The Play That Goes Wrong - Mischief
New Victoria Theatre, Woking, Tuesday 5th October 2021
With a simple premise, that promises multiple laughs per minute, The Play That Goes Wrong is a show that has been on my Theatre wish list for a number of years. I was supposed to see it in London back in 2018, but unfortunately missed the show due to illness! My biggest concern going into the performance was simply this; will this show deliver? As a Drama Teacher by trade, who has directed multiple school productions, I have had many a sleepless night fretting about the worst case scenario actually coming true before me eyes, and I won’t lie, I worried if that would impact my enjoyment of this show!
From arriving at the New Victoria Theatre, and inspecting the Programme, my fears were quickly put aside. The first cast list you find is a “fake”, and written in character, which makes for a very Meta experience. The benefit of this approach meant that you have started, before even seeing this cast, to get to know the “actors” of Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society as people. This really helps because when the show does start to spiral, especially in the case of Dennis (Edward Howells), you feel either empathy for these poor performers or, in the case of Chris (Tom Bulpett), the inclination to laugh at their shortcomings. For Dennis, we learn he has one sole credit – Shepherd in the Nativity in 1995, and that he has “joined the society to make some friends”. When we see him start to crack under the pressure of the stage lights (It happens to the best of us David!) instead of laughing like we have been programmed to, we feel a spark of pity. It is developing the characters behind the characters that is a real strength of this show; I wonder if the premise would have worked if I had not purchased and read the programme before the show started?
I have frequently stated on the podcast how much I love it when the world starts before the show does. The Play That Goes Wrong uses this idea fantastically as the audience continues to fill in. We see the crew arrive on stage, and “stealthy” try to set the stage. Stealth would work, but when your idea of stealth is hiding your face behind your hand, it certainly is Mission: Impossible! James Bond, these characters are not! It’s a great way to establish the rules of the show before the lights dim. Likewise, the announcement of a missing dog works to encourage the audience to participate and understand their role in the play.
Chris is one character I have no doubt would continue to work sans programme. Before the show starts, we are greeted with his director’s introduction, a rather self-indulgent affair, which talks about the history of this fictional society. We learn of their previous “hits”; The Lion and The Wardrobe, Cat, and James and the Peach (or James, Where's your Peach?). With a list of credits that includes director, set designer, costume designer, prop maker, box office manager, press and PR person, dramaturgy, voice coach, dialect coach, and fight choreographer, it is very easy to lay the blame all at Chris’ feet and revel in delight at the moments on stage where all goes wrong and it shows on Chris’ face. An absolute highlight of the show is where the audience is encouraged to heckle him. “This isn’t a pantomime” we are told, as Chris angrily stamps about on stage and throws a temper tantrum. What other play do you see a lead get told by a child “I hate you!” and sit dejectedly on a sofa as he says “I’m being heckled by a child”? Whilst the premise may not be to everyone’s tastes, this isn’t just a cheap slapstick with great visual gags; there are real characters that help enhance the whole night.
The cast all excel, from the excitable Max (Tom Babbage), in his “debut” for the society, who becomes increasingly over the top in his mannerisms with each round of applause, to the stage manager Annie (Laura Kirman) thrust onto stage in a time of need and transforms from terrified and out of their depth to star before our eyes. Each set piece is accompanied by precise timing and commitment to the bit that helps make each joke memorable. Up there for me was the repetition of the White Spirit, call backs to a missing Duran Duran compilation and a rather unsafe balcony and lift combination. Trust me – you have to see it for yourself!
That’s not to say every joke lands. There are some sections that feel very outdated and old in 2021. Following an accident that puts a second actor “out of commission”; Trevor, the Lighting and Sound Operator (Gabriel Paul), steps into the breach to take on the role of Sandra. The joke of Trevor simply reading the lines in his northern voice with no inclination to become a hysterical suspect is enough; but it is when the joke evolves to laugh at the discomfort of two men having to kiss that the laughter stops for me. For me, in a society that is growing to be more inclusive for members of the LGBTQ+ community, whilst still battling some deeply rooted institutional prejudice, a moment where we are encouraged to laugh at the “two men forced to kiss” feels out of place. Likewise, to have a conversation of consent, Trevor clearly voices “no” to Max, but Max believes he has the right to persist; which again, is written with the intent to make an audience laugh. For me, this joke does not work, and is indicative of a greater conversation that needs to be had with certain outdated comedic tropes.
With a very talented cast, each playing their role perfectly, The Play That Goes Wrong is a delightfully funny way to spend an evening at the theatre. Whilst all jokes don’t land, there are enough there to make sure your rib cage will ache the next day from all the laughter!
****
4/5
MVP – Each character plays their part well, but a shout out to Laura Kirman for her long suffering Annie is in order. I loved their presence as Stage Manager and their development into scene stealing superstar! As Annie’s biography says, she is the unsung hero of the society, and that description feels very apt!
Role – I would love to work on this production; I think the premise is hilarious and there is a lot of fun to be had. As we usually discuss in our usual, musical based reviews, I think the role I would love to play is Chris Bean (Inspector Carter). The challenge of making yourself so unlikable to the audience as this smarmy director-turned-“star” would be fantastic!