69 replies to this topic

[Michael H]

New stage adaptation of the Ealing comedy classic The Ladykillers announced, to be adapted by Graham Linehan, with Peter Capaldi, Ben Miller, James Fleet and Clive Rowe.  Directed by Sean Foley.  Coming to the Liverpool Playhouse and then the Gielgud in November.

http://www.telegraph...-for-stage.html

And there's an interview from BBC Breakfast here: http://www.bbc.co.uk...t-arts-13648004

Any thoughts?  I love the original film so much - absolutlely perfectly constructed.  Can't stand the Coen Brothers remake.  Love Father Ted, and enjoyed Capaldi in Feelgood and The Thick of It.

85% of the film is set in and around aged widow Mrs Wilberforce's ramshackle house in King's Cross, so I hope it will work on stage.  I'm looking forward to it.

Wasn't there a stage version of Kind Hearts and Coronets some years ago?

[Laughingmonsta]

I was at the press launch for this today - I will be completely set in the house - it promises to be great!

[Marius Pontmercy]

I don't know much about the creative team, but there's definitely a good play to be adapted from The Ladykillers. With such a great cast attached too, I'm (cautiously!) looking forward to this. Could be good.

[Laughingmonsta]

Creative Team

Sean Foley (Director) - The Play What I Wrote
Graham Linehan (Writer) - Father Ted & The It Crowd

As one arts colleague put it at the press launch - this is the comedy fans wet dream!

[QuincyMD]

Creative Team -

Sean Foley - Ducktastic
Graham Linehan - Big Train

As I might put it - this is the comedy fans nightmare pair!

[Michael H]

I rewatched Big Train last year - saw some of the first series back in about 1998, and it turned out to be much funnier than I found it first time.  I think it was rather ahead of its time, or maybe my taste had changed a bit over the decade.

[The Suburbanite]

Laughingmonsta, on 06 June 2011 - 11:54 PM, said:

Creative Team

Sean Foley (Director) - The Play What I Wrote
Graham Linehan (Writer) - Father Ted & The It Crowd

As one arts colleague put it at the press launch - this is the comedy fans wet dream!

QuincyMD, on 07 June 2011 - 07:51 AM, said:

Creative Team -

Sean Foley - Ducktastic
Graham Linehan - Big Train

As I might put it - this is the comedy fans nightmare pair!

Interesting demonstration of 'accentuate the positive' there. I liked Ted, IT Crowd and bits of Big Train, liked The Play and loved Bewilderness (a seemingly forgotten Right Size show) but for some reason can't get excited about The Ladykillers; unless I hear really good word-of-mouth I can't see myself bothering with it.

Big Train was good up to a point but it ended up relying too much on self-consciously wacky "man having relationship with traffic lights" type of approach. It wasn't very good when it was just Matthews writing it. I did like the Staring Contests though.

[Jan Brock]

The Ladykillers - I saw it again quite recently, not in the slightest bit funny. I wonder who this production is aimed at ?

[wickedgrin]

Yes, I too saw this film recently not having seen it before and thought being a "classic" I ought to give it a viewing. Like Jan I did not find it amusing at all. Perhaps tastes have changed but it was like the Emperors New Clothes for me. I find myself in this position alot these days. I come out of a play in the WE having being bored witless for 2 hours to find myself staring at 4 and 5 star reviews outside the theatre claiming "astonishing performance", "theatrical perfection" etc. Art certainly is subjective.

Despite an excellent cast I fear the source material will be the downfall of this and it is just another film to stage adaptation that the producers will think will guarantee them a box office as something people have heard of. But for me it has no appeal and I shall give it a miss.

[Laughingmonsta]

having seen the script its not just a screen to stage adaptation - but you will have to trust me on that