Comedy duo Miles Jupp and Justin Edwards will continue their comedy caper in 2023! The critically acclaimed world premiere stage adaptation of the classic Ealing Comedy, The Lavender Hill Mob (‘the greatest British film of all time’ – the BFI) will kick off the 2023 leg of its UK tour at the Chichester Festival Theatre on 10 January, before visiting Cambridge, Guildford, Glasgow, Bath and Truro.
Based on the screenplay by T.E.B. Clarke, adapted for the stage by Olivier-nominated playwright Phil Porter and directed by Tony and Olivier-nominated Jeremy Sams, this “top-notch, classic British comedy” (Whatsonstage) tells the story of Henry Holland, an unassuming bank clerk who dreams of stealing the van full of gold bullion he drives across London each day. When Henry learns that his new lodger makes Eiffel Tower paperweights out of lead, he devises a plan to make his dream a reality. It’s a golden opportunity to pull off the crime of the century, they’d have to be fools to mess it up …
Featuring “performances to savour” (The Times) by acclaimed comic actors and ‘jolly and talented leads’ (Mail Online) Miles Jupp (A Very British Scandal, Mock The Week, and Why Didn’t They Ask Evans) as ‘Holland’, and Justin Edwards (The Thick of It, 1917 and The Ferryman) as ‘Pendlebury’, The Lavender Hill Mob also stars Guy Burgess as ‘Farrow’, Tessa Churchard as ‘Lady Agnes’, John Dougall as ‘Sir Horace’, Tim Sutton as ‘Sammy’, Victoria Blunt as ‘Audrey’, Aamira Challenger as ‘Fernanda’, with Steven Rostance, Sharon Adugna and Phil Wilcocks completing the company.
The much-loved film was released in 1951, directed by Charles Crichton, and starring Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway and Sid James, as well as Audrey Hepburn in one of her earliest screen appearances. It was ranked by the BFI as one of the greatest British Films of all time and was restored and re-released in UK cinemas in 2011 for its sixtieth anniversary.
The Lavender Hill Mob is directed by Jeremy Sams; with design by Francis O’Connor and with Louise Shephard as associate director. Illusions and Music is by Tim Sutton; and Ginny Schiller CDG is casting director. It is produced by Patrick Myles, David Luff and Act Productions, Alexander “Sandy” Marshall in association with Tulchin Bartner Productions and Weird Sisters Productions.
