In the aftermath of World War II, when the Sicilians were pouring onto boats to head to America, Don Lambrini accidentally boarded an all-inclusive cruise to Blackpool. Having built a mafia empire, and with tentative truces between the other 17 Northern families, his late-life assassination kicks off a chain of events that has families feuding, and the Lambrini gang out for revenge against the instigator, sexual deviant Fray Bentos.
This three-hander play, performed admirably by Fabian Bevan, Hannah Johnson and Fred Trenholme, is delivered at a frenetic pace. The laughs were near constant, with a script tightly packed with jokes and visual gags. There are puns, there is parody, there is word-play, and physical comedy. Truly, this is a show that knew what it wanted to achieve and executed nearly perfectly.
The only problem when you write a script that is laser-focused on upping its JPM (jokes per minute) count is that the gags don’t always get time to breathe. The odd one or two jokes didn’t really land, and I think a couple may have been missed by the wider audience altogether. I was also less convinced by the necessity of some characters, who seemed included for a quick laugh rather than to progress or add to the story in any meaningful way. Still, the cast were exceptional in doing all they could to get the jokes the appropriate reception, and their commitment to the bit was laudable.
The tech crew also deserve specific mention. The use of sound and light really elevated this piece into a living, breathing world, with clearly defined spaces created purely through ambiance and small adjustments to the stage dressing.
Hughie Shepherd-Cross is an extremely talented writer with a real knack for comedy, and he’s still only 25. Having loved both 'Out to Lunch' and 'Gang Bang', I am very confidently planting the flag now and saying Hughie is going to become a household name in the future – and I’ll be bragging that I knew his work before it was big.
One note I will offer to those of you with the good taste to see this show – take water, and be prepared to take layers off. It is mercilessly hot in Pleasance Beside. However, that only makes the energy the actors are able to throw into the performance all the more admirable.
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