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★★★★★
The stage adaptation of John Cleese and Connie Booth’s award-winning 1970s comedy TV series Fawlty Towers is currently touring UK and Ireland theatres, direct from a sold-out run in the West End. Fawlty Towers The Play ties together three memorable episodes from the original sitcom: “The Hotel Inspectors”, “Communication Problems” and “The Germans”, presenting the storylines in sequence as a two-act piece of theatre. The penultimate stop of the tour is the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury and this week I had the opportunity to watch the show on press night here in Kent. The West End production was one of my favourite shows of 2024 and I am thrilled to share that the touring iteration continues to reach the same hilarious heights.
Initial thoughts
At 1 hour 50 minutes in length, Fawlty Towers The Play is a slickly timed piece of theatre that doesn’t rely on prior knowledge of the iconic characters that work at and frequent the fictional Torquay hotel. That being said, the more you know about this group of individuals, the more you can appreciate the strength in the cast performances, as each of the characters have distinct personalities, character traits and mannerisms. The narrative follows Basil and Sybil Fawlty who are working the front desk at the Fawlty Towers hotel over a series of eventful days, featuring a rumoured hotel inspector visit, a demanding guest who refuses to turn her hearing aid on and the arrival of some international visitors. Bringing to life the storylines from the TV series, it is the slapstick comedy, character interactions and overall theme of a hotel descending into chaos which make this a show not to be missed.
Visual design
Something I was concerned about for the tour was whether the creative team would manage to take Liz Ascroft’s two-story hotel set on the road, which features the reception area, dining room and one of the bedrooms. Excitingly, this is definitely still there for the tour and upon walking into the auditorium, you are immediately welcomed into the hotel environment with its familiar decor. As an audience member you really feel like you’ve stepped back in time to when the series was created and are a fly on the wall for the antics at the hotel.
Cast performances
Rather than electing to throw audiences in at the deep end, through the material the audience is warmed up to the relationships between the characters. A stand out mannerism straightaway is Sybil Fawlty’s “I know…” and infectious laugh, with Mia Austen bringing the character to life so amusingly. Additionally, the partnership work between Austen and Adam Elliott in the role of Basil Fawlty is utterly hilarious; you truly believe that this is a not-so-happily married couple who enjoy annoying each other.
Paul Nicholas takes on the role of Major and the military references and precise body language pave the way for some brilliant deadpan moments. A further highlight is the on-stage dynamic between Joanne Clifton and Hemi Yeroham, who take on the roles of chambermaid Polly and waiter Manuel respectively. Away from Basil and Sybil’s constant bickering, the pair keep the hotel running.
Nostalgic and highly amusing
Fawlty Towers The Play is an absolutely hilarious evening at the theatre, with the humour escalating throughout the performance to laugh-out-loud levels. It is a must-see for fans of the sitcom and younger generations that grew up with the TV series in association with their parents. When something is as successful as Fawlty Towers was, in my opinion it makes absolute sense to go with the best bits of the material, presenting the three episodes as almost a highlight reel. Performances run at the Marlowe Theatre until Saturday 25th July and last minute tickets can be purchased via the venue’s website.
*My ticket for ‘Fawlty Towers The Play’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
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