Re-review: The Play That Goes Wrong

The original Play That Goes Wrong made it into my Top Ten shows of last year. A big word-of mouth hit, it extended its run a couple of timss before playing Edinburgh, then a new vresion toured the country earlier this year. This longer, touring version is the one that's now returned to Lodnod, getting a boner fide West End transfer to the Duchess. How it will fare will, I think, come down to wrod-of-mouth again: I'll be sorry to see it fail as it's still excellent, but the lack of star power could hamper it. But it can't have the biggest overheads compared to many big shows, so if it sticks around long enough to get on the tourists' radar, it could be come afixture. And it really should, because while in now way sophisticated, it's full of the kind of humour that's univresal. As well as a new second act, the show now comes with a new set (deigned by Nigel Hook) with numerous new dongers dongers on its two levels.

Theatre review: Peter Pan Goes Wrong

Earlier this year I loved The Play That Goes Wrong, but wasn't sure about the title, thinking it seemed a bit blunt and didn't reflect how inventive the farce contained within was. But that title may have turned out to be a stroke of genius that's allowed Mischief Theatre to spin it off into a franchise: Theatregoers in Reading have been seeing what happens when The Nativity Play Goes Wrong, and here in London the company have moved to the Pleasance Islington's main stage, where Peter Pan Goes Wrong. Once again we're guests of the fictional Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, who are hoping that their production of Peter Pan by "Jaime Barry" will be more successful than their previous efforts. Or at least result in fewer fatalities. But there's little hope of that with Chris (Henry Shields) still in charge, as well as Playing Mr Darling and Hook. And just in case enough didn't go wrong last time, this time they've got a revolve.

Theatre review: The Play That Goes Wrong

I'd been put off by the uninspired title from seeing The Play That Goes Wrong's initial run at the Old Red Lion, but some very enthusiastic recommendations saw me give it a go as it gets a West End stint at Trafalgar 2. Henry Shields, Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer's farce sees the chaotic Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society take on cosy murder mystery "The Murder at Haversham Manor" and be defeated by it at every turn. This framing device gets the briefest of introductions from a surly techie (Rob Falconer) whose preoccupation with finding his Duran Duran CDs will later distract him from his work; before we launch straight into the disastrous first night, and the discovery of a dead body (Joshua Elliott) that doesn't look all that dead. Especially when the other actors keep treading on him.