Fawlty Towers - Apollo

John Cleese on The One Show tonight apparently I assume to promote this.

He's doing the promo rounds today. Heard him on Radio X this morning.

And yes, saw that clip of Adam with Cleese. Very impressed with his Basil so far.

Yes. It's the same version of it that was done in Australia a few years ago to limited acclaim.


www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/aug/21/fawlty-towers-live-review-fun-but-pointless-adaptation-screen-to-stage

I worked with CJ in Starlight Express and yes, a treasure of a lady and a load of talent. Very happy to see her segue into a successful directing career.

It's not working. The beauty therapies.

An acquaintance was at the first night to this, reports it being very good. Said all the cast did well, but noted Hemi Yeroham's Manuel and Paul Nicholas's Major stood out in particular.

Great to read that early visits are positive. I’ve got this booked for my birthday next Friday. I’ve got a stalls row C seat (C5) for £25 after my spot a few weeks ago. Seems like it could be a great night at the Apollo.

Saw this tonight, and agree with everything above.

It does nothing new, but is very funny anyway, and the material benefits from the energy of being live on stage, with all the anticipation of whether the actors can actually land the lines.

Some spoilers follow. . .

They do land them, and then some lol!

This is not an original play, just a mashup of three TV scripts.

Not even a mashup really, but done consecutively. I rewatched all 12 episodes when they were on iPlayer a couple of years ago, and from my recollection, this is just "The Hotel Inspector," "Communication Problems" and "The Germans" done in order, with a character from the second script lingering into the third.

Given that this is indeed a "nostalgia play," as Dr Tom accurately observes above, the only question is whether it's as funny as the TV show, and in my opinion, it absolutely is!

The key is the casting, and that is spot on.

Here are the actors who I found the funniest in reverse order:-

(6) As the PC Guest, who watches BBC2 documentaries about Native Americans, only eats fresh peas and has a germ phobia about touching phones, Steven Meo has a coiled Northern Reece Shearsmith style provocative finickiness about him that teased my funny bones;

(5) As the Bolshy Guest who won't wear her hearing aid, Rachel Izen is just the right amount of absolutely ferocious lol;

(4) As the legendary Sybil Fawlty, Anna-Jane Casey's superb combination of insular Sid James cackling and commanding scorn for Basil does total justice to the magnificent memory of Prunella Scales' portrayal. The only problem is that there's just not enough of her in this play;

(3) As Manuel, Hemi Yeroham flips from sparky to doltish to uncontrollable fool enough to generate at least two belly laughs;

(2) As the Major, Paul Nicholas can do no wrong. He never overeggs the pudding, which means his Major's bluntness and blankness open the door to some simply marvellous comic blurting. When armed with a weapon, he's an unpredictable laugh riot;

(1) But its Adam Jackson-Smith's Basil that makes the show for me. If he can't wind himself up like an explosive comic clockwork toy again and again and again, this show will fail so badly, but he matches Cleese's own original performance (I admire Cleese for allowing someone this good to be cast in the role lol) in dripping scorn for everyone around him, and in sheer stuffed-up mounting fury, and his comic explosions are a joy to behold.

"The Germans" is the best comic script because it has the most things going on at once, and the most comic dimensions (Basil is not himself, and the action and interactions that swirl around him are nonstop), which is why it comes after the interval, as a topper. During this finale the show is no holds barred funny.

4 stars from me for great nostalgic comedy perfectly realised in a live format. I'd go higher if this amazing cast did new material.

PS: The show was sold out tonight, and ended at 9:30pm on the dot.

A lot of laughter is the fulfilment of comic tension.

Once you've seen the TV show, you know forever exactly how it fulfils the built tension, frozen in aspic.

With real people on the stage, there is the potential for variety, and even failure, so, beyond nostalgia, the joy is in whether and to what degrees the actors will fulfil your own expectations, whether they'll come crashing down or hit the comic bar so hard, you are confounded, and the whole audience just loses it in joyous mirth together.

It's a shame that Hotel Inspectors was chosen over A Touch of Class because I think the final scene with Basil shouting 'BASTARD' at Lord Melbury would be hilarious on stage.

What’s the run time for this ? Is it straight through or with an interval?

There were other ones which could have been done such as Gourmet Night but how the car being attacked would work on stage might have been an issue and Basil the Rat would have been another one I would have liked to have seen done.