Credit to Jordan Munns.
Imbroglio comes to mind. Embroiled in an imbroglio. That’s THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG.
As we take our seats, we know something’s afoot. It’s in the mouths of the backstage crew wandering the auditorium whistling up a delinquent dog. Never work with kids or animals is the old adage. Well, with the mutt gone missing, and no children cast, these thesps have dodged a bullet. But not a bazooka.
But the show must go on, although entrances and exits are stymied by recalcitrant doors, the stylish set is set on self destruction, props malfunction, actors call for prompts that are promptly misconstrued, there are miscues, line loops, impromptu breaks in the fourth wall. You name it, whatever can go wrong does go wrong in the THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG.
Calamity and catastrophe cascade in an hilarious avalanche that ambushes a classic whodunnit story. At least, that’s what The Cornley Drama Society attempts to stage. There has been a murder at a country manor and an inspector is on the case to find the culprit.
But this company of accident-prone thespians haven’t a clue, all falling victim to a production that seems hexed and jinxed from curtain up, creating a slipstream of slapstick and spit takes.
Who murdered Charles Haversham? Who cares when murder takes a backseat to a madness and mayhem presented with such pratfall fun, stamina, vitality and flat out hysteria.
THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG congregates fragments of mishaps that can assail any production and fashions one hell of an hysterical show. And each member of the ensemble tackles the text with impeccable timing.
Just when you think all that can go wrong has gone wrong, another rung of wrong is ascended on this extension ladder of laughter.
Thrillingly silly, rambunctiously absurd, THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG is so just so right for those seeking a fun night out.
The Play That Goes Wrong is playing at the Opera House until 3 August.
