Writers: John Cleese and Connie Booth
Adapter: John Cleese
Director: Caroline Jay Ranger
Fawlty Towers first aired on BBC Two in September 1975, running for just twelve episodes across two series before its creators called time. Written by John Cleese and his then-wife Connie Booth, it followed Basil Fawlty, a desperately snobbish hotel owner who is perpetually at war with his wife Sybil. Through the series the audience sees his guests, his catastrophic incompetence and the antics of the hapless waiter Manuel and unflappable chambermaid Polly. It is routinely cited as one of the greatest British sitcoms ever made, and given that Cleese and Booth quit while they were ahead, the legend has only grown.
The play looks perfect – the dining room, reception and even the outside sign have been lovingly and accurately recreated, and props and costumes are spot on too. The narrative weaves together three episodes: Communication Problems, The Hotel Inspectors, and The Germans, but the merging of those storylines causes the show to lose pace badly in the first half. Despite many humorous moments and the cast delivering the script and physical comedy with the right energy, it feels as though the whole team is trying slightly too hard to recapture magic that was partly born of brevity. Maybe the original series is so loved because thirty minutes is the perfect length of time to visit Fawlty Towers. Given that farce has a high bar to clear — think Michael Frayn’s Noises Off, Alan Ayckbourn, the Goes Wrong series — act one leaves you chortling rather than helpless with laughter. Those expecting the relentless escalating chaos of the TV episodes may feel the show is still warming up by the end of the first half.
The shorter act two is a different matter. The pace quickens, the chaos builds, and the final ten minutes are comedy gold — everything clicking together as it should. Anyone who had found themselves mildly distracted by the interval will leave smiling. It is also worth noting that the play’s fidelity to the original scripts is itself a mild disappointment; an original storyline written in the Fawlty Towers style might have been fresher, funnier and even more interesting.
On the performance side, Danny Bayne absolutely shines as Basil Fawlty, adopting Cleese’s mannerisms and physical comedy while adding enough of himself to avoid pure imitation – his rage-filled outbursts are genuinely ridiculous and entirely hilarious. Joanne Clifton’s Polly is warm and enjoyable, the accent nearly there and the personality very much so. Hemi Yeroham’s Manuel is a real hit, particularly with younger audience members drawn in by his excellent comic timing and physical performance. Mia Austen holds her own as Sybil, though the accent has not quite been nailed.
Fawlty Towers is a treat for fans and is full of affectionate attention to detail. As a piece of theatre judged on its own terms, it is good rather than great. However what it is great for, is nostalgia. As a play in its own right? Not quite so much.
Runs until 23rd May 2026, before continuing on tour
The Reviews Hub Star Rating
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7
