Review: The Lavender Hill Mob at Cambridge Arts Theatre
As a fan of the classic 1951 Ealing Comedy starring Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway, I was intrigued to see how this new take on what the British Film Institute (BFI) hails as one of the “greatest British films of all time” - written by Phil Porter and directed by Jeremy Sams - would translate to the stage.
It certainly looked promising as the scenery and props visible to the audience as we took our seats impressively depicted what a little piece of England in faraway Rio de Janeiro might have looked like as the 1940s gave way to the 1950s.
That said, I think I preferred Alec Guinness’s linen suit and tie combination to Miles Jupp’s linen number worn with just an open-neck shirt, but I digress.
The piece tells the story of Henry “Dutch” Holland, a mild-mannered and unassuming bank clerk who dreams of stealing the van full of gold bullion he drives across London each day.
When Henry learns that his new lodger makes Eiffel Tower paperweights out of lead, he devises a plan to make his dream a reality.
In the film, of course, the story is told through flashback but here the eight characters that make up the cast each take on the roles of all of those involved, leading to some very humorous - if not quite laugh-out-loud (for me, anyway) - moments.
Indeed, the play took a while to get going and there was a brief moment where I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. I needn’t have worried.
With his clipped tones and very English mannerisms, Miles Jupp is perfectly cast as Holland, and he is ably supported throughout by the other talented members of the cast.
As mentioned, the actors take on a variety of characters, in Rio, London and Paris - some hilariously stereotypical - and in the first half, the most notable of these were Audrey (Victoria Blunt) and Lady Agnes (Tessa Churchard) portraying a pair of male cockney criminals, ‘Shorty’ and ‘Lackery’.
In fact Victoria Blunt’s wonderful all-round performance was the highlight for me, as she was equally as funny and compelling playing a cockney criminal as she was in the role of a French seagull, a very flirtatious French woman, a football fan and an over-friendly immigration official. Special mention must also go to John Dougall as a school girl and a headmistress and Tessa Churchard as an irate French taxi driver.
I found the second half more fun and riveting as the action moved to Paris, and I particularly liked the way the climbing of the Eiffel Tower was done on stage. The ending was suitably satisfying and the length of the play just right.
In all, an entertaining evening at the theatre and I would say that anyone who enjoyed the film would certainly enjoy this.
The Lavender Hill Mob is on at the Cambridge Arts Theatre until this Saturday (January 21). The performances start at 7.30pm with 2.30pm matinees on Thursday and Saturday. For more information, visit cambridgeartstheatre.com.
