Pure nostalgia as Fawlty Towers opens its doors at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre - review
When Torquay hotel Fawlty Towers opened its doors on the BBC for the first time in 1975, it was hailed as a new and exciting form of comedy and soon proved to be a highly successful hit, writes Alison Norton.
Just over 50 years on and Basil, Sybil and a cast of crazy characters are treading the boards at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre until February 21, offering wonderfully nostalgic and what today would be considered to be slightly inappropriate laugh out loud moments galore.
From the quality of the script, it is obvious that the play has been written by John Cleese and Connie Booth and really is the very best example of a stage adaptation.
Comprising of the best moments from three of the twelve episodes written, (yes only twelve, I thought there were much more too!) plus some extra hilarious antics thrown in for good measure, this is two hours of pure mirth.
The scenery is an absolute replica of the TV set, so much so that you feel as if you have been transported inside the hotel itself. Even the hotel sign changes from Fawlty Towers to Watery Fowls which eagle eyed viewers waited to spot at the beginning of every episode.
The lighting effects are sharp and precise, the costumes completely authentic of the era and again, perfect replicas of the originals. This is exactly what audience members want. There is no need to modernise this play; it is a classic comedy and should remain as it was first presented.
Caroline Jay Ranger’s direction is sublime. Slick and pacy and clear and concise amid the scenes where mayhem ensues, which enables the audience to follow the plot without any problem at all. It is one of the best examples of comedy direction on stage I have seen.
