★★★★★

“Adam Jackson-Smith steps into Basil, embodying the neurotic hotelier with pin-point accuracy”

The stage is set with the familiar interior of the eponymous Fawlty Towers with the reception, restaurant and a small guest room raised upstage above the lobby (Liz Ascroft). Evoking the sense of being a television set, big Fresnel lights dotted around the set burnish the scene. We meet Sybil Fawlty (Anna-Jane Casey) cackling through the phone and spouting orders. Basil Fawlty (Adam Jackson-Smith) enters to expectant applause as he demonstrates the couple’s entirely dysfunctional marriage dynamic, his clear dislike for every aspect of his life burning through.

The irritatingly reasonable Mr Hutchinson (Steven Meo) rattles off his requests to the annoyed Basil who summons the loveable and earnestly confused Manuel (Hemi Yeroham). Endlessly saving Basil in his lies, Polly Sherman (Victoria Fox) tries to troubleshoot the various conundrums presented to her by the eccentric guests and highly-stung management. Throughout, poor Major (Paul Nicholas) struggles to “remember the remembrance service” as he is unscrupulously ripped off and sidelined. Fawlty Towers is in full swing, complete with mania and comeuppance.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Fawlty Towers – The Play, is a faithful recreation of the award winning television show, taking its best bits and executing some of the finest routines in comedy. It is an adaptation of three episodes – so expect to see hotel inspectors, head injuries, moose heads and fire drills. Watching it as an audience member and hearing the laughter erupt around the Apollo Theatre instead of a studio audience recording in the living room is an experience in itself. Basil announcing in Act One that the ‘Germans will be arriving later’ incited a knowing laugh and teased Act Two’s pay-off without being overly referential.

Anyone not a fan of farce and slapstick would likely struggle to enjoy this play, as could be said of the television show, but Fawlty Towers lives and breathes perfection of this genre. Despite being written in the 70s the language of comedy is timeless and Basil’s totally unhinged behaviour coupled with endearing, infuriating and bemused guests and colleagues makes for a brilliantly tight comedy of errors. Fawlty Towers is also refreshing in its flawed and funny female characters and ridicule of Basil’s self-induced unhappiness and poor attitude. There were no jokes that caused any hindsight-induced cringe; the play is well adapted for modern audiences.

The cast have the pressure and responsibility of upholding the standards set by John Cleese, Connie Booth, Prunella Scales, and Andrew Sachs. They rise to the challenge with vitality and exactness, demonstrating the pinnacle of farce to hilarious effect in this slick high-energy performance. Adam Jackson-Smith steps into Basil, embodying the neurotic hotelier with pin-point accuracy to Cleese’s performance. We knew we were in safe hands from the very first angrily spat out “Right!” and Sybil’s vibrato giggle. Directed by Caroline Jay Ranger, the play is a beautiful homage to the television version, with actors hugging the source material closely, leaving little room for any new or unique interpretation. But when the material is the gold-standard of slapstick, why would you change it? Fawlty Towers feels at home on stage, arguably, where it always meant to be.

LAUGHING BOY at Jermyn Street Theatre

★★★

“Whilst moving, the piece lacks dramatic elements and at times feels more like a lecture more than a theatrical work”

Laughing Boy is a piece of Political Protest Theatre, which is theatre that arises from injustice and makes it clear it is protesting against it. It tells the true story of Connor or ‘LB’, a learning disabled young man with epilepsy who died as a result of negligence and systemic faults in his care in 2013. His family campaigned and gave testimony as part of a lengthy legal battle. Written and Directed by Stephen Urwin, Laughing Boy is an adaptation of Sara Ryan’s book ‘Justice for Laughing Boy’. The play uses video projection (Matt Powell) to display real reports and quotes from the legal case along with family footage .

Connor’s story is told by his family, primarily his mother Sara (Janie Dee), an Oxford academic who delivers details of Connor’s death and the parties involved with fury and wit. Her love for Connor burns through the play as she unapologetically rips into the architects of the family’s tragedy. In supporting roles are husband and father Rich (Forbes Masson), brothers Owen (Lee Braithwaite), Will, (Charlie Ives), Tom (Daniel Rainford) and sister (Molly Osborne). Connor (Alfie Friedman) sits expectantly, asking his mother what happened to him as his family chip in to parody the various uncaring faces. The cast portray a loving family who undergo gaslighting, victim-blaming and bureaucracy in the search of answers. We fall in love with Connor and as the family affectionately discuss him. I found myself thinking of the countless people and their families in my life who rely on services that failed Connor and felt their pain.

As far as stories go, Laughing Boy is a nightmare of devasting grief brought to life. It is told with the factual precision of an Oxford academic with tweets, reports and blog posts dissecting the events and circumstances of Connor’s death. As compelling as the story is, narratively it is anti-climactic and leans into telling us what happened instead of showing. It is mainly from Sara’s perspective despite Connor and other family remaining on stage throughout. Sara explains her actions, including how the online campaign negatively affected the court case, leaving no room for any conjecture or doubt. Nurses, social workers, support staff, defence lawyers and headteachers are painted as bleak, sarcastic and one-dimensional by the supporting cast, with some humour injected in their caricatured portrayal. At points it felt like a Panorama documentary interspersed with heart-breaking input from Connor as he questions where he is from beyond the grave. The play itself is referenced, as Sara remarks at how far the campaign has come.

The set (Simon Higlett) is simple and plain; four wooden chairs and a white curved cyclorama, evoking the austere environment of Slade House and also allowing the stage to be used for detailed projections . The use of the cast reflects this simplicity, miming props and setting, always returning to the base of family as they comfort each other in between impersonating other characters. Whilst moving, the piece lacks dramatic elements and at times feels more like a lecture more than a theatrical work. It serves its purpose at being informative and celebrating Connor as well as the success of the family’s campaign for justice. Laughing Boy calls to action on behalf of all who suffer as a result of underfunded disability services.

Tag Archives: Jessica Potts

FAWLTY TOWERS – THE PLAY

★★★★★

Apollo Theatre

FAWLTY TOWERS – THE PLAY at the Apollo Theatre

★★★★★

“Adam Jackson-Smith steps into Basil, embodying the neurotic hotelier with pin-point accuracy”

FAWLTY TOWERS – THE PLAY at the Apollo Theatre

Reviewed on 15th May 2024

by Jessica Potts

Photography by Hugo Glendinning

Previously reviewed at this venue:

MIND MANGLER | ★★★★ | March 2024

THE TIME TRAVELLER’S WIFE | ★★★ | November 2023

POTTED PANTO | ★★★★★ | December 2022

CRUISE | ★★★★★ | August 2022

MONDAY NIGHT AT THE APOLLO | ★★★½ | May 2021

FAWLTY TOWERS

FAWLTY TOWERS

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LAUGHING BOY

★★★

Jermyn Street Theatre

LAUGHING BOY at Jermyn Street Theatre

★★★

“Whilst moving, the piece lacks dramatic elements and at times feels more like a lecture more than a theatrical work”