The Play That Goes Wrong

Can the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society make it to curtain up? Revel in the hit Mischief Theatre play and book The Play That Goes Wrong tickets on TodayTix.

The Play That Goes Wrong has a long way from its early performances at the Red Lion Theatre. It’s now the longest-running West End comedy, and put British comedy troupe Mischief Theatre on the map. They’re the brains behind farcical plays like The Comedy About a Bank Robbery and Peter Pan Goes Wrong. Their original play continues to leave audiences in fits of laughter.

London Theatre couldn’t stop giggling throughout the show, saying “It's divinely daft, gloriously preposterous and utterly silly.” When The Play That Goes Wrong premiered, the show was hailed as “a substantial little hit.” Now look at it fly!

What the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society may lack in apparent skill and finesse, they more than make up for it in enthusiasm. Their past performances of iconic theatre shows include The Lion and The Wardrobe, James and the Peach and the beloved musical, Cat. Their latest production is a murder mystery, Murder at Haversham Manor.

It's set to be the society's shining moment; The Mousetrap, eat your heart out. If only they could make it through a show without the set burning down that is. The hapless cast struggle to remember where they're meant to be, props are misplaced or broken and lines are frequently forgotten. Basically, everything that could go wrong, does. But can the play that goes wrong… go right?

London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art graduates Henry Lewis, Henry Shields, and Jonathan Sayer formed Mischief Theatre as a nod to their shared interest of British comedy films. They wanted to create lovable characters that get up to... mischief! Some of the characters in The Play That Goes Wrong appear in their other shows, like Chris Bean, Robert Grove, and Sandra Wilkinson.

Don’t worry about the “mistakes” you may see on stage. They're carefully added into the show to make you worry just enough. The Play That Goes Wrong actors rehearse for weeks to ensure the slick changes are rehearsed to perfection.

What to Watch For:

• When the show was featured in the 2015 Royal Variety Performance, the company performed in front of 4,500 audience members including Prince Harry. 8 million people watched at home — now that's a lot of people.
• Antarctica is the only continent that hasn’t welcomed The Play That Goes Wrong.
• The 2017-18 cast played for 50 weeks and 1 day, which amounts to 379 performances. During that time, 430 sugar glass vases were blown to bits, 145 fire extinguishers were used and 31 charity collections from the show raised over £68,000.
• If you enjoy the Mischief Theatre antics in The Play That Goes Wrong, why not watch The Goes Wrong Show on television? The original Mischief troupe brings their trademark comedy to a variety of situations.