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The Play That Goes Wrong
13th August 2018 - 18th August 2018
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Fawlty Towers meets Noises Off in this multi award-winning West End smash hit comedy.
The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society are putting on a 1920s murder mystery, but as the title suggests, everything that can go wrong… does! As the accident prone thesps battle on against all the odds to reach their final curtain call, hilarious results ensue!
Hailed “a gut-busting hit” by the New York Times, this sell-out West End comedy has won a host of celebrity endorsements from the likes of Joanna Lumley “We laughed until the tears ran down our faces, it has to be seen” to Ant & Dec “The funniest show we’ve seen! If you can get a ticket, go!”
Don’t miss this brilliantly funny comedy that’s guaranteed to leave you aching with laughter!
Ticket price includes a £1 contribution to our heritage fund.
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Event Reviews
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Choice Radio Worcester
It's the turn of the amateurs at the theatre this week as the Conley Polytechnic Drama Society take to the stage with their version of Murder At Haversham Manor
But the show starts well before the performance itself as in the foyer Winston the dog has gone missing and no-one can find Lighting and Sound Operator Trevor who in turn cannot find his Duran Duran CD...
OK - all is not what it seems. This is in fact Mischief Theatre's The Play That Goes Wrong and the title pretty much explains the riotous evening which is about to unfold…
The show within a show starts innocently enough with the Director welcoming the audience but when he starts describing some of their previous attempts, you know full well that this is likely to be another unmitigated disaster. Which of course it is. But the true skill here is not just the acting, always professionally amateurish, but the continuous array of stunts and misbehaving stage furniture, all of which must go wrong in dramatic fashion at exactly the right moment.
Cue doors that don't open - or close - windows which fall out, shelves that won't stay put, actors mistiming their cues, whisky which is anything but - even a (real) audience member hauled on stage to help out! And the whole cast, and the stand-ins - bravely plough on through the increasing carnage as if nothing untoward was going on
One of the funniest characters is Max Bennett, brother of the deceased, who is clearly loving his opportunity to be on stage in front of an audience (even though love scenes are clearly well beyond his abilities) and the same amateur actor reappears later as the gardener. But in the programme you see why he got the parts - the play is financed by a large donation from a recent inheritance of his...
In fact, it is worthwhile getting the show's programme as it contains some very funny information about this bunch of lovable but incompetent amateur drama group players (Conley not Mischief, obviously!) as well as descriptions of some of things that have gone wrong during professional productions, such as Michael Redgrave's hearing aid picking up taxi company messages instead of the required stage prompts...!
It's not often that a stage comedy has the audience laughing and cheering throughout its entire length but this certainly an occasion where this is undoubtedly true, even to the point of getting a thoroughly well-deserved standing ovation at the curtain call.
A hugely enjoyable show bring together every conceivable fail where, given the complexity of some of the stunts, on the night it was The Play That Went Right!
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Hayley
Excellent performance 13/08/18 definately recommend it
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Julie
Do NOT miss this!! Our third attempt at trying to see this play and I'm so glad we finally made it.
From entering the theatre before the start of the play, you see crew members working, the director greeting members of the audience, the problem of the missing dog which all helps to build up to the start of the play.
To say it is hilarious is an understatement. As a person who doesn't laugh easily, it certainly hit the spot and had me laughing out loud.
The characters of Max Bennett and the stage hand Annie I thought were brilliant. All the cast were exceptional and their timing impeccable.
I haven't enjoyed a comedy so much since I saw Peter Pan Goes Wrong by the same company.
All I can say is if you have a ticket for The Play That Goes Wrong, do NOT give it up as you will NOT be disappointed!!!!!!!!! -
Anthony
Funniest live show ever seen. Audience were into the performance from start to end.
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Christopher
This is the funniest stage play I have ever seen. See this play!!
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Chris
Absolutely brilliant, first time at the theatre and myself and family really enjoyed it. Definitely lives up to its name.
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Robert
the funniest show I have seen in years, every thing I love about British farce collapsing scenery forgotten lines audience participation and much much more
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Patricia
I saw this in London in May. That production was a little more polished with skightly better timing. But I was so impressed I wanted to see it again and this time shared it with my aunt who was very impressed with the timing.
It is a truly gut-wrenchingly funny play and you cannot appreciate how much simply from reading the script. It is the physical 'catastrophes' that make it so hilarious. I am seriously surprised that Health and Safety don't want to minimise some of the events many of which look like an accident waiting to happen. I'm amazed that several actors don't end up with broken bones. Fair play to them! The Mischief players are always well worth watching.
