The production company behind the hilarious The Play That Goes Wrong, Mischief Theatre have brought their latest show, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery to Milton Keynes Theatre.
The show has been playing to sellout audiences in London for three years, won numerous awards and been described by critics as "the funniest show in the West End".
Not surprisingly, then, this was the funniest show I've seen at the theatre and had us literally crying with laughter on several occasions, writes Chris Gregg.
I could go into detail about what happens in this show, but I don't want to spoil it - suffice to say that if you've been to see The Play That Goes Wrong you will understand how they push the boundaries of physical comedy and this show takes it even further with a few scenes which are so ridiculous it's hard to imagine how the writers even came up with the idea of doing it.
The comedy itself takes the best of slapstick, surrealism, farce and lots of very quick wordplay to deliver a barrage of hilarious lines that barely give you a chance to get your breath back before the next laugh comes.
In the programme, the writers admit to 'borrowing' from the favourite comedy writers and performers, and you can see the influences - like the Airplane movies - but this is a very clever and skillfully crafted show which is like nothing else you'll have ever seen.
The plot follows a gang who've escaped from prison to steal a priceless diamond which has been entrusted to the city bank, but it seems everyone in town is corrupt and even the bank's security guards are crooked. As the thieves prepare their heist, things steadily descend into chaos.
The entire cast of this show are not just comically talented but their perfectly choreographed performance demands a precision of timing and coordination which is mindblowing. There is also a very cool fifties theme running through the show with doowop incidental music performed live and a clever stylised set which looks like a vintage animation.
This is a show which is so funny it could be dangerous to see if you have a medical condition so I would advise caution. For anyone fit and healthy who wants to rediscover their sense of humour, I can't recommend it highly enough.
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