Review: The Comedy About Spies (Noël Coward Theatre)
- All That Dazzles
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Review by Daz Gale
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It’s been more than a decade since Mischief Comedy opened their first West End show, The Play That Goes Wrong. Since then, they have gone from strength to strength, opening multiple new shows in London and making the leap to TV, all the while that first show remains a regular fixture in the West End, now playing its 11th year. In a fairly busy year for them with multiple new shows announced, their latest offering is The Comedy About Spies, now open for a limited run at London’s Noel Coward Theatre - would this be another success for the reliable hitmakers or would it all go wrong?
The Comedy About Spies isn’t one of their “Goes Wrong” shows - The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society are nowhere to be found this time. Instead, this is a standalone comedy meeting a new world of weird and wonderful characters. Set in London’s Piccadilly Hotel in the 1960s, it sees the world’s top spies converging to recover a stolen case file. With secret agents, warring agents, double agents and an actor auditioning for James Bond, it’s every bit as chaotic as you would expect.
Written by Henry Shields and Henry Lewis, The Comedy About Spies is everything you would want from a Mischief show… and then some. The show manages to cram in everything Mischief does well through all their various types of comedy. Expect physical comedy, slapstick humour, farcical qualities, clever wordplay, puns and a whole lot of stupidity - but don’t underestimate how intelligent you need to be to create such stupidity, and this is a show full of intelligence. The Comedy About Spies is the perfect example of what has made Mischief such a force to be reckoned with all over the world over the last decade and one of the leaders when it comes to comic productions. Though their hit rate has been pretty consistent with titles such as Groan Ups, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery and Magic Goes Wrong, none have managed to reach the quality level of this production, which I dare say is their best show since The Play That Goes Wrong.
But is it funny? Funny is not the word. I have not laughed as much as this in years. I wouldn't even call it laughing - the tears were streaming down my face so much, I found myself struggling to breathe. It might not be the best compliment for a show in the world to say I nearly died as I forgot to breathe, but take it for what it is. I can’t recall ever wishing for an interval purely to compose myself but that is what happened as the second half of Act One had me howling so consistently, I needed the break - that isn’t to say this show wasn’t good that I was wishing for the interval. On the contrary, it is possibly TOO good.
Kicking off with a fast-paced sequence where the jokes are relentless, it sets the tone and the energy for the rest of the show in a frenetic play that seems to get better as it goes along. Matt Dicarlo’s direction takes the two Henry’s writing and finds the funniest way to maximise every punchline. In terms of physicality, Mischief have had some great set pieces and physical comedy in their previous shows but they have well and truly upped the ante here with some huge stunts to be found throughout The best example of this is the reveal of a huge four room, two storey set midway through Act One, exquisitely designed by David Farley. This gives ample opportunity for endless gags, crossed wires and interactions from one room to another in an astonishing feat of writing, design and direction all coming together beautifully to create comedy perfection.
Act Two features more of a variety in terms of setting and designs, and though nothing quite matches the grandeur of that Act One reveal, the fast-paced transitions from one to the next ensures you never get a chance to come up for air. The Comedy About Spies is the rarest of comedies where pretty much every joke lands - some may result in a chuckle, some may have you absolutely howling, but they never miss. Perhaps one sequence in Act Two bares more than a passing resemblance to a classic episode of Friends, but their own twist on this more than makes up for the familiarity.
Mischief Comedy’s knack for knowing where to find the funny in every situation is unrivaled, and with a cast full of many of their original players, they know exactly how to deliver it. Henry Lewis is his usual larger-than-life brilliant self as Douglas Woodbead in a performance that ensures a laugh the entirety of the time he is on stage, while Henry Shields gets many an “awww” moment as the adorable “boob” Bernard Wright. In terms of physicality, Dave Hearn is a huge highlight in a demanding but always enthralling performance as Lance Buchanan, forming a fabulous double act with Nancy Zamit as his overbearing mother. Each of the eight-strong cast are exceptional in their performances and I could talk at length about each of them. However, the beauty of The Comedy About Spies is in its ensemble nature, and all eight of this remarkable cast push each other to create something as magical as it is comical.
If you think you have seen Mischief Comedy at their best before this show, think again. The Comedy About Spies takes their winning formula and puts a new twist on it, once again proving them to be masters at their craft. Without a doubt, the funniest show I have seen in years and the funniest show I’d expect anyone to see this year. This is easily their best work since The Play That Goes Wrong and may even match that show for its genius. I honestly can’t remember the last time I laughed as hard as I did in the theatre this time. Fittingly for a show about intelligence, that is exactly what this show has been stuffed with. With this show, Mischief have created a licence to thrill and you don’t have to be a top secret agent to spy that they have another huge hit on their hands.
The Comedy About Spies plays at the Noel Coward Theatre until 5th September.
Photos by Mark Senior