-witted Professor Marcus, plan to rob a train at Kings Cross station and decide to rent rooms in a nearby house while they prepare their nefarious plot. The house is owned and occupied by an endearing elderly widow called Mrs Wilberforce. As a cover, Professor Marcus convinces Mrs Wilberforce that the gang are an amateur string quartet in need of rooms for rehearsal.

Of course, things don't go according to plan for the criminals. The increasingly suspicious Mrs W soon discovers what the gang is up to, so they decide to kill her. Such a task proves more difficult than it seems when bodies, not one belonging to the little old lady, start to pile up.

Key Information

Audience

The Ladykillers is suitable for audiences aged 12 and upwards.

Dates

Finished 14 Apr 2012

Cast

Simon Day
Ralf Little
Con O’Neill
John Gordon Sinclair
Chris McCalphy
Angela Thorne

Creative

Director - Sean Foley
Sound - Ben and Max Ringham
Set Design - Michael Taylor
Lighting Design - James Farncombe
Costume - Michael Taylor

Reviews

Customer reviews

6 reviews, average rating: (4.1 Stars)

Sarah

Brilliant Show

Peter Capaldi is excellent! ... Read more

Roger Shipton

CRACKING COMEDY

What a fantastic comedy. I needn't have worried how the film would translate to the stage - done superbly well. The car chase was genius :-) Latest cast worked well together and altogether a very delightful comedy. ... Read more

Jonathan Marshall

Ealing power of The Ladykillers cures the winter blues

Fans of Ealing’s film won’t be disappointed by the splendid theatrical version of The Ladykillers. It’s faithful to the film’s story and spirit but adds fresh wit, skilled physical comedy and macabre violence. Peter Capaldi is a cadaverous Professor Marcus, charming, cool and composed one moment, ghoulish, frightening and manic the next. An endless scarf coupled with his ghastly pallor and elaborate Celtic brogue gives him the air of a revivified Welsh mummy. Clive Rowe’s One Round shines during confrontations with his partners in crime and in a remarkable death scene. Marcia Warren is Nemesis personified as Mrs Wilberforce, combining physical and mental frailty with a steel backbone. The set for the perilously subsided and railway-shaken house is painstakingly detailed and incorporates an ingenious miniature representation of the gang’s robbery. Ealing’s Ladykillers is cinema’s best foray into black comedy. This version doesn’t tarnish that reputation, it enhances it. ... Read more
All your reviews

NEWS, TICKETS, THEATRE & MORE

"Broadway and show news straight to your inbox!"

SHARE THE LOVE