Sweet old Mrs. Wilberforce has new tenants, but they’re not the musicians they claim to be… they could even be train robbers. If Mrs. W should stumble into their secret, her life could be in danger. Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers delivered the danger in this classic 1950s comedy.
“The Ladykillers” has a pedigree
It started out life as a movie, back in 1955. It was one of the many successful comedies to emerge from the Ealing Studios in England. It was written by William Rose, an American who lived in England for much of his life. He went on to write seventeen successful movies, as diverse as “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”.
The 1955 movie starred Alec Guiness and had roles for Peter Sellers and Frankie Howerd. It was hugely popular and even now, decades later, it still rates 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. In 2004 Tom Hanks masterminded another film version, this time set in America. That version was not such a success, earning only 55% on Rotten Tomatoes.
In 2011, enter Graham Linehan, the author of the play we will see in Tauranga. He went back to the original movie and captured its spirit. He used the original laughter and added some laughs of his own. In that respect, he is well qualified. He is the creative talent behind “Father Ted”, “Black Books” and even some elements of “Little Britain”.
Showing: 30 August-16 September at 16th Avenue Theatre, Tauranga
Written by Graham Linehan. Directed by Wayne Gould.
