by Lucas Heap
Mischief Theatre have become a household name in recent years thanks to a prime time BBC1 slot for their TV show, a popular podcast adored by fans as well as the several festive TV specials of their productions like Peter Pan Goes Wrong.
But this is where it all began. The Play That Goes Wrong had its theatrical debut almost a decade ago but its charm and hilarity has remained constant throughout the years.
It focuses on the Cornley Drama Society’s laughable attempts to put on a 1920s murder-mystery entitled ‘Murder at Havisham Manor’. Now, as anyone who has ever been involved in am-dram productions will know, things never run smoothly. But for Cornley Drama Society? That would be an understatement. Smooth doesn’t come into it. Rough, uproarious, treacherous and not anywhere near ready for it would be nearer the mark.
As a result, the audience at WMC was entertained from start to finish during this slapdash, slapstick never-relenting hilarious crash of a comedy. There were belly laughs, roars, giggles, gasps, heads in hands, hands over mouths and gasps of ‘what next?!’ from all around us as the energetic and marvellous cast kept up their roles as wannabe thespians who just weren’t made for the stage – performing on a set that just wasn’t meant to stand up!
The show starts before the audience doors close as ‘backstage hands’ dash around the stalls, searching for missing props (including a French bulldog). Others are on stage fixing faulty pieces of the stage set, setting the scene for some simple yet extremely effective malfunctioning prop humour that will cause havoc later in the play. We just know that when stage manager, Annie (who in reality is a character in the show), is desperately trying to duct tape the mantlepiece together that someone (it turns out it will be her) will be stepping in to prevent the play (and that particular prop) from collapsing all around them.
Enter stage left ‘Chris Bean’ the Director of Cornley Drama Society who also plays the Inspector in the play – to thank us for coming to the show. Colin Burnicle brings such a magnificent energy to the role and, as he veers between subtle sighs of despair and side-eyes of disbelief at his fellow-actors’ ineptitude to hysterical yelling at the audience of “this is not a pantomime… this is a serious play!”, he is a real comical delight to watch.
Much of the show plays out like a primary school assembly, but with peril thrown in. There’s Dennis playing butler Perkins, who’s constantly forgetting his lines, and mispronouncing the ‘big words’ he’s scrawled on the palm of his hand; Sandra who plays the newly widowed Florence, a wannabe actress who plays over-the-top tremendously well (or badly, depending on how you look at it) and Max who plays Cecil, the brother of the victim, who’s just happy to be there. You can’t help but crease up at how he laps up any laughter and applause, egged on to attempt to impress the audience even more, clapping along with us during particularly side-splitting moments. He’s one of the most lovable and hilarious characters in any production I’ve ever seen.
As well as the brilliantly crafted and developed characters, much of the humour comes from classic slapstick comedy. The accident-prone characters are knocked out by falling scenery, hands jammed and faces smacked by opening and closing doors; unconscious bodies are desperately yanked up by crew through windows so the audience ‘won’t notice’; supposed dead bodes make their way surreptitiously across stage when stretchers meant to transport them malfunction and Trevor, the tech man, (and stand-in actor after 2 of the actors are left indisposed) is pounded by falling set pieces around the stage.
All that as well as antics such as props like whisky being replaced with white spirit, and characters having to hang on to pieces of a set that’s hanging on by a flimsy thread manage to teleport you back into the belly-laughs of a childhood watching the Chuckle Brothers. There are so many laugh out loud moments, your jaw and cheeks will ache.
Time flies – along with props, pages of script, scenery and set pieces – when you’re watching this hilarious show. Don’t miss it.
It’s on at the Wales Millennium Centre until 18 June. Visit wmc.org.uk for tickets.