FAULTY TOWERS THE DINING EXPERIENCE

President Hotel

★★★

“not without its faults, but ‘Faulty Towers’ is good, solid fun”

The atmosphere is somewhat subdued, with the feel of an airport lounge area. There is a long line to the bar at which the service is inefficient enough to ensure the queue is growing rather than shrinking. Consequently, there’s a bit of a delay. This is of no concern, however, to Basil Fawlty, who bursts into the room to herd us into the dining room next door, all the while insulting us, alternating his deliciously barbed insults between the guests and his long-suffering waiter, Manuel. Sybil is on hand to a) placate us and b) to antagonise Basil further still. “Come on, I’m trying to run a hotel here” squeals Basil. “Have you any idea of how much there is to do? Do you ever think of that? Of course not…” As we take our seats, we are all secretly hoping, at some point, to be the target of Basil’s abuse. The odds are low, however; there are simply too many diners in the rather spacious, refectory styled function room. The décor is bland, offering no clue whatsoever that we could be down in Torquay nor any concession to the decade that ‘Fawlty Towers’ was originally set.

The sheer numbers, though, are testament to the success of the show (if one can call it a show) that has been dished up in London for over a dozen years now. Even if they don’t recreate the ambience, the chaotic spirit is captured. It is an unofficial tribute to the television series – hence the use of ‘Faulty’ rather than ‘Fawlty’ – which mixes improvised audience interaction with scripted snippets from some of the most recognised and iconic episodes. The sketches are rather random, with no through line to link them. Those unfamiliar with John Cleese and Connie Booth’s original might be a touch perplexed; but I doubt that it’s ever an issue. On that note, Polly (Booth’s character in the sitcom) is conspicuously absent. The evening is managed by the trio alone. Although they have little competence in running a restaurant, they are masters of character acting. Lawrence Watling adopts Basil’s mannerisms and maladroitness with easy skill. Not as gangly as Cleese, he still has the physical elasticity required (even pulling off the now suspect Germanic goose-step episode) and the vocal tics. Nerine Skinner has Sybil’s conversational tone down to a tee, while Leigh Kelly’s Manuel ricochets between the tables in a constant state of confusion. It is only when he (infrequently) gets up close to you that you can see the precision of his impersonation.

Then again, the evening isn’t about subtlety. It’s basically about having a good time – which is what everyone is having. And it certainly isn’t about the food either. Admittedly Basil’s hotel wasn’t renowned for it, but the fare on offer is far removed from any definition of ‘haute cuisine’. And not a whiff of ‘Waldorf Salad’. A missed trick, perhaps? Sometimes it seems that the evening isn’t really about the show. Spotting the characters is occasionally like looking for a particular elusive guest across a crowded room. And before dessert is unceremoniously plonked down on our tables, our hosts have taken their bows and left. We are left a little in the lurch. But looking around at my companions, the room is filled with satisfied smiles. It is a healthy cross section of humanity, but you can spot the die-hard ‘Fawlty’ fans. Yet there is a diversity that pays homage to the far-reaching appeal of ‘Fawlty Towers’ with its iconic, iconoclastic British humour.

It is not without its faults, but ‘Faulty Towers’ is good, solid fun. As Sybil explains when the ‘fresh’ soup on the menu looks as though it’s running out; “chef can always open another tin”. This dining experience does exactly what it says on the tin. The contents are spread a little too thin, however. On a smaller scale we’d definitely get more of the flavour. A touch too much soda and not enough Scotch. But with Basil Fawlty in charge, there’s absolutely no point complaining. Just enjoy it… and with that attitude you will.