West End Theatre Review – The Noel Coward Theatre
Running in the Noel Coward Theatre until 5th September 2025, Mischief’s Comedy about Spies departs from their beloved ‘Goes Wrong’ genre and delves into something that is more akin to The Comedy about a Bank Robbery – their West End smash hit from 2016.
Directed by Matt DiCarlo (Play that Goes Wrong, Moulin Rouge) and penned by Henry Lewis and Henry Shields, and featuring many of Mischief’s OGs, The Comedy about Spies is a show that cements Mischief as one of the best comedic troupes in London.
Set during the Cold War, the play is centred around The Piccadilly Hotel and spies from the CIA (Dave Hearn and Nancy Zamit) and KGB (Chris Leask and Charlie Russell) who are trying to find the illusive ‘Project Midnight’ which will (apparently) stop the war in its tracks. What follows is a hilarious series of events, which will leave even the most austere M15 agent beaming with joy.
It would not be a Mischief show without added chaos, so mix in some unwitting civilians: a baker called Bernard (Shields) and his partner Rosemary (Adele James), a wannabe actor (Lewis), and hotel manager (Greg Tannahill), and you have a recipe for mistaken identities, linguistic misunderstandings, groanworthy puns, and incredible physicality.
Along with the tremendous set designs created by David Farley, costumes designed by Deborah Andrews, and lighting designer Johanna Town, the play rockets along taking the audience through a wild ride of hilarity, intruige and fast paced gags. Whether it be in MI5 itself, on the tube, in the Piccadilly Hotel, or a submarine, this play succeeds in making an audience lose itself in a world of espionage and humour – and maybe even cry with laughter!
In a typical Mischief way, Lewis and Shields have managed to balance chaos and carnage with the ability to tell a fantastic story.
With something for everyone, this show promises to be one of Mischief’s best yet, and I for one, cannot wait to see what they come up with next.
Written by Helena Featherstone
Notes From Row H 
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