Edinburgh Fringe 2024: CrimeLandTown

Showing in London right before a month-long stint at the Edinburgh Fringe, CrimeLandTown is a one-hour, one-man character comedy featuring an ensemble of eccentric characters in the eponymous town, each trying to double cross the other in the midst and aftermath of a heist after a mob boss’s daughter’s third wedding.

Staged and performed by Ben Goldsmith, the production draws inspiration from mafia films of the 70s, filling the stage with nostalgia, cultural memories and some of the most famous character archetypes. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for humour, Goldsmith recreates the atmosphere and attire of classic mafia drama with an affectionate parody, as familiar scenes and tropes are reimagined and inverted in unexpected and hilarious ways.

CrimeLandTown’s characters are lovable, larger-than-life parodies from all over the cinematic landscape, from the Italian-American mob boss whose daughter is having a third wedding, to the former MI5 agent in charge of solving the heist for the FBI who lacks the wits of Sherlock Holmes but is prone to the accidental self-sabotage of Mr Bean. Others are more overt in their homage, such as the French criminal mastermind named Jean Valjean, who humorously declares he has no relation to the character from Les Misérables, and the young and bright-eyed Des, a singer in a mob-owned bar with aspirations of joining Frank Sinatra – the leader of CrimeLandTown’s mob –as a proper gangster. The characters also assign the audience roles such as “Elvis Presley” and “Dean Martin”, and deliver clever cues and playful props ranging from chocolate bars to handguns. Like the characters on stage, they are immersed in the unfolding story, encountering comical mishaps, dramatic deaths and unexpected betrayals.

While the inclusion of other famous namesakes only elicits a quick laugh, the persistent references to Frank Sinatra are particularly tongue-in-cheek. This choice is especially ironic given that Sinatra spent decades trying to distance himself from any mafia connections and famously disliked any talk of his controversial ties. Sinatra had even threatened to assault Mario Puzo, believing the character Johnny Fontane – a famous singer who acts as the Corleone family’s liaison with Hollywood in Puzo’s novel The Godfather – was based on him. He demanded that his lawyers review the script for the film adaptation. In contrast, Goldsmith’s one-man character comedy not only names the singer as a mob leader but also includes snippets of his music in the climax, playing up the very connections Sinatra had sought to conceal.

Sinatra’s presence, though not physical, looms over CrimeLandTown, as his legacy becomes part of a playful tribute to the genre he famously distanced himself from, adding the final touch to the one-of-a-kind, playful nod to the mafia film genre.

Christina Yang
Photos: Katie Davison

CrimeLandTown is at Just The Tonic: Mash House from 1^st until 25^th August 2024. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.