Norwich’s sketch‑comedy favourites, the Earlham Bus Incident, are levelling up with their first full‑length play – a sharp, silly, film‑noir parody starring the city’s greatest private detective, Mona Ravona. Framed for a murder “so deadly somebody died from it,” Mona must clear her name, find a missing gangster, and survive a city full of femme fatales, shady suspects, and tiny guns.
Catch the chaos on 2 May 2026 at 2.30pm (Since the 7.30pm show is now SOLD OUT!) To celebrate the premiere, we spoke with writer and director Andrew Gladman about inspiration, characters, comedy, and the woman who may or may not shoot people too much.
What Is The Earlham Bus Incident?
The Earlham Bus Incident occurred on 3 March 1988, when a bus fell into a sinkhole on Earlham Road. Luckily, everyone on board was fine. Even more luckily, the incident later gave its name to the finest sketch comedy troupe Norwich has ever produced! And I hear they’re about to put on their first play…
Who Is the Woman Who Shot People Too Much?
Well, there’s very little I can say without giving too much away! Who is the woman who shot people too much? That’s very much the mystery at the heart of our show. I also suspect some audience members might feel that she doesn’t shoot people too much, but just an ordinary amount. And to those audience members, I’d say please stay away from me if you think there’s an ordinary amount of shooting people one can do.
Where Did This Wild Noir Parody Come From?
Mona Ravona, our star detective played by the magnificent Hannah Wood, began life in the Earlham Bus Incident’s 2024 show, The Usual Buspects. I thought that EBI needed a strong recurring character and that the genre of film noir was ripe for parody. Did Tom Scudamore, the head honcho of EBI, agree with me on either of these points? Who’s to say? But that first noir sketch immediately became a vehicle for my love of quickfire, pun-laden comedy in the vein of films like “Airplane!” and “The Naked Gun.” Mona came back for three more sketches, before I decided it was finally time for her to go solo.
Your Comedy Mount Rushmore: Who Makes the Cut?
I didn’t know anybody knew about this, but yes, I have spent the past six months carving various comedians’ faces into a small rocky outcropping in Cromer, so I suppose I’d better explain it.
First up, I have Morecambe and Wise – before my time, but many of my comedy influences are. Quick wit, incredibly fun chemistry, true masters of sketch and variety. British comedy royalty.
Then, I’ve got Leslie Nielsen – who should really be joined by writers Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker, but there was limited space on the rocky outcropping and I didn’t know what they looked like. The talents behind some of my favourite comedy films of all time and a HUGE influence on Mona Ravona.
Next, stepping into the present with Harry Hill. I grew up watching “TV Burp” and, frankly, I trace the entire downfall of Western civilisation back to that series’ cancellation.
Then, I’ve added the author, dreamweaver, visionary, plus actor, Garth Marenghi. Something of a cult hit, “Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace” is a comedy gem and only upon revisiting it did I realise how much of an impact it has had on Mona’s world.
Finally, I know I’m already exceeding Mount Rushmore’s four faces, but I live in Norwich, so I’ve had to add Alan Partridge.
I thought I’d only get a couple of faces carved in six months, but fortunately I was able to Rushmore.
Meet the Characters of Mona Ravona’s World
Mona Ravona is, quite simply, Norwich’s greatest private detective. She has an internal monologue – or Monalogue – that sounds absolutely nothing like her actual voice.
Garrett Gold is Norwich’s most nefarious criminal mastermind, who has suddenly and mysteriously vanished. His wife, Goldie Gold, has rushed to Mona for help and has caught the detective’s eye. Mona probably shouldn’t have dropped that.
Billy the Pigeon is Mona’s lifelong friend and trusty informant… for the right price. His identical twin brother, Bobby, is an inexplicably cockney police officer.
Joey and Tamara are a couple who both wait tables and who, I promise, will have you in stitches every single time you see them (as a result of laughter, not violence).
Then there’s Mona’s excitable new neighbour Donny, her serial client Ronnie the Rabbit, a shady suspect called Hardy Knower, and the sultriest singer you ever did hear – the sensational Red.
Rehearsals: How’s the Chaos Coming Along
What? Rehearsals? Why are you asking me about rehearsals? I wish you’d ask me something interesting, like who is the greatest detective of all time OUTSIDE of Norwich…
Outside Norwich, Who’s the Greatest Detective of All Time
Ah, now that’s more like it! It’s Mona Ravona on holiday.
5% of the population make up the ISTP personality type – “the detective”. Rank your cast in least to most effective detective:
All of our cast? There are a lot of them! I’ll pick out a few for you.
We’ve got the recently crowned UK Pun Champion, Adam Ernest Pickard. I’ve long held the belief that with great puns comes great detective ability – in fact, that’s the entire premise of this play. So I suppose, by my own logic, Adam has to be number one.
We also have the head of the Woke Mob himself, local legend Don Avocado. As a true Mafioso, Don is more used to evading detectives than being one, but I’m sure there are some transferable skills.
Our actual star detective? Hannah Wood can detect plot holes in a script with a keener eye than Sherlock Holmes. Outside that very niche area of detective work, though? I’ve seen her forget the word “left” and opt instead for “leaved.” I’m telling you this so you can appreciate how much raw acting talent she puts into convincing audiences she’s a great detective.
But the very worst detectives on our cast? I think choosing to run a sketch troupe is a worrying sign of a truly ineffective mind. And honestly, neither myself, Tom Scudamore, nor Susanna T Jones could detect our own heads if they weren’t screwed on (or something like that).
Any Teasers for the Audience
A tale of forbidden love! A ghost! The greatest musical number you’ve ever seen! Oh, that’s not what you were expecting me to say? Well, it’s all true! Also, a lot of film noir stuff, one really tiny gun and a mention of National Urban Beekeeping Day.
And if you’re an EBI fan, you’ll know there’s one question Mona’s been asking herself since her very first appearance: why does her internal monologue sound so different from her actual voice? In The Woman Who Shot People Too Much, that question will finally be answered.