CONOR McPherson is one of the most exciting and acclaimed young dramatists working today.

His play, The Weir, ran for more than two and a half years in London's West End and later transferred to Broadway, collecting the Olivier Award along the way.

His second feature film as writer-director sees McPherson in a playful and mischievous mood, concocting an elaborate heist caper in the style of the classic Ealing comedies. Although The Actors ultimately doesn't live up to the promise, it's a lively and intermittently entertaining affair complete with Michael Caine donning drag with painfully hilarious consequences.

While mingling with the locals in a rowdy Dublin pub, veteran actor Anthony O'Malley (Michael Caine) talks to local crime boss Barreller (Michael Gambon).

The hammy thespian learns that the hard man owes a considerable amount of money to a mysterious London gangster called Magnani, whom Barreller has never met.

O'Malley senses a great opportunity to make some hard cash fast and he persuades aspiring actor Tom (Dylan Moran) to disguise himself as Magnani and collect the money before the real gangster shows up.

The plan works a treat until one of Magnani's henchmen arrives in town, and Tom falls under the spell of Barreller's beautiful and suspicious daughter (Lena Headey).

Trouble is most definitely a-brewing, until Tom's cunning little niece Mary (Abigail Iversen) concocts a plan to solve their woes.

Moran oozes charisma and a charming innocence as the everyman who foolishly agrees to become a pawn in O'Malley's deranged game of false identities.

Caine sends himself up something rotten as a luvvie full of self-importance, and there's the unforgettable sight of the Oscar winner donning a blonde wig to pass himself off Mrs Magnani.

Rating: 5.5/10