Fawlty Towers – The Play until Saturday 22 November at Royal Derngate, Northampton.

Could it really be fifty years since the first ever TV episode of Fawlty Towers was first broadcast on BBC Two on 19 September 1975? I still struggle to believe that there were just twelve half hour episodes of this iconic TV show, which went on to win many awards and plaudits including two BAFTAS for Best Situation Comedy.

Mia Austen as Sybil Fawlty

For many theatre goers of a certain vintage, and I include myself in that category, how do you bring to the stage such huge characters, as Basil Fawlty and Manuel, which have become so deeply etched in our memories? Fortunately, Cleese took the decision to work with the original script, rather than rewrite it, with an eye on modern sensibilities and expectations. Comedy legend John Cleese, who originally co-wrote what has been described as the “greatest British sitcom of all time”, with Connie Booth, has chosen three of his favourite TV episodes, which delivers some of his most memorable characters and merged them into a play, almost two hours long, with an short interval.

Joanne Clifton as Polly Sherman and Paul Nicholas as The Major

‘The Hotel Inspector’, where Basil suspects several of his guests as being secret Hotel inspectors, ‘The Germans’, who could forget, don’t mention the war! and ‘I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it’ and ‘Communication Problems’, cue Mrs Richards hearing aid and betting slips and a gambling win to be hidden from Basil`s ever attentive and bossy wife, Sybil, played beautifully in the original TV series by the late Prunella Scales. Basil and Sybil manage their hotel with help from the unflappable Polly, and Manuel, the trainee waiter from Barcelona, who is the constant butt of Fawlty’s frustration. John Cleese had based his character of Basil Fawlty on a real-life hotel owner, Donald Sinclair, He had stayed at Sinclair’s Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay and became fascinated with his incredibly rude behaviour.

Danny Bayne as Basil Fawlty

The split-level set, the work of theatre & set designer Liz Ascroft, worked beautifully, the office, reception, lobby and dining room could all be seen from my ground floor stall seat, as was the ‘sea view’ room of Mrs Richards, the sea is, over there, between the land and the sky!

Mia Austen as Sybil Fawlty and Danny Bayne as Basil Fawlty

Five-star performances from Danny Bayne as Basil Fawlty, Mia Austen as Sybil, Hemi Yeroham as Manuel and Joanne Clifton as Polly, best known for her time on Strictly Come Dancing. It would be very easy to slip into an impersonation of the iconic character, that we are all so familiar with, but all of these actors, added a unique and fresh perspective to their characters, with subtle facial gestures, vocal subtleties and movement. Whilst the slapstick farce sequences will be absorbed eagerly by the sitcom’s legion of fans, many of the sold-out audience were over sixty, this play will undoubtedly secure a lot more followers of the genre and drive some younger folk to check out the original twelve episodes on iPlayer.

Paul Nicholas as The Major

If you are looking for a goodnight out with plenty of laughs, and we could all do with a few of those, I would fully recommend you grab some tickets and book yourself in for a splendid evening of manic farce and complete mayhem at the Fawlty Towers Hotel.

Danny Bayne as Basil Fawlty and Hemi Yeroham as Manuel

Several other characters from the original TV series also make brief appearances: Mr Hutchinson / Wilhelm played by Greg Haiste; Miss Tibbs played by Emily Winter; Miss Gatsby played by Dawn Buckland; Mr Thurston / Günter played by John Hasler; Mr Walt played by Adam Elliott; Taxi Driver/ Mr Firkins / Mr Kerr / Mr Sharp played by Neil Stewart; and Johanna and Liz (Hotel Guest) played by Josie Brightwell. Completing the company of players are Ashleigh Harvey playing Debbie (Hotel Guest), Ben Jacobson playing Ken (Hotel Guest), Matthew Gordon playing Mr Dale (Hotel Guest) and Raymond Rose playing Philip (Hotel Guest).

Following a hugely successful and critically acclaimed West End run, Fawlty Tower – The Play can be enjoyed on the Derngate stage all this week until Saturday 22 November, as part of a UK tour.

More information and booking details can be found on the theatre’s website at http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk/fawlty-towers.

Photography Credit: Hugo Glendinning

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