REVIEW: Faulty Towers - The Play

© Hugo Glendinning

Basil Faulty and the staff of Faulty Towers are back in business and make a successful transition from television to stage.

Faulty Towers - The Play is now playing at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.

Despite the passing of half a century the landmark television show that embedded itself into the nation’s cultural zeitgeist is back in the limelight in a stage version that evokes warm memories.

The television series only ran for two seasons, with half a dozen episodes per season, yet each episode was written with such economic precision and comic perfection that Faulty Towers remains as fresh and as timeless as the day it was written by John Cleese and Connie Booth.

The beautifully nuanced stage play, which had a successful West End run last year, is adapted by Cleese who starred as Basil Faulty in the original television sitcom. Cleese takes three key episodes - The Hotel Inspector, The Germans, and Communication Problems - and transforms them into a seamless two-hour comedy spectacular that warms the heart on this wet and wintry night.

Fans of the legendary sitcom will savour this trip down memory lane, and for those unfamiliar with the original television series they’re in for a super special treat.

The art design and lighting does a wonderful job in bringing to life the atmosphere and feel of the 1970’s era in which the show is set. Liz Ashcroft’s costumes and sets are so detailed that the mind is immediately transported to the world of Faulty Towers.

The wallpaper design, the carpets, furniture - even the hotel sign - are so lovingly recreated that you feel as if you’ve been transported in a time machine to the set of the television show.

The magic doesn’t just end with the astounding production design but also extends to the rest of the stage show. The cast in this production are so good that as soon as they appear on stage each individual character is instantly recognisable.

Danny Bayne captures Basil’s idiosyncratic personality to such a degree that you start to think it’s Cleese up there on the stage. Bayne’s portrayal is uncanny, and he matches the brilliant warmth and wit brought by Mia Austen as Sybil. Austen brings a calculated calm to the stormy and erratic soul of her husband Basil. Austen’s voice has the cadence and authority that the much-missed Prunella Scales used to convey in the television show which had the magical power of keeping Basil grounded when he seemed to veer off the rails. And let’s not forget other memorable Faulty Towers characters such as Manuel and Polly. Hemi Yeroham brings Manuel to life in a way that had the audience rollicking and rolling along with his innocent antics, and Joanne Clifton is cool and levelheaded as Polly. Clifton has a lilting and sparkling vivacity which further enriches the role of Polly.

This spellbinding show is directed with a sure and deft hand by Caroline Jay Ranger. She ensures the comic timing, the physicality of the performances, the exciting pacing of the material, and the sparkling dialogue all come together like a glorious and joyous symphony.

Faulty Towers - The Play is a truly unforgettable, witty and rip-roaring stage show.

Verdict: ★★★★★

Faulty Towers - The Play is running at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre until Saturday 21^st February