The Ladykillers, Theatre by the Lake, Keswick.

The Ladykillers is The ACME of Ealing comedy, a much-loved film that captures the gentle, charming and rather dark essence of British comedy.

Graham Linehan’s stage version sticks closely to the original movie material, while adding his own flourishes, making it darker and funnier at the same time.

There are some near-genius moments of comedy, such as the concert the criminals are forced into playing and the interviews Mrs Wilberforce has with her local Bobby.

The play is a farce and director Chris Honer steers the action careering from clever word-play and verbal jokes into bouts of physical action as five bungling criminals use the home of a sweet old lady as their HQ for a robbery.

The slapstick is generally handled well and the timing will improve as the excellent cast settle in.

Dominic Gately’s saturnine and clearly unhinged professor Marcus who is the leader of the holds the whole thing together with a performance that echoes Alastair Sim (that is high praise).

But he is given excellent support from Rachel Laurence as Mrs Wilberforce who is more than a match for the would-be killers, while Luke Murphy as pill-popping wideboy Harry Robinson is a skilled comic.

And Eric Potts was the audience favourite as the dim-witted but well-meaning One Round

The clever set from Louie Whitemore presents us with an upstairs downstairs view of Mrs Wilberforce’s home where no door, window or picture is on the level, while the lighting and sound add clever and disturbing effects for the nearby trains.

It’s nostalgic, it’s daft, but it’s hard not to leave the theatre without a grin.

The Ladykillers is on until October 30. For tickets call 017687 74411 or visit www.theatrebythelake.com