Words of Honour: The Mafia Exposed

The accounts presented in Words of Honour: The Mafia Exposed were obtained by Italian investigative journalist Attilio Bolzoni, on whose book this show by Jermyn Street Theatre is based.

The promise of first-hand testimony from “the most notorious and ruthless mafia bosses” will surely attract anyone with an interest in the subject, but both the presentation and content of this show fall well below the standard one expects from Assembly.

Setting aside the bafflingly poor animated backdrop and Marco Gambino's caricature-heavy performance, there are few genuinely interesting or surprising insights into the inner workings of the criminal organisation.

Instead we're offered such gems of wisdom as “Whoever betrays the Cosa Nostra will burn”, accompanied by exaggerated gestures and computer-generated flames.

Anyone who's seen Goodfellas and The Godfather films (in other words, the target audience of this show) will be well aware of the basic principles of the mafia code. They will know that the highest-ranking members have minions to do their dirty work, and that wives and girlfriends can be introduced into mafia circles only after careful vetting.

Organised crime is a potential fascinating subject for a play of this kind. It's remarkable that such a promising concept has been turned into such a disappointing show.

A version of this review first appeared in The Herald.