The Play That Goes Wrong
There is nothing like an evening of good old fashioned slapstick to make you laugh from your belly. The Play That Goes Wrong is a masterclass in how to be creative and funny without being condescending or rude in topic, and to anyone that sees the show it is clear why it is so successful.
This show within a show follows a small amateur theatre group production of a murder mystery story, and as they are subjected to many set malfunctions they are unfortunately not equipped to improvise around them and thus, the play goes very wrong. The characters may not be the most intelligent of performers but the number of different ways they respond is beyond clever and makes for an extremely lively show.
What I liked
The cast were all incredible, I've seen the show once before (when it travelled to Sydney) and so I understand there is some intended consistency for the characters but it really felt like each actor made it their own. Whether it was their physicality or vocal choices, each performer was engaging in their own way and as an ensemble they were very tight.
What I will always be amazed by is the set in the show. It's one thing to make a set works to immerse the audience in the story, something that is appropriate its time and tone of the narrative, but it is another thing to make said set and then allow it to break in such a purposeful way that it can just as quickly and safely be put back together. It takes an incredible designer and building team to create a variety of hidden fool-proof mechanisms. This amazes me.
What wasn't my favourite
There has always been a place in slapstick comedy for the jokes about torn clothing, however I do think "woman in her underwear now" is a bit of a tired bit. I wouldn't have minded it as a single punchline but keeping the character in a revealed state (even when its "ugly" patterned underwear that doesn't reveal very much) makes me uncomfortable and I feel like there are smarter ways to make comedy than physical comedy that relies on an accumulative effect because its done by a woman in her underwear.
Overall
I was laughing constantly throughout the show, as was everyone around me. It is exactly what it claims to be (aside from the lack of Tom Cruise) and it is a perfect show to see with friends and family.
