Review by Paul Towers, 9/10/25
The Producers, the Mel Brooks Musical, book by Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan
Directed by Patrick Marber
Produced by Menier Chocolate Factory
At Garrick Theatre, London
You really need to be a Mel Brooks aficionado to fully appreciate the humour of The Producers. Like the film it is irreverent, outrageous and tasteless. Only even more so!
With a chorus line of both old ladies and Hassidic Jews you know that there will be a deep well of tastelessness. Throw into that mix the showstopping Springtime For Hitler and it is no wonder that some (unprepared) audience members have walked out in disgust.
Of course you need to understand that Mel Brooks’ reasoning is that the best way to confront and debase fascism is to make fun of it. It is hard to be afraid of something you are laughing at.
The show centres around almost bankrupt producer Max Bialystock (the indefatigable Andy Nyman) and his shy accountant Leopold Bloom (Marc Antolin). In going through the books Leo spots the potential to make money through ‘creative accounting’. If Max can raise a lot of money from theatrical angels (investors) and the show fails, it wipes out the debt. And if he raises much more than the show costs to put on, there is a huge profit to be made.
Reluctantly Leo agrees to go into partnership with Max and the scam is born.
Together they pore over scripts until they find the very worst, gold plated potential failure. Springtime For Hitler by not-so closeted Nazi Franz Liebkind (Harry Morrison). Next they need a director an outrageous queen Roger DeBris (Trevor Ashley), a subtle in-joke for the Jewish community, and his partner Carman Ghia (Raj Ghatak).
With the agency getting so busy the guys need a receptionist, enter Swedish bombshell Ulla (Joanna Woodward) who Leo falls for while Max is off servicing a multitude of little old ladies into giving him cheques to invest in the show.
Of course it all goes wrong, the show is a critical success and Max ends up in jail.
As I said at the top of the page this is typical Mel Brooks, hilarious, outrageous and completely tasteless. I loved it!
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