We sat down with writer Hughie Shepherd-Cross whose off-the-wall mafia comedy Gang Bang, arrives at the Seven Dials Playhouse, following a hit run at the Edinburgh. Catch it from 18th Feb to 1st March – tickets here.
What sparked the idea for Gang Bang? How did you come up with the concept of a mafia story set in post-war Blackpool instead of somewhere more traditional like America or Sicily?
I started off trying to do a straight forward parody of The Godfather – the first line is ‘I believe in America. America has made my fortune.’; I thought it would be funny if a character says that, but it turns out he lives in Wigan. It was a throwaway joke but my friend Sam read it and suggested setting the whole thing in the North of England. He has a lot to answer for.
Don Lambrini’s accidental journey from Sicily to Blackpool sounds like the perfect setup for chaos. How does this mix-up set the tone for the rest of the show?
A lot of the show is about the glamour of the Mafia brought down to earth by British mundanities like being stuck in a traffic jam on the M6. So I thought it was a good start to send Mafiosa Don Lambrini on an all-inclusive Thomas Cook cruise (they ceased trading in 2019 so weren’t going to book us anyway).
The show is described as a homage to gangster films. Are there specific films or directors that you drew inspiration from, or did you want to subvert some of those classic tropes for comedic effect?
The idea is that Gang Bang is an actual film directed by Francis Ford Fiesta – a kind of seedy Northern version of Coppola. We watched all the great Gangster films – Godfather, Goodfellas, Mean Streets, Donnie Brasco, and some truly awful ones for balance. In all my work I am of course indebted to Federico Fellini and John Whitesell.
Gang Bang features a lot of surreal humor and madcap gags. What’s your process for coming up with these wild, unexpected moments that keep the audience laughing?
I write the script then preview it and find out which bits are funny then we make cuts. After the first preview we had the show down to 12 minutes long. Arguably we didn’t need an interval.
How did you balance the absurdity of the plot with the more grounded moments in Gang Bang? Do you think there’s a deeper message hidden behind all the jokes and madness?
The big moral of the story is to be more judicious about ferry-bookings, which is a lesson I think we could all do with. We don’t think there’s enough flat-out comedies being made on stage or TV at the moment and wanted to do that.
The show has received great praise for its off-the-wall comedy. What’s been the most surprising or memorable audience reaction you’ve had since Gang Bang transferred from the Edinburgh Fringe to Seven Dials Playhouse?
A lot of people don’t know what Fray Bentos is.
The character of Don Lambrini seems to be caught in a bizarre situation. What do you think his reaction is to ending up in Blackpool with the mafia, and how does that shape his character arc in the show?
Without spoiling too much, Don Lambrini’s character arc comes to a very abrupt end quite early on in the show.
What’s your favorite part of Gang Bang to perform? Is there a specific scene or line that always gets a great reaction from the audience?
I was forced into retirement from acting after critical pannings in my last play, but my favourite part to watch is Freddie Cohen as Fray Bentos seducing Mrs Bentos. It really splits the audience into those who are disgusted, and those who are appalled.
Blackpool is such a unique backdrop for a mafia comedy. How does the setting of this seaside town influence the humor and the tone of the show? Do you think Blackpool’s quirks play into the madness of the story?
I thought it was funny to see the Mafia reduced to things like running the seaside donkeys and the ice cream trucks.
With Gang Bang being a hit at the Edinburgh Fringe and now transferring to Seven Dials Playhouse, what do you hope London audiences take away from the show? Are there particular themes or moments you’re excited for them to experience in this new setting?
We are looking to give Harry Potter and the Cursed Child a run for their money. We hope audiences leave with a smile and a Gang Bang™ hat (£12.99 RRP).