“The Play That Goes Wrong” reviewed by Julia W. Rath

Highly Recommended  3.666666667! ( Okay- so it’s a wrong number ) What could go wrong with a play entitled “The Play That Goes Wrong”? Plenty! This is the story about the performance of a murder mystery where everything on stage can and does go wrong. Brilliantly written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields, the show is a 2-hour farce (plus intermission) that uses an invented story called “The Murder at Haversham Manor” as its basis. The fun begins the moment the audience must tease out the invented script from the script of “The Play That Goes Wrong.” As we weed through the mishaps, missteps, and misconstruals, we witness lots of things, such as a spotlight that misses its mark and a set that doesn’t want to stay in place from the get-go. We hear mispronounced words and words that follow the action; we watch actors who forget their lines or drop their scripts, and we follow a script that may or may not make sense. And the list goes on! While the average audience member will find all the spoofs, slipups, and physical comedy highly amusing, all of this is a hoot for the technical and production professionals in the theatre industry who understand in intricate detail the foibles of putting on any type of live performance before an audience.

I loved the beginning where Charles Haversham, the decedent, is found lying dead on his chaise. Shortly thereafter, Inspector Carter takes the reigns in discovering who the murderer might be. But the actor playing Haversham occasionally moves his lifeless body, which, of course, is funny—and makes all of the other actors constantly restate that the man is dead. Although the action gets slightly repetitive by the end of the first act, the second act is excellent—and keeps us hanging in more ways than one. I especially liked where the actresses Sandra and Annie fight with each other; this mild diversion adds to the humor while the men are busily pursuing the investigation of who might have killed Haversham. As for guessing the ending of this whodunnit, I doubt that anyone will predict who the murderer is or figure it out entirely. But that’s a fantastically good thing! The story keeps you on your toes and has enough energy behind it through the very end.

What is not funny—or should I say, not funny to me—are the number of spit-takes that occur in the first act. (For those unfamiliar with the term, that is when a person suddenly spits out liquid that they are drinking in response to something funny or surprising.) While I personally find this kind of humor juvenile and disgusting, it is particularly uncalled for during our current epidemic of COVID-19. I felt bad for the actors and cannot believe that they would take the stage knowing that this is part of the script. Spitting not only endangers the health of the actors but also that of the audience. My guest noticed that audience members were not laughing much when the spit-takes were constantly being repeated; perhaps they too were as COVID-aware as we were. I particularly felt terrible for the poor fellow cleaning up the splash on the floor between acts; he wore a mask but no gloves. From my perspective, the spitting needs to be deleted pronto or the show should not go on. (Note that “The Play that Goes Wrong” has been cancelled in London as of today [December 18th]. A number of Broadway productions in New York City have already been cancelled, like “Moulin Rouge” and “Hamilton.” And in the Chicago area, shows like “Pretty Woman”, “Kiss Me Kate”, and “Cinderella” have been put on hold in the middle of their runs as the number of COVID infections has steadily risen in Illinois. But I digress….)

The all-Chicago cast of this Broadway in Chicago production is made up of Colton Adams (Trevor), Joseph Anthony Byrd (Jonathan), Ernaisja Curry (Annie), Michael Kurowski (Dennis), Matt Mueller (Chris), Kelly O’Sullivan (Sandra), Jarred Webb (Max), and Jonah D. Winston (Robert). Standbys are Caroline Chu, Drew Johnson, Russell Mernagh, and Brenann Stacker. Note that the names in parentheses are those of the actors whom they play in the show, and not the characters that they play within the play.

Furthermore, the crew has done a fantastic job. The set containing both a room in an English manor house plus a technical booth above is most appropriate, thanks to the craftiness of scenic designer Nigel Hook. I particularly loved how the various props are designed to adhere, dislodge, or break at various points in time, and how elements of the set moved, rotated, and fell, sometimes precariously. Rich Falconer’s music that precedes the performance is appropriately and eerily mysterious. Sound and sound effects by Beth Lake are excellent. Costume design by Roberto Sorace is perfectly done and adds both an air of authenticity and humor to the performance. I especially loved the Colonel Mustard yellow suit worn by Thomas Colleymoore and the Miss Scarlet red dress that is swapped between the two women who play his sister Florence. Lighting is exactly as it needs to be, thanks to the work of lighting designer Jeremy Cunningham. Of course, using confetti as snow is classic, but it’s always funny.

Coincidentally, I was listening to the BBC World Service’s presentation of “Weekend” on WBEZ when I returned home from the performance. The discussion centered around the cancelling of many office Christmas parties this year due to COVID and also having to do with so many people working from home this past year. The discussion turned to this question: Would it be preferable to treat an office worker to tickets to “The Play That Goes Wrong” rather than making them attend the Christmas party in person? That said, whether one watches the show in Chicago, New York, or London or elsewhere on the touring schedule, it is quite a memorable performance, and you can’t go wrong seeing it.

When Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes, and the legendary game of Clue meet up with Faulty Towers, we in the audience roar with laughter. What makes this show especially hilarious are all the necessary and unnecessary fiascos. The problem, however, is that while I’m sitting in the theatre, I don’t want to think about anyone catching COVID. It’s not only that spitting is a hazard, but that the (maskless) actors are much too close to each other onstage as a necessary part of the action. Despite the fact that I would most definitely recommend the show, I think that it’s a better choice for the audience to attend a modified version minus the spitting once the pandemic is over.

“The Play that Goes Wrong”, produced by Broadway in Chicago, is playing at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 125 E. Chestnut Street, Chicago, through January 30, 2022.

Tickets start at $30. Price depends on date, time, and seat location.

Group tickets for 10 or more are now on sale by emailing Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at groupsales@broadwayinchicago.com.

Performance schedule:

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays at 7:30 p.m.
There is no 7:30 performance on Friday, December 24.
There is no 7:30 performance on Wednesday, December 19.

Wednesday matinees at 2:00 p.m.

Saturdays 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.
There are no Saturday performances on December 25 and January 1.

Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 19 and 26, and Sunday, January 2 and 23 at 7:30 p.m.

Additional Performances:

Friday, December 24 at 2:00 p.m.
Monday, December 27 at 7:30 p.m.

For tickets, go to: https://www.broadwayinchicago.com/show/the-play-that-goes-wrong/ and while you’re there, make sure to double-check the calendar.

For more information about “The Play that Goes Wrong”, see: http://broadwaygoeswrong.com/.

COVID REQUIREMENTS FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE
Audience members in addition to being masked must provide vaccination card and photo I.D., that is proof you are fully vaccinated meaning 14 days after your second dose of a two-dose COVID 19 vaccine, or at least 14 days after a single dose vaccine, children between 5 – 11 will be allowed admittance with one dose if administered 14 days prior to the performance dates. For those with exemptions or if you are unable to be vaccinated (including children) you must provide proof of a negative COVID 19 test along with a photo ID and valid ticket. Tests that are accepted are either PCR test taken within 72 hours of the performance start time or an antigen test taken within 6 hours of the performance start time. No home tests will be accepted. Children under the age of 2 will not be admitted due to COVID 19 protocol.

Theatres are presently at 100% capacity, but that can change at any moment. Please go to https://www.broadwayinchicago.com/COVID19/ for further details and for additional COVID information.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “The Play That Goes Wrong”.