I have always been a fan of comedy. From hours in front of the television watching The Marx Brothers, Abbott & Costello, and The Three Stooges to the films of the Zucker Brothers and Monty Python and even Warner Bros. cartoons, physical and intellectual comedy is good for what ails you, and with the hit Broadway show “The Play That Goes Wrong” in town, you KNOW I was excited.
Taking place as the audience is now in the auditorium of Cornley University, their Drama Society is presenting “The Murder at Haversham Manor” with first-time director Chris Bean (Evan Alexander Smith). Saying that for the first time they have found a production that has exactly the number of roles for the number of actors in their company, he proudly begins the production, and everything simply sinks further and further into chaos. As everything falls apart around the cast, they try to compensate for the level of failure, but it just gets worse. And that is really all I can say about that.
This is simply one of the greatest shows I have ever had the privilege to be in attendance of. This cast is top-notch and does their roles so well that I wondered more than once if what was going on was in the actual script or if they were improvising on top of what was going on. Make sure to get to the theater early, as the cast does some great interactions with the crowd as they prepare to get things moving. I would also caution that it is important to make sure to hit the restroom both before the lights go down AND during the intermission to avoid any “accidents” that may result from the level of laughter that is consistent and almost overpowering at points. I cannot honestly give you a forty-five second stretch of time during the two-hour run time of this production where I was not running the gambit from slight giggling to full-on roaring in laughter.
Combining the best of every form of comedy, “The Play That Goes Wrong” is a must-see when this production comes anywhere near where you are. Plan a road trip if you have to in order to experience this show, and you won’t be disappointed!