Name: The Play That Goes Wrong
Start: 2014-09-03
Location: Duchess Theatre

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Do not miss the multi award-winning international smash hit THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG now the longest running comedy in the West End.

The Cornley Drama Society are putting on a 1920s murder mystery, but as the title suggests, everything that can go wrong… does! As the accident prone thesps battle on against all the odds to reach their final curtain call, hilarious results ensue!

Hailed *“a gut-busting hit”* by the New York Times, Mischief’s THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG is stumbling through its eighth chaotic year at London’s Duchess Theatre, and has unexpectedly received a host of celebrity endorsements from the likes of Joanna Lumley *“We laughed until the tears ran down our faces, it has to be seen”* to Ant & Dec *“The funniest show we’ve seen! If you can get a ticket, go!”*

Don’t miss this brilliantly funny comedy, guaranteed to leave you aching with laughter.

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The Play That Goes Wrong [345] - LON 

Genre: Play

Genre: Comedy 

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The Play That Goes Wrong

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The theatre loves nothing more than itself, especially when things aren't going to plan: this kind of self-sustaining narcissism has made hits of everything from The Producers and <a href="/show/monty-pythons-spamalot">Spamalot </a>to Michael Frayn's Noises Off. And in The Play That Goes Wrong, we're here to prick the pomposities and artifice of theatre yet again in a bustling portrait of an amateur dramatic company from Cornley Polytechnic, as they attempt to put on a 1920s murder thriller called Murder at Haversham Manor.The result is far, far funnier than <a href="/show/the-mousetrap">The Mousetrap</a> ever was and that's now in its 62nd year, so I think that its creators Mischief Theatre - a group of graduates from LAMDA who began as an impro comedy troupe - may have a substantial little hit on their hands, built on the shifting sands of its own insubstantiality.It's a beautiful theatrical paradox, and that it should have now come all the way to the West End from humble beginnings in the upstairs room of the <a href="/theatres/old-red-lion-theatre">Old Red Lion pub theatre</a> the Christmas before last is also a genuine thrill. The underdog can triumph - even if their dog called Winston has gone missing (and instead has to be represented here only by his lead).Everything that can go wrong, it seems, does go wrong for this play, its players and particularly its wobbly, fragile set. But the more it does, of course, the funnier it becomes. It's divinely daft, gloriously preposterous and utterly silly. But it's also not for everyone: anyone with slightly more sophisticated comedy palettes may baulk at the relentlessness of it all.Yet I also think you cannot fail to admire the ceaseless energy of the cast or the wildly caricatured yet minutely detailed comedy performances they deliver. Just to watch co-author Henry Shields's face, crossing from bafflement to wide-eyed pleasure at how he's managed to cover yet another gaffe is priceless.He's one of a terrific ensemble of young actors who give it impeccable timing and daring physical energy. The stage mechanics are expertly choreographed by director Mark Bell, as is Nigel Hook's design which is unquestionably giving the best performance by a set in the West End at the moment.<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5dY8E1z46jk?rel=0&amp;controls=0" width="560"></iframe>"This set is a bloody deathtrap," complains the stage manager at one point, and before the evening is out, it's hardly a spoiler to say that it will have collapsed almost entirely. It starts falling apart before the play even begins, so it's not much of a surprise. But the real surprise is just how well-sustained the joke is. When it first premiered it was seen in a one-act version that ran for not much more than an hour. Now it has been expanded into two acts that runs for double that time, including an interval. The pleasure may not quite have doubled - I was left wanting less, not more - but I was still impressed. <a href="/show/the-play-that-goes-wrong">The Play That Goes Wrong Tickets</a> are now on sale.<hr />"All in all, it's a great-looking, brilliantly performed piece ... My only qualm about The Play That Goes Wrong is that in getting their play so dreadfully wrong night after night, they are also getting it absolutely right." Tim Walker for The Telegraph"one of those breakneck exercises in idiocy that make you laugh till you cry, despite yourself." Ben Brantley, New York Times"It's not sophisticated and it's certainly over-extended; the show's one-act Fringe origins aren't hard to spot. Yet, along with the rest of the enthusiastic audience, I laughed continually. Director Mark Bell also offers some ingenious, not to mention precision-drilled, physical comedy." Fiona Mountford for The Evening StandardExternal links to full reviews from popular press <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/11106181/The-Play-That-Goes-Wrong-Duchess-Theatre-review-delightful.html" target="Top">Telegraph</a> - <a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/01/london-theater-journal-laughing-wall-to-wall/?_r=0" target="Top">New York Times</a>

The Play That Goes Wrong Review

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The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society are putting on a 1920s murder mystery, but as the title suggests, everything that can go wrong... does! The accident-prone thespians battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences!  

The Duchess Theatre opened in London in 1929. The following year, *The Intimate Revue* opened and closed at the Duchess Theatre on the same night!

Fortunately, the theatre’s luck turned around with long running productions such as Noel Coward’s *Blithe Spirit* in 1942, the musical *Oh! Calcutta!* in 1974 and Marc Camoletti’s *Don’t Dress For Dinner* in 1992. Many stars have appeared in shows at the Duchess Theatre including [David Suchet](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/david-suchet) and [Mark Rylance](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/mark-rylance).

## Duchess Theatre Seating Information

The auditorium has two levels – Stalls and Grand Circle.

In the Stalls, seats curve inwards towards the end of each row and the seats are not raked until Row G. The Grand Circle overhangs the Stalls from Row G onwards.

The Circle offers good views throughout, and it is a very intimate theatre so does not feel removed from the action.

## Where is *The Play That Goes Wrong* in London?

*The Play That Goes Wrong* is at the Duchess Theatre in London. The Duchess Theatre is located on Catherine Street. It's close to West End theatres including the Novello Theatre and the Aldwych Theatre.

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Duchess Theatre

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Laugh out loud at the West End's longest-running comedy play that continues to leave audiences laughing eight times a week. *The Play That Goes Wrong* tickets are available on London Theatre now. 

When *The Play That Goes Wrong* play started at the Old Red Lion Theatre, the show opened to 60 theatregoers a night. Now, thousands of audience members enjoy Mischief’s trademark hijinks each week in *The Play That Goes Wrong* West End performances. It’s a beautiful blend of traditional British characters like Monty Python and Sherlock Holmes, all rolled into a farcical comedy for the ages. It’s even premiered in Australia and on Broadway, so something must have gone right, right? 

LAMDA graduates Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields formed Mischief Theatre to honour their British comedy heroes. Now, their plays inspire and shape a future generation of theatregoers. Since Mischief Theatre made its West End mark with *The Play That Goes Wrong*, they’ve lent their slapstick style to unique adaptations of *Peter Pan*, *A Christmas Carol*, and even *Magic* with Penn and Teller. [Discover more about Mischief Theatre shows in the West End.](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/mischief-theatre-shows-in-the-west-end) 

### What is *The Play That Goes Wrong* about? 

Meet the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society — the real stars of *The Play That Goes Wrong.*  They are in the middle of rehearsals for "Murder at Haversham Manor", a 1920s murder mystery. But, as the title suggests, it's not so easy for them. See the accident-prone thespians battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences!

Tickets to *The Play That Goes Wrong* are available now. Book your *The Play That Goes Wrong* tickets on London Theatre today. 


The Play That Goes Wrong - LON - London Theatre

The show must go on– no matter what goes wrong! The original hit from Mischief Theatre went from pub theatre to the West End, and has played to sell-out crowds everywhere along the way. The hilariously inept Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society won’t let anything stop them from putting on a good show in this riotously funny slapstick comedy. Book your tickets to *The Play That Goes Wrong* at the Duchess Theatre today. 

London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art graduates Henry Lewis, Henry Shields, and Jonathan Sayer formed Mischief Theatre as a nod to their shared interest of British comedy films. They wanted to create lovable characters that get up to... mischief! Some of the characters in *The Play That Goes Wrong* appear in their other shows, like Chris Bean, Robert Grove, and Sandra Wilkinson.

Don’t worry about the “mistakes” you may see on stage. They're carefully added into the show to make you worry just enough. *The Play That Goes Wrong* actors rehearse for weeks to ensure the slick changes are rehearsed to perfection. 

## What to Watch For:

- When the show was featured in the 2015 Royal Variety Performance,  the company performed in front of 4,500 audience members including Prince Harry. 8 million people watched at home — now that's a lot of people.
- Antarctica is the only continent that hasn’t welcomed *The Play That Goes Wrong*.
- The 2017-18 cast played for 50 weeks and 1 day, which amounts to 379 performances. During that time, 430 sugar glass vases were blown to bits, 145 fire extinguishers were used and 31 charity collections from the show raised over £68,000.
- If you enjoy the Mischief Theatre antics in *The Play That Goes Wrong*, why not watch *The Goes Wrong Show* on television? The original Mischief troupe brings their trademark comedy to a variety of situations.

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