Long-running West End comedy by Mischief Theatre about a drama society's 1920s murder mystery rehearsal, at the Duchess Theatre.
The Play That Goes Wrong is running at the Duchess Theatre in the West End, and it's still there if you fancy a trip this weekend. It's been at the Duchess since 14 September 2014, and the booking period runs right through to 30 January 2028, so there's plenty of time to fit it in.
The premise is a comedy of errors in the most literal sense. The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society are putting on a 1920s murder mystery by the fictional playwright Susie H.K. Brideswell, and everything that can go wrong does. Props fall, floors collapse, actors forget their lines, and one gets stuck in a grandfather clock. It's the kind of show where the disaster is the whole point, and it's been described as Fawlty Towers meets Noises Off.
It started small, opening at the Old Red Lion Theatre in 2012 to about 60 people a night, before moving to Trafalgar Studios in 2013 and finally settling into the Duchess in September 2014. It was created by LAMDA graduates Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, who formed Mischief Theatre to honour their British comedy heroes. Directed by Mark Bell, it's gone on to win the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy and a Tony for Best Scenic Design, toured the UK five times, and played in more than 30 countries, entertaining over 3.5 million people worldwide. It's billed as the West End's longest-running comedy.
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Tickets run from £20 to £82.50. The show lasts two hours, including one interval, and there are no performances on Mondays. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays it's at 7:30pm; Thursdays have a 2:30pm matinee and a 7:30pm evening show; Fridays and Saturdays are 7:30pm, with a 2:30pm matinee on Saturdays; and Sundays are at 3:00pm. The Duchess is at 3-5 Catherine Street, WC2B 5LA.
