Raucous comedy Gang Bang is set to take London audiences on a madcap journey filled with surreal gags and mafia mayhem when it arrives in the West End this month. We spoke to writer Hughie Shepherd-Cross about the production.

Gang Bang is described as a raucous mafia comedy set in the North of England. What inspired you to blend gangster film tropes with the unique setting of Blackpool in 1945?

I was sitting at home watching The Godfather washing down my black pudding with a can of Dandelion and Burdock when the idea came to me. I called up my fellow producer and told him I had an idea that was going to make him a million dollars. We’re not quite there yet but we did go out for a nice curry after the Fringe.

Your show has been described as a “hilarious homage to gangster films.” Which classic gangster films influenced Gang Bang, and how did you incorporate those elements into the story?

The biggest reference point was The Godfather and fans will hopefully spot a few references; we lost a pantomime actor in rehearsals trying to recreate the horse’s head moment. The hardest bit was getting the way they talked right, so watched a ton of extra gangster movies - Goodfellas, Donnie Brasco, Means Streets, Scarface and more to get this right. As for the Northern accents, we just thought we’d take a stab in the dark.

The show is filled with madcap gags and surreal pastiches. What was your approach to writing such fast-paced, high-energy comedy, and how do you keep it fresh during every performance?

The actors are allowed to go off script and we get the audience involved a bit, which hopefully keeps every show fresh. We also have an unhinged French director who subjects the actors to psychological intensive warm up backstage every day. I never see what happens and no one ever wants to talk about it.

The character of Don Lambrini accidentally boards a cruise to Blackpool instead of heading to America. How does this mix-up play into the comedic chaos of the show, and what does it say about the characters' journeys?

The cruise ship journey was the funniest way I could work out to get Don Lambrini to end up in Blackpool. The mix-up triggers a series of off-the-wall happenings, or as one reviewer described it ‘complete nonsense’. As for the character’s journeys, they go up and down the M6 a bit, but don’t expect too much emotional development.

Blackpool is such a unique setting for a mafia story. How does the town itself influence the tone and events of Gang Bang? Do you think the North of England offers a distinct backdrop for this kind of story?

The North of England has so many eccentricities and they have such a good sense of humour – a lot of people from Lancashire saw the show at the Fringe and said they had a great time. They were very disappointed to find out I am French.

The show’s surreal humour and quick-fire jokes seem to come at you from all directions. What’s one joke or moment in Gang Bang that you personally never fail to laugh at, even after performing it so many times?

I like it when Don Lambrini in homage to the famous line in The Godfather says ‘on the day of my daughter’s driving theory’, mostly because of the delivery by our hilarious actor Freddie Cohen. I think it also gets to the core of what I’m trying to say with the show.

After a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe, Gang Bang will play at Seven Dials Playhouse this month. What are you most excited about in bringing the show to a new audience in such a central, vibrant part of London?

We are excited to finally give The Phantom of The Opera a run for their money – they’ve had it too good for too long. Seven Dials is in such a good place – hopefully we can get the bustling West End crowds through their doors.

Gang Bang plays at London’s Seven Dials Playhouse from 18 February-1 March, with further info here.