Nostalgia can lead to doubt. The fear that the memory is more positive than the actual event.
So, there was some scepticism that a play about what was a truly brilliant sitcom in its day would live up to today’s hype.
The audience at the opening night of John Cleese’s Fawlty Towers at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow were the right age group to remember the original, so there were high expectations.
Brilliantly the play proved to be just as daft and witty as the first time stars, John Cleese and Prunella Scales were, and a night of merriment was enjoyed by all.
Cleese himself has adapted three of the show’s iconic episodes, The Hotel Inspectors, The Germans and Communication Problems and they knit together well and produce some real laugh out loud moments.
Liz Ascroft’s fabulous stage recreation of the two tier seaside hotel, complete with wonky sign, provides the perfect setting and her attention to detail with 1970’s costumes and hair dos brings the old storylines flooding back.
Danny Bayne has Basil Fawlty to a tee, using great physical and comedic powers to unwind his frustrations slowly but surely into the inevitable maniac and ferocious Basil we all know and love.
His sidekick and wife Sybil was filled beautifully by Mia Austen, a real tribute to the original Scales and Joanne Clifton proved to be excellently cast as Polly.
Old favourite, Manuel the waiter was played with great fun and affection by Hemi Yeroham and Neil Stewart was the perfect, bumbling and good natured Major.
Directed by Caroline Jay Ranger, the play seamlessly knitted together Basil’s fear of the dreaded hotel inspectors, to Germans who will talk of the war, whether they like it or not and communication mix ups with guests.
Supporting the main cast were Greg Haiste (Mr Hutchinson/Wilhelm), Adam Elliott (Mr Walt), Emily Winter (Miss Tibbs), Dawn Buckland (Miss Gatsby), John Hasler (Mr Thurston/Gunter), Jemma Churchill (Mrs Richards), Raymond Rose (Mr Firkins, Mr Sharp and Mr Kerr), Josie Brightwell (Liz/Johanna), Ashleigh Harvey (Debbie), Ben Jacobson (Ken) and Matthew Gordon (Mr Dale).
It’s a lovely, gentle show, full of fun and mischief which is guaranteed to cure those winter blues.
John Cleese’s Fawlty Towers – The Play runs at the King’s Theatre, Glasgow until Saturday, 17th January, with matinees and evening performances on Thursday and Saturday. It then moves to Aberdeen’s Music Hall from 20th to 24th January and the Edinburgh Playhouse from 27th to 31st January before embarking on a tour around the rest of the UK, running until August, with the final performance in Dublin from 28th July until 1st August.
For more information, dates and ticket availability, please visit: www.fawltytowerstour.co.uk and www.atgtickets.com.
Author Bio:
Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2.
Photographs by Hugo Glendenning
Be the first to comment