Reviews

The Comedy About A Bank Robbery at the Bristol Hippodrome - Theatre Review

Posted on: 2019-02-13

Anything that absorbs you into its helm and makes you forget about the world around you has to be good and the time passes so quickly – I would highly recommend seeing this play for that feel good factor.

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Having already seen The Play That Goes Wrong I had high expectations of The Comedy About A Bank Robbery which were met without reserve - this is a rip-roaring comedy that kept the audience laughing from start to finish.

From the beginning the cast had you gripped, with the story unfolding from a break out from prison to the ultimate robbery of the diamond being held at the bank owned by one of the prisoner’s girlfriends father. Seems simple but with a great deal of complexity and obstacles for them to overcome.

 

There is definitely something for everyone in this comedy play and I would recommend it for teenagers and adults alike – there are mild innuendos but no graphic scenes and the puns and the fast-moving pace make it a compelling watch.

 

This is proper slapstick comedy, lots of door slamming and a generous sense of organized chaos. If something did go wrong then the audience would never know as the whole premise of the play is disruption, disorder and confusion – you genuinely have no idea what will happen next and the complexity of the story unravels before you.

There was some singing and dancing – just enough to satisfy you without it becoming a musical – it is after all a play and a very good one at that.

 

One particular scene stood out for me, where the convicts are shuffling through the air conditioning and look down into the office below – it takes you several seconds to realise that looking down is actually looking up… (it’ll make sense when you see it!)

 

It’s been a while since I have been to the theatre where the audience are laughing the majority of the time and not just a quick polite laugh but sometimes a real guffaw out loud and looking around everyone seemed to be having a great time.

You get the sense the cast of only 12 seems to be really enjoying themselves and I gathered there was a sense of belonging and comradery between them. They were highly energetic and had split-second timing in scenes that were complex with lots of scene changing.

 

One of the things I liked about this play is that there appeared to be no main character and all actors had their important role and individuality without it being a build up for the main character to shine through – it was the most enjoyable of evenings.

 

Anything that absorbs you into its helm and makes you forget about the world around you has to be good and the time passes so quickly – I would highly recommend seeing this play for that feel good factor.

 

Reviewed by Tracey Green for 365Bristol, the leading events and entertainment website for Bristol.

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