This comedy written by Hughie Shepherd-Cross is based on the premise that in 1945 when Sicilians were pouring onto boats to America, one minor Mafia member by the name of Don Lambrini accidentally boarded an all-inclusive Thomas Cook cruise to England, landing in Blackpool. There he set up a derivative version of a Mafia gang, attempting to control such activities as ice cream selling, donkey riding and lemonade.
This improbable scenario sets up the opportunity for a wacky, fast paced performance with lots of gags about the North of England. The three actors dressed initially as classic movie style gangsters played a range of parts with farcical names such as Fray Bentos, Al Dente and Jim Reaper. They changed costumes quickly as required. There was no scenery and the only furniture onstage was a small table, two chairs and a couple of old-style suitcases in which the various props were kept. A large screen projected images and wording to indicate where the action had moved to.
The outstanding part of this production was the acting. All three actors kept up high levels of energy and commitment. Fabian Bevan gave a particularly smooth and engaging performance as Jack, the main narrator. Praise also needs to be given to the designers Aaron Rozanski, Finn Heathcliff and Will Cox for extremely effective and precisely timed light and sound effects.
The main problem with the production was the script. The narrative was weak and at times became little more than a whole string of gags, not all of which were fully audible. While much of it was quite funny the lack of variety and the weakness of the plotline made it difficult to sustain interest for the 80 minutes of the production. Apparently, the production did well at the Edinburgh fringe, and I think maybe it was more suited to a festival environment, rather than a stand-alone production in London’s West End.
Gang Bang is playing at the Seven Dials Playhouse until 1st March 2025. Tickets are available from https://www.sevendialsplayhouse.co.uk/shows/gang-bang.
Reviewer: Paul Ackroyd
Reviewed: 19th February 2025
North West End UK Rating:
Rating: 2 out of 5.
