Review: THE COMEDY ABOUT SPIES - Adelphi Theatre (26/08/26)

Hilarious homage to spy thrillers is one of Mischief's finest works yet

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The year is 1961, the setting: London at the height of the cold war, and there is soon to be a major package handover happening between a British turncoat and the Russian KGB in a four star hotel in the city...the thing is, as often tends to be the case with any media relating to secret agents and spies, not everything is as it seems on the surface, the various layers of which are to reveal themselves in due course. One of the latest exponents of Mischief Comedy, "The Comedy About Spies" dives head first into the world of international espionage, with all sorts of tropes surrounding spy culture, subterfuge, double agents, even triple and quadruple agents, as well as the delightful dollop of daftness for which Mischief are so revered.

Our action begins within the offices of MI6, and a series of unfortunate, alphabetically code-named agents eliciting confusion and laughs galore, in a sketch that feels like it's taken right out of The Two Ronnies. This opening alone feels like Mischief at their very best, immensely clever word play mixed with a considerable degree of silliness, quick witted delivery, and perfect comic timing, with the long suffering "Agent X" struggling to hold things together as a bomb threat makes itself known from inside the organisation, setting us up for the evident presence of a traitor within their ranks, which acts as the core focus of the story.

Henry Shields, Dave Hearn and Nancy Zamit (credit: Mark Senior)

Much of the comedy stems from the idea of expectation subversion, several ol' switcheroos, and a handful of terrifically executed running jokes that are timed to perfection, such as the various, comically exaggerated cases of mistaken identity, KGB agent Sergei failing to convincingly sell his backstory, and the constant hardships that befall struggling actor Douglas Woodbead. Throw in a helping of physical comedy, and this all amounts to two and a half hours of unrelenting hilarity and brilliantly bonkers shenanigans, that both has us fully engaged in the narrative, and relishing in the non-stop gags that fire on every cylinder.

Arguably the most effective and compelling scene though, as well as possibly one of Henry Lewis and Henry Shields' best comedic sequences, was the four room hotel set, two on the top, two below, in which pure pandemonium ensues between the feuding and sleuthing CIA and KGB agents, vacationing couple Bernard and Rosemary, and actor Woodbead preparing for his big audition. From bugged radios being passed from room to room, to a series of unfortunate events regarding an engagement ring, the entire sequence is exquisitely crafted, and was an utter joy to behold, with the Cluedo-style colouring of the rooms themselves a nice little detail from set designer David Farley.

The company of "The Comedy About Spies" (credit: Mark Senior)

Many of the core cast from previous Mischief projects have reunited, and they truly do work like a well oiled machine by this point, with Chris Leask and Bryony Corrigan forming a formidable double act as KGB spies Sergei and Elena, and show's writer Henry Shields showing his range with a most endearing turn as Bernard, the awkward, loveable bakery owner who unwittingly gets caught up in the middle of the feud between Russian and American agents. Understudy Adam Byron fit right into the fold like a glove, opening the show superbly as Agent X, then proceeding to give the comedic performance of the day as actor Woodbead, playing the fool magnificently and consistently reducing the audience to tears of laughter, balancing the subtle nods to 007 with pushing the character's inherent incompetence as an actor, no easy feat to accomplish.

It should also be highlighted just how effective the sound design and composition are from Jon Fiber (for Jollygoodtunes), expertly matching the visual aesthetic with some smooth, spy-themed jazz, complete with vibraphone, brass, and driving double bass that sound like they're taken right out of an episode of "The Avengers". Whilst the tried and tested Mischief formula is very much in play, the way in which it is used breaks new ground for them, as it incorporates their usual witty wordplay, fast paced farce, and physical comedy into a genuinely gripping wartime spy thriller. Whether or not you have experienced Mischief Comedy before, "The Comedy About Spies" will no doubt have you engrossed from start to finish, as well as splitting your sides from laughing so much, a deliciously droll direct hit from Lewis and Shields.

★★★★★ (5*)

"The Comedy About Spies" runs at the Adelphi Theatre until the 26th of September (tickets)

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