On Tuesday night I saw The Play That Goes Wrong for the second time in my life – and it had me crying with laughter all over again.
I had no idea what I was in for the first time round. I’d heard it was good from friends of friends, but comedy can be so hit and miss. I took a gamble and, for my birthday, my boyfriend and I took a trip to the West End. The theatre was a bit cramped and we were quite alarmed at the cast running around looking for a lost dog before the play had even started. In fact, we almost got up and left at the idea of a loose dog running around the theatre.
But we held our guns, and two hours later we agreed that it was the best bit of theatre we’d ever seen.
Seeing It Again
Just the fact that we were both desperate to see it again should tell you all you need to know. Four years later, a hit TV show in between, The Play That Goes Wrong wound up in the WMC where I volunteer, and we couldn’t resist. No longer worried about the lost dog (it seems silly now. Of course, it was a joke) we sat back and hurt our sides with laughter.
Yes, we’d remembered lots of the gags, and the cast was different – but it didn’t matter in the slightest. Mischief has really mastered the art of comedy, knowing when to repeat a gag and when enough is enough. It’s slapstick, it’s silly – but it’s absolutely marvellous.
Presented as a 1920s murder mystery from the well-meaning Cornley Drama Group, The Play That Goes Wrong, is just that. Over two acts the Cornley Drama Group catastrophically fail to keep their play together. With broken props, a role that can’t keep its actress, and a technician more focused on his Duran Duran CDs – the downfall of their play is the height of comedy.
It’s currently touring the UK and Ireland and I absolutely implore you to get a ticket. It’s a masterclass in theatre comedy you don’t want to miss out on.
