The Play That Goes Wrong has been running in London since 2012, and touring the UK somewhat continually since 2014. Based on this latest showing, I say long may it continue! Absolutely hilarious from before the start, to the finish, this is screwball comedy done very, very well indeed.
📍 King’s Theatre, Edinburgh
📅 Tue 02 Nov TO Sun 07 Nov 2021
🕖 Evenings Tue – Sat 7.30pm | Matinees Wed, Sat & Sun 2:30pm
🕖 Running time: 2 hours 5 minutes (includes a 20 min. interval)
👥 Directors: Mark Bell | Sean Turner
💰 From £21.50
🎭 Captioning 04 Nov 7:30pm | Audio Description 06 Nov 2:30pm | BSL Sign Language 06 Nov 2:30pm | Touch Tours 06 Nov 1:30pm
The Play that Goes Wrong (even before the play begins)
The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society are putting on a play, a murder mystery called, The Murder at Haversham Manor, and you, dear theatre-goer, are invited to the premiere. I refuse to give a single element of the plot away, and so I refer you to the title of the show you thought you were going see.
In short, it goes wrong.
The crew go wrong, the cast go wrong, the set goes wrong, even the audience goes wrong. No one, and nothing is safe from calamity.
This is a relentless, raging river of comedy, which had me crying with laughter within minutes, and then again moments later, then again…and again…and again. At one point my eyes met those of another reviewer across the aisle, wordlessly sharing our tears and momentary fear of suffocation. Please, if you’re going to see this show, do not read up on it, just go along and experience it.
Impressive cast
This is Will Hay and Ealing, meets Buster Keaton, with a healthy dash of Noel Coward farce thrown in for good measure. The dialogue is sharp, the physical comedy a tribute to ambition, and the whole affair a feat of comic timing. The cast in this 2021 touring edition of The Play That Goes Wrong are splendid, each and every one. Special mention is deserved for Tom Bulpett’s turn as the hapless actor-director Chris — every line delivered with crisp aplomb, and also to Leonard Cook’s (Robert) tremendous “what-ho” diction, and talent for the dead-pan on demand. I feel somewhat guilty at being reluctant to compromise the swift digestibility of this review by listing out the virtues of the cast entire, however if any happen to be reading, and aren’t Tom, or Leonard, then I most happy for you to insert your name into the following line for reproduction as required:
( Insert name here) was absolutely fabulous, an obvious adept of the comedic actor’s art.
W,J.Quinn – author, and reviewer
The set is a continuing tribute to designer Nigel Hook, the whole shebang a veritable swiss army knife of disastrous surprises. Original Director, Mark Bell, and tour Director Sean Turner, clearly enjoy a well-practiced mastery of a play they have overseen for some considerable time. It would be easy to let complacency creep into the rehearsal room in the face of a relentless barrage of rave reviews, and yet of complacency there was no sign. Writers, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields have created a wonderful, hilarious dramatic vehicle, full of energy, and fabulous caricatures.
I toyed with taking off a half star…I did so because I think there could be more female representation in the show. I’m not one to harp after quotas, or equal distributions, that would be, in my opinion, a needless artistic handicap. That said, there are plenty of roles here who’s function within the play would be entirely unaltered by a gender swap. In the end though, I laughed at this show more than any other production I’ve ever attended. So, that half star…stays un-deducted!
Caveat Reviewers…
It would be easy, for some critics, to dismiss, The Play that Goes Wrong, as an exercise in easy laughs, and old-hat slapstick. If it were that simple, I would simply ask: why isn’t everyone doing it? After all, there’s no shortage of writers in want of a West-End, and Broadway smash-hit. To me the answer is simple: there’s nothing cheap, or easy about the barrel full of laughs bursting out of the seams of this play, every single one is earned. This isn’t Alan Ayckbourn — don’t expect deep arcs of character development or urbanity — and it’s not intended to be. Sometimes it’s just nice to go to the theatre to be told a funny story, and The Play that Goes Wrong, is a very funny story indeed.
Go see The Play that Goes Wrong, whilst it’s here in Edinburgh, you won’t regret it (caveat: please seek medical advice before attending if you think excessive laughter might be dangerous to you.)
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Sad I’m not in Edinburgh. Sounds hilarious.
The show is put on reasonably internationally these days, it’s one of these theatrical behemoths that creates a lot of work for actors and crew. It’s also very funny! 😊
Funny is hard to do – and easy to miss. So kudos to this bunch.