REVIEW: 'The Play That Goes Wrong' gets everything right
If an axiom of live theater is “The Show Must Go On”, it’s rarely been explored as well—or as hilariously—as The Play That Goes Wrong. Where shows like Noises Off! built one or two memorable scenes around overcoming onstage mishaps, GMG Productions’ latest show embodies the concept from beginning to end.
PhilSTAR L!fe had the pleasure of attending last Saturday’s gala night performance, wherein the invited audience clearly understood the assignment, as fully kitted-out tennis players arrived alongside Squid Game contestants, while the occasional superhero, Grab Rider, and people in pajamas added to the overall festive vibe.
Even before the show (officially) started, parts of the set were falling off the walls, and a key member of the cast was nowhere to be found, while the lighting and sound technician (Tom Bulpett) searched for his beloved Duran Duran CD box set. It was a tongue-in-cheek introduction to the insanity we were about to experience, bringing the audience fully on board long before the house lights dimmed.
The story centers around the opening night of a play, The Murder at Haversham Manor, introduced with appropriate pride by resident director Chris Bean (Tom Babbage). As per the in-universe program (presented as the first six pages of the actual program), Bean oversaw everything from writing and costume design to fight choreography, so his investment was clear. The titular Murder occurs early on, with millionaire Charles Faversham (a decidedly un-deceased Liam Horrigan) being found dead at a party celebrating his engagement to Florence Colleymoore (Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante, Into the Woods).
As Inspector Carter (Babbage’s Bean, doing double duty) is brought on to identify the killer, the suspects come to include the deceased’s foppish brother, Cecil (Sebastiano Pitruzello), Florence’s boisterous brother, Thomas (Owen Jenkins), and Perkins (Tom Hayward), the butler who knows more than he’s letting on. As the tension intensifies, so too do the mishaps plaguing the stage production, forcing the actors to make the best of an increasingly ridiculous situation—after all, the show must go on!
Given that being in the room where it happens is one of the joys of live theater, then being around for when things go awry is doubly so. Whether it’s props breaking down, actors being replaced mid-scene, or the occasional mid-monologue concussion, the (seemingly-) unbridled chaos depicted in The Play That Goes Wrong is a meticulously staged masterwork of dedication to the craft; it’s one thing to put on a (real-world) show where everything goes right, it’s quite another to present one that, well, see the title.
Without going into details, no onstage hiccup goes untouched, and everyone commits to the shenanigans from the get-go (and then some). Headlining the proceedings as Director and Inspector, Babbage as Bean’s growing dismay at his show’s spiral rivals John Cleese’s best stiff upper-lip slow burns—when he finally breaks, it’s akin to a dam breaking in the funniest way possible. That being said, there’s nary a weak link in the cast, with every performer delivering their screwball best as the play (in-universe or otherwise) lives up to its name.
Bradshaw-Volante’s turn as an amateur actor playing a stereotypical 1920’s femme fatale is deliciously over-the-top, giving as good as she gets in the verbal and physical comedy department, while Jenkins’ Thomas puts on a slapstick clinic that needs to be seen to be believed. At the same time, Hayward’s take on a functionally illiterate actor consistently left the audience in stitches at his antics. With punchlines and gags hitting at a mile a minute, things snowball to the point that Bulpett’s Trevor and a hapless stagehand (Olivia Charalambous) get pulled into the comedic craziness. Heck, even Horrigan gets his share of laugh-out-loud moments, and his character’s dead.
In a clear case of art imitating life, a scene at the gala night had to be stopped for real, prompting no less than GMG Productions’ own Paul Mansfield to ascend the stage and apologize to the audience. By then, of course, the fourth wall obliteration had been so thoroughly and brilliantly accomplished (the actors interacted with the crowd in character during the intermission!), we honestly couldn’t tell what was real anymore. Indeed, the incident was so skillfully handled that if Mansfield hadn’t been sitting directly behind us, we’d probably never have known.
The Play That Goes Wrong is a show that has more than earned its accolades since its original debut in 2012, including Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Scenic Design and the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy—so yes, it is that damn good. To reveal more would be doing it and its creators a disservice; suffice it to say that if you’ve ever had an affinity for comedy, live theater, or the incredible amount of work that goes into entertaining audiences night after night, The Play That Goes Wrong is a farcical blast, and an absolute must-see.
Disclaimer: PhilSTAR L!fe was given a free ticket to The Play That Goes Wrong, which is now playing at The Theater at Solaire until November 22, with tickets available via TicketWorld.