"The Ladykillers" by Graham Linehan (5-8 Oct 2016)

Poster

Welcome to our production of The Ladykillers, based on the cult Ealing comedy. This version is adapted for the stage by the creator of ‘The IT Crowd’ and ‘Father Ted’ - Graham Linehan. Taking on such a well loved story was not done lightly; much thought and effort has gone into setting it within a twenty foot stage! Throughout you will see our nods to the film, and some new sequences from the stage adaptation.
Over the last eight weeks we have bashed, broken (ribs!) and bruised ourselves to get to this evening. Through all the hard work there has always been laughter and we can’t wait to share it with you.

What They Said
Saturday: Final night reviews:
"Just home from seeing 'The Ladykillers' presented by St Michaels Players. It was a wonderful piece of theatre. The cast were a tour de force, the set was stunning, and the use of trains and smoke a miracle. Well done all of you at St Michaels, from FOH to the lead female - another winner for the album. Am lying on my bed eating a cheese sandwich feeling like I've had a great night out!" Jane G
""Veni,Vidi Vinci" Wow. 10 of us attended the Friday night performance and are all fully unanimous in our praise for the most exquisite production of this work. To see all condensed into the one set with so many variations was marvellous. very very professional and a joyous and fun evening. Here's to many more"
Malcolm O'N
"Well done to the cast and crew of 'The Ladykillers'. Ingenious set, some super performances and a cheeky parrot. A thoroughly enjoyable evening!" Guy F
"Fantastic evening watching The Ladykillers last night. The cast and set were the best seen yet! Laugh out loud funny. Keep up the excellent work. Looking forward to your panto..." Liz W
"Congratulations on a cracking good show on Saturday" Susan C
"Ladykillers was outstanding, both the cast and the set were a tour-de-force. Well done all involved" Jane G
"We really enjoyed the play on Saturday, it was very funny and the acting and set were brilliant as usual" Anita D

Friday: "THE LADYKILLERS has been playing to packed houses at St. Michael's Centre in Grovepark Chiswick. Tonight ... I saw WHY! The set deserved a round of applause itself; a sitting room, bedroom, a roof with a smoking chimney, a train line and signals. Film footage "knitting" scene changes ... accompanied by exquisite chamber music (on a 20 foot stage!) The actors worked their socks off and deserved every laugh and gasp the script called for ... each character beautifully observed. Designed and built ... produced and directed by Marc Pearce. He's worked with this "community - acting - family" since being a youth ... and having "burgeoned" over the past few years into film/theatre production and publishing ... he's "given something back"! WITH KNOBS ON!!!!" Paul T"

Thursday:  "Beg, borrow or steal to get a ticket to see this really funny and highly professional performance. 4 of us went last night - it was just SUPERB from the actors through to the staging, lighting, visuals and sound. Huge congratulations to everyone involved, it was a cheering and wonderful night out - not to be bettered! We went off into the night still chuckling and laughing." Maud G
"Prof Marcus - what a performance! You know you must be very proud of yourself, I was proud to be there as a friend and I guess I'm not the only one." Robert P
"It was such fun, lots of laughs and a great performance. Well done. Thanks for inviting us!" Sarah C 
"It was fab.. Still chuckling to myself.. Fab performance!"Julia M
"We are just back from seeing this terrific production of the classic farce. It's on again tomorrow and Saturday. It's unmissable! Huge congratulations to Alastair Dewar and his superb collaborators!" Christina W-W
"Fantastic performance – I was crying with laughter!" Rebekah K
"Brilliant night, brilliant show!" Elke D
"Stage set is brilliant, felt like I was in the house with the actors! Whole play excellent" Suzy L
"It's a terrific production, well done Marc" Marie B
"I can't get over how good the show is! Marc has really outdone himself. Such a great audience last night - I've never known anything like it" Robin E
"Loads of laughs and huge admiration for such a professional performance. Staging brilliant, music appropriate, acting excellent. If you haven't got a ticket tough luck. Well done all of you!" Tricia S
"I overheard one lady saying to another before last night’s performance, “You are going to like this” – and she was right! Joan and I really enjoyed ourselves. The dialogue was very funny and the staging really clever. But you and the Major were a tour de force! I hope you enjoyed yourself getting such a great reaction to such a big part. Many congratulations – if only Eric Swan could see you now!
Good luck for tonight and Saturday," Andrew G
"Went to see this last night. Absolutely fantastic on so many levels - a must see. Congratulations to Marc Pearce and the cast and crew over at St. Michael's Players in Chiswick.  Seriously, if any local awards types don't give this anything, then they don't know a great show when they see one, and we'll have to send them all to Newcastle as well" Andrew H

Wednesday: "What a fantastic show !! I loved it and laughed all the way through; everyone in it was brilliant and certainly no obvious signs of any glitches, seemed to go like clockwork.  The set is absolutely extraordinary, it was like something out of the National and every details was spot-on, even down to the candlewick bedspread!  The film screen idea is genius, the music between sets a master-stroke and one to remember, it really helps cover scene changes.  Big well done to all and enjoy the rest of the run". Elizabeth O
“...SMP excelled themselves yesterday! A really good production. “
David W.
"……...Secondly , the pleasure is all mine in supporting St Michael's Players. The company  always give a wonderful evenings entertainment. All the hard work on sets, costumes , makeup (loved the boozey nose on One-round ) direction and acting really shows.  The icing on the cake is always going with my lovely neighbours. We always have such a good laugh.  Looking at the cast from the movie, shows how SMP got the casting just right”.  Pennie M
"Seen Ladykillers by @St Michael's Players last night and it was fantastic! It's sold out now but you can see the next show. It's a panto Beauty and the Beast and I'm in it ;-)" Utku E

Programme
ladykillers_programme.pdf
File Size: 668 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Pictures

Cast

Mrs Louisa Wilberforce (Sue Darrieulat)
Constable MacDonald (Andrew Lawston)
Professor Marcus (Alastair Dewar)
Major Courtney (Adrian Ellis)
Harry Robinson (Jon Holmes)
One-Round (George Atkinson)
Louis Harvey (Harry Doyle)
Mrs Jane Tromleyton (Robin Eastwood)
The Ladies (Christine Lee, Kay Porter, Bryony Wilman)
General Gordon (As Himself)

Crew

Stage Manager (Jane Atkinson)
Assistant Stage Manager (Bryony Wilman)
Wardrobe (Pennie Bayliss)
Hair and Makeup Designer (Fleur de Henrie)
Hair and Makeup Assistant (Michelle Tomlinson)
Assistant to the Director (Natasha Radski)
Lighting and Sound Operation (Helen Doyle & Jo Harry)
Stage Construction (Richard Wade & Marios Papadakis)
Set Painter (Dave Lye)
Parrot Wrangler (Martin Walton)
Business Manager (Chris Hulatt)
Announcer (Elizabeth Ollier)
Bar and Front of House Members & Friends