Barking In Essex, which officially opened at the Wyndham’s Theatre on Monday (16th September), has celebrated advance box office sales of over £1.5 million. It is thought that comedian Lee Evans is attracting a whole new audience of first-time theatregoers.

 “Freedom finally beckons for lowlife con man Algie Packer.  He’s done seven years inside and now he’s coming home to spend his carefully stashed cash - £3.5million in untraceable notes.  But there’s something Algie’s family has forgotten to mention…  The Packers are your average dysfunctional Essex crime family with a big problem.  Are they going to be able to cover their tracks before Algie arrives home?”

Lee Evans (The Producers, Endgame, The Dumb Waiter) stars as hapless, dim-witted Darnley alongside Sheila Hancock (The Last of the Duchess, Sister Act, The Birthday Party) as Emmie, his mother who is very much the boss of the family. Keeley Hawes (Spooks, Ashes to Ashes, Upstairs Downstairs) plays Chrissie, Darnley’s perma-tanned wife.

The cast also includes Karl Johnson (Lark Rise to Candleford, Noises Off) as their neighbour and friend Rocco as well as Montserrat Lombard (St Trinian’s2, Ashes to Ashes, Love Soup) who plays Allegra, Algie’s high-class lawyer and girlfriend, whom he’s sent on ahead to retrieve the money.

The play was written by Clive Exton before he passed away in 2007.

[posted by Andrew, 18/9/2013]

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