‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ @ Stage West
Photos by Evan Michael Woods
—Carol M. Rice
If you’ve ever been involved—onstage or off—with a play of any kind, you probably know to expect that something will go wrong. It’s just the way theatre works. Usually it’s a minor thing—a costume malfunction, a missed entrance, a broken prop—and it’s generally something that’s easily covered up; the audience may not even notice anything happened.
Such is NOT the case in The Play That Goes Wrong, back for a welcome encore at Stage West. Authors Henry Shields, Henry Lewis, and Jonathan Sayer have managed to co-opt and capitalize on past theatres’ misfortunes, and the audience “noticing” is the fun of it all: the play’s accumulating, piled-up disasters result in the most ridiculous, hilarious mess.
Even before the audience is completely seated, we’re given hints that all is not well. Various crew members wearing headsets are frantically searching for a missing dog, an audience member is asked to help hold the fireplace mantel in place while the stage manager tries to fix it (she fails), and this is only the beginning.
We are introduced to Chris, the director of “The Murder of Haversham Manor” (the play within the play), who welcomes us to his directorial debut at the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society. Chris also portrays Inspector Carter. While the two roles are usually played by Parker Gray, the opening night audience was treated to understudy Sean M. Lewis’ exceptional double performance. Lewis has a rubber face and body that—combined with spot-on comic timing—made him a standout in this cast of amazingly talented actors. I overheard audience members afterwards commenting that they would never have known he was an understudy.
Blake Henri takes the role of local actor Robert, who is Thomas Colleymoore in the “Haversham Manor” play. This character is bigger than life, and Henri imbues him with just the right amount of serious bluster. His reactions to things falling apart around him are impeccable. Rowan Gilvie plays Sandra/Florence Colleymoore beautifully, and by this I mean that Sandra is a terrible actress, and Florence is a scheming, two-timing diva (but in a good way). In addition to perfectly intertwining these dual personalities, Gilvie provides some of the show’s best physical comedy.
Zak Reynolds plays Max, who is increasingly encouraged by audience reactions to play up both of his Haversham Manor characters, Cecil Haversham and Arthur the Gardener. He starts off small, enjoying getting a few laughs. But by the end, Reynolds’s Max is clearly convinced he’s the star of the show. I thoroughly enjoyed watching his reactions get bigger and bigger. Look for what he manages to do with the “dog.”
Jakie Cabe portrays Dennis/Perkins, and both his mispronunciations and comic timing are a lot of fun. Caden Large plays Jonathan/Charles Haversham; some of his funniest moments occur when he’s “dead”—and yes, this is a compliment.
Trevor the Light and Sound Operator is played by Aaron M. Johnson with varying degrees of laid-back cool and hair-on-fire urgency. (Trevor often has only seconds to fix something.) Since this is a farce, he naturally ends up onstage—and Johnson is completely believable as a terrified techie looking out at an audience.
Hannah Bell as Annie the Stage Manager is equally uncomfortable...at least at first. When Annie has to take over as Florence Colleymore (actress Sandra accidentally is knocked unconscious) she is initially reluctant. But after a bit, she discovers she likes being in the limelight, and Bell obviously enjoys throwing herself into the role. She and Gilvie have a great deal of stage combat in the show, and Mitch Stephens’s fight choreography is superb throughout.
I can’t write about The Play That Goes Wrong without mentioning the incredible set. I’ve seen this show three times before, including the original production/cast in London—and the set is always a work of art and a technical miracle. This is the first time I’ve seen a locally mounted production, and Bryan Stevenson’s set is both artful and miraculous. From the curtains falling on cue to the scarily dangerous platform that collapses (one jolt at a time) with people on it, to that silly missing mantel, Stevenson (aided by Lynn Lovett’s props and set décor) has created a masterpiece ready to be destroyed at every performance. Perfection.
Emiliee Biles’s sound design contributes mightily to the disasters onstage, and Landry Strickland’s lights bounce brightly off the old-school look of the play. Aaron Patrick DeClerk’s costumes pay homage to the original Mischief Theatre production, yet are original and fun for this version.
Stage West’s The Play That Goes Wrong is hilarious, wait-for-it fun and none of it would be happening without director Harry Parker’s vision. He’s assembled a top-notch cast and production team who are obviously giving their all to a very difficult show, and their hard work makes for a fabulous evening of theatre. This is an exceptional show, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see a master class in farce—or who enjoys laughing their pants off.
Stage West first produced The Play That Goes Wrong in 2023 in cooperation with WaterTower Theatre, and the two companies are again partnering on this back-by-demand revival. The show runs in Fort Worth November 29-December 22, and in Addison December 31-January 12. If you’re planning to see it at Stage West, don’t miss the chance to reserve seats for dinner in the Lobby Café before the show. Either way, this one’s a winner!
WHEN: Nov. 29-Dec. 22 at Stage West; Dec. 31-Jan. 12 at WaterTower Theatre
WHERE: 821 W. Vickery, Fort Worth; 15650 Addison Road, Addison TX
WEB: stagewest.org watertowertheatre.org
