The national tour of THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG, the hilarious Tony Award-winning hit Broadway comedy, will have audiences rolling in the aisles with laughter at the Ahmanson Theatre through August 11, 2019. Co-written by Mischief Theatre company members Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields, this riotous comedy introduces audiences to ‘The Cornley University Drama Society’ who are attempting to put on a 1920s murder mystery. But as the title suggests, everything that can go wrong does in spectacular fashion! As the accident-prone thespians battle on against all odds to get to their final curtain call, each ensuring, non-stop mishap seems even funnier than the last with non-stop, attention-grabbing pandemonium becoming the main focus of the plotline.
The national tour features Scott Cote (as Dennis the Butler), Peyton Crim (as Robert, the booming bass-voiced brother), Brandon J. Ellis (as Trevor, the Duran Duran-loving, thoroughly distracted booth operator), Angela Grovey (Annie, the stagehand who steps in when Sandra gets knocked out by scenery), Ned Noyes (as Max, Sandra’s scene-stealing fiancée who later returns as the gardener with stuck-on sideburns), Jamie Ann Romero (Sandra, the over-acting amateur who fancies herself the star of the show), Evan Alexander Smith (as Chris, the Inspector), and Yaegel T. Welch as the dead brother Jonathan whose murder is being investigated. The cast also features Blair Baker, Jacqueline Jarrold, Sid Solomon, and Michael Thatcher as the backstage crew who attempt to keep the show running despite all the turmoil caused by the continually falling apart Tony Award-winning Set Design by Nigel Hook.
But Matt DiCarlo’s implicitly choreographed, original Broadway direction by Mark Bell, performed to perfection by the talented cast, allows us to believe they are always startled when things go wrong unexpectedly, be it a misplaced hand prop, missed lighting or sound cue, a door that won’t open, scenery items which fall to the floor, or a second-floor balcony platform which slowly keeps slipping vertically with cast members upon it. Lighting design by Ric Mountjoy, sound design by Andy Johnson and costume design by Roberto Surace add to the overall, believable mayhem and constant belly laughs.
This remarkable rags-to-riches story for a play, which started its life at a London fringe venue with only four paying members of the public at the first performance, has gone on to play to an audience of over two million people around the world. Awarded the 2015 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG is now in its fourth year in the West End and is currently on a 30-week UK tour playing on six continents. The producers have avoided Antarctica for fear of a frosty reception. Yes, be prepared for puns just like that during the show, with many improvised by the cast when audience members react loudly to their onstage shenanigans.
For those not able to get to the UK or New York City where THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG continues its Off-Broadway run, Center Theatre Group encourages you to order your tickets for what promises to be a sold-out run of the national tour at the Ahmanson Theatre, located at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, 90012. Tickets ranging from $30 – $135 are available by calling (213) 972-4400, online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org, or by visiting the Center Theatre Group Box Office located at the Ahmanson Theatre. For more information follow the play on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @BwayGoesWrong or visit www.BroadwayGoesWrong.com
Please note: When making your plans to attend, be sure to arrive well before curtain time to be seated early as the already falling apart set is being repaired by the backstage team as the audience enters, which will give you a bit of foreshadowing on some of the mishaps which will take place during actual play. The production runs with one 20-minute intermission, but restroom visits are encouraged before as well to avoid any laughter-generated seat wetting!