LOCAL actress Claire Greenwood will take to the stage at the Cotswold Playhouse in Stroud next month in The Ladykillers as Mrs Wilberforce – a sweet-natured old lady who unknowingly rents out rooms in her home to a criminal mastermind and his gang.

This is a stage version by The Cotswold Players of the classic Ealing black comedy that starred Alec Guinness.

A sweet little old lady, alone in her house, is pitted against a gang of criminal misfits who will stop at nothing.

Posing as amateur musicians, Professor Marcus and his gang rent rooms in the house of Mrs Wilberforce and plot to involve her in Marcus’ brilliantly conceived heist job.

With only her parrot, General Gordon, to help her, Mrs Wilberforce is alone with five desperate men...... but who will be forced to face the music?

Although Claire has never rented out the rooms of her own home, she has found herself putting a roof over the head of an unlikely guest.

She re-called: “Some years ago, between Christmas and New Year, the local vicar phoned to say someone had turned up on his doorstep in need of accommodation.

“Of course, we took him in. The tale he told us was that he was on the run from the IRA and making his way ‘under the radar’, having walked from Bristol to Cam, to meet up with his family who had escaped to Switzerland.”

Claire added: “We last saw our overnight guest at Gloucester railway station, having bought him a ticket to Birmingham and sent him on his way with some homemade sandwiches and cake.

“Of course, Mrs Wilberforce would have had me serve up something much stronger than a slice of Victoria sponge.”

  • The Ladykillers runs at the Cotswold Playhouse in Stroud from Tuesday, March 14 to Saturday, March 18.

Tickets £12. Book online at cotswoldplayhouse.co.uk or call the Box Office on 0333 666 3366.