She Says: The Play That Goes Wrong Is Mirth For The Soul

If you loved Noises Off or One Man, Two Guvnors then the Olivier winning production of The Play That Goes Wrong is right up you alley. This madcap farce was written by  Henry Lewis, Johnathan Sayer and Henry Shields, who also perform with the Mischief Theatre. Expect prat falls galore, site gags and a set that is just timed for disaster by Nigel Hook who will most defiantly be nominated for a Tony Award, along with sound designer Andrew Johnson.

The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society,’s shows have all been flops with seriously mishaps states director, Mr. Chris Bean, (Mr. Shields). Their new production of the 1920’s style murder mystery play, Murder at Haversham Manor, is their newest endeavor and what we are about to see. Here what can will go wrong, goes spectacularly wrong. Charles Haversham (Greg Tannahill) is found dead, but its hard to stay dead when people step on your hand. His butler Perkins, (Mr. Sayer) mispronounces the big words and replaces the whiskey with paint thinner. His fiancé is Florence Colleymoore(Charlie Russell) has been cheating on him with his brother Cecil Haversham (Dave Hearn), who can’t stop grinning. Florence gets knocked out so the stage manager (Nancy Zamit) has to take her place. Florences brother, Thomas Colleymoore (Mr.Lewis) and the Inspector (again Mr. Shields) make up the rest of this wickedly bad acting troupe.

This whacked out company of actors will have you laughing for almost two hours and thought each is superb, another Tony nod and possibly a Theatre World award will go to Max Bennett who steals the show just by being so amazingly super hyped to be here.

Expect calamity galore as director Mark Bell (again expect another Tony nod) has everything down to perfect timing.

Lighting designer, Ric Mountjoy and costumer designer, Roberto Surace, also help keep this hysterical comedy in tip top shape.

This play may have gone wrong, but when it does, it comes out deliriously right.

The Play That Goes Wrong: Lyceum Theatre, 149 West 45th St.