Theatre / Theatre Royal Bath
Review: The Play That Goes Wrong, Theatre Royal Bath – ‘You would have to be seven kinds of cynical not to enjoy this show’
There’s a story – probably apocryphal – about a lazy theatre reviewer who goes home at the interval, but sends in a review anyway, thereby failing to report that the theatre caught fire during Act Two.
I had no intention of leaving during the interval of this performance, but if I had I would have missed something actually going wrong!
I won’t guess exactly what must have happened to bring the stage manager on to call a halt to proceedings, but as the curtain came down part-way through Act Two, for slightly too long a pause, it was only a comment from nearby audience members who had seen previous productions that persuaded the rest of us that it was a genuine hitch.
is needed now More than ever
Gabriel Paul and previous cast of The Play That Goes Wrong – photo: Robert Day
When the curtain rose again, and we realized what we should have seen, we were hooked by a shared experience and a renewed respect for the show itself.
The ‘Goes Wrong’ story is well known. In 2008 a group of young drama graduates came up with an in-joke about calamitous am-dram, then formed a company – Mischief – to stage their own productions.
Within four years they had taken the theatre world by storm, leading to international tours and TV deals. They are, deservedly, legends amongst their contemporaries.
They have branched out into magic and panto, all with the same initial concept, which is that audiences love a bit of safe danger on a night out, and even more so if someone makes a fool of themselves while they’re at it.
Previous cast pictured – photo: Robert Day
The premise of The Play That Goes Wrong is that the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society is trying to stage an earnest murder mystery – Murder at Haversham Manor.
We are invited to witness their attempt to put on this straight play, with an introduction from their self-important Artistic Director. But right from curtain up the tech, set and props keep….well, going wrong.
They struggle on til the bitter end, until the classic denouement scene, which literally unravels the whole shebang.
This is not slapstick or pratfalling, this is physical theatre at its wittiest – the company is packed with actors who have perfect timing, are at the top of their game and who are so committed that when something did actually Go Wrong it was easy to believe it was part of the show.
Previous cast pictured – photo: Robert Day
In an ensemble creative company it is not cricket to single anyone out, so I won’t. Every member of the company keeps their character’s integrity, to a deliciously excruciating extent.
Frustrated thesps, ingenues, eager innocents and reluctant stage-hands who gain a taste for the limelight are all on show here.
You would have to be seven kinds of cynical not to enjoy this show. Once. It’s a one-trick concept – so it’s a good job they do it brilliantly.
The Play That Goes Wrong is at Theatre Royal Bath on April 20-24 at 7.30pm, with 2.30pm matinee shows on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are available at www.theatreroyal.org.uk.
Main photo: Robert Day
Read more: Review: Private Peaceful, Theatre Royal Bath – ‘A remarkable production’
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