Review By M.T. Bennett, Front Row Reviewers
West Valley Performing Arts Center presents a hilarious production of The Play That Goes Wrong, created by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields, the founders of Mischief Theatre Company.
The plot of the play revolves around an eclectic theater company who are presenting The Murder at Haversham Manor, an Agatha Christie-esque murder-mystery. Unfortunately, even before the play has started, things are already going wrong. The actors and crew struggle to adapt and keep up with the ensuing chaos. As director Kristi Curtis’ Director’s Note says, it is “a chaotic, uproarious celebration of theater!” This was evident to me when I found my seat and was surrounded by theater nerds, geeks, and aficionados. The Play That Goes Wrong is a hilarious honor to live theater and what can go wrong.
Mischief Theatre Company is well known for The Goes Wrong Show, a BBC comedy series of a Drama Society putting on weekly plays that are full of mishaps and mistakes. The Play That Goes Wrong has been performed in London since 2012, along with five UK tours, a Broadway production for two years, and off-Broadway shows.
My wife and I are huge fans of The Goes Wrong Show, and many of the “Goes Wrong” renditions of classic plays, so we jumped at the chance to see it with local Utah talent. The West Valley Performing Arts Center is a perfect place to see this production. With a theater-in-the round design, there are no bad seats and you have a view of all the action. The theater itself is gorgeous, and the moment you enter into its spacious and warm foyer the play has already begun.
Around the theater are posters looking for a lost puppy, Winston, who is integral to the play. Props and other decorations bring you right into the action, like a Director’s chair set up in the back and surrounded with books like Running Theaters, On Directing, and Good Anxiety. My wife and I were actually seated “behind” the set, where the walls had acting notes, posters, headshots, and directions to the staff lavatory. The stage crew are frantically trying to get the set ready, oftentimes employing the help of innocent audience members to sweep the floor or drill the mantle in place. The director and a stagehand go back and forth moving a hat-rack across the stage, both flummoxed when they return and see it has moved from where they put it.
The whole play is very interactive. Actors speaking to or flirting with the audience. They may climb over your seat if a door doesn’t open. You may have to endure a very dry “splash zone” or be asked to hand a prop to an occupied actor. For the safety of the actors and the audience, you should wait till invited to participate, though if you have the opportunity to sit on the front row it improves the odds.
In the play itself the Director “Chris”, played by Adam Packard, who also plays the inspector in the mystery. He is full of nerves, hubris, and frustration all while attempting to appear cool and collected. Packard is perfect in this role, sometimes reminding me of Daniel Radcliff in his most chaotic roles. The humor isn’t lost on me that the fake director is named Chris but the real director of this production is named Kristi aka Chris, specifically Kristi Curtis, and she has done an excellent job leading this production and creating a comedy extravaganza.
The next bit is a little confusing, which adds to the hilarity of the show. Stay with me here.
Armando Serrano Huerta plays “Trevor”, the lighting and sound operator, and brings all the sass and cynicism of an employee at the end of his rope. I never thought the sound of a can of soda opening could be so funny but Huerta’s comedic timing is great. John Valdez stars as “Jonathan” who plays Charles Haversham in The Murder at Haversham Manor and is the most lively corpse you’ll ever see on a stage.
Bryan Dayley plays “Robert” and is the play within a play’s Thomas Colleymoore, the brother of Charles Haversham’s fiancée. Dayley, who is no stranger to this play (having played the part of Chris at Hale Center Theatre) perfectly pokes fun at Packard’s Director and tries to improvise and hold it together while everything else is falling apart.
I know. It’s getting crazier.
Perkins the Butler, played by the character “Dennis Tyde” is portrayed by real life actor Samuel Wright. Wright (as Perkins) struggles through his lines, hilariously misreading words, forgetting cues, and getting everyone stuck in a loop of lines. He seems to be in a pantomime competition with Max Bennett who plays Cecil Haversham/Arthur the Gardener and who is played by real life actor Dan Radford. Radford ultimately wins the overacting pantomiming, you could almost plug your ears and still understand everything he is saying. He hams up his performance and wins cheers from the audience.
Florence Colleymoore, the fiancée to the dead man (he was alive when they got engaged), is played by two different actresses and one actor. The first actress to portray her is “Sandra Wilkinson” played by real life Britty Marie. Her take on the character is seductive and alluring. At least until she is knocked unconscious for the first time, at that point a stage hand, “Annie”, played by real life actress Jillian Joy, is handed a script and forced to join. “Annie” starts off nervous but soon Joy shows “Annie’s” passion and energy for acting and attempts to take over the role for the rest of the play. I don’t want to give too many spoilers but eventually, another member of the company has to take up the mantle.
During the intermission I didn’t want to leave my seat, I was afraid to miss something. That is one of the best parts of this play, the innocuous setup for jokes that pay off big later. Or even the quiet references to earlier events. For example, someone drops part of a sword down a trap door and you hear one of the stage crew (played by Matthew Tripp) shout in pain. During the intermission he comes out to fix some of the set…with a bloody bandage on his head.
Set Designer Adam Flitton doesn’t play it safe with this responsibility to build a realistic set that embraces chaos. It is a very complicated set, with moving parts, pumping water, props falling off the wall on cue, doors that need to be locked and unlocked, a very squeaky elevator, entire floors falling, and more. The set itself becomes a participant in The Play That Goes Wrong itself. All of this builds to a closing scene that is choreographed madness. There is incredible interplay between the performers and the interaction with the audience makes it feel like a communal experience.
West Valley Performing Arts Center rates the production as 13+ for mild language and comedic violence, but your teens and older kids would love this show. My eight-year-old son often accompanies me to the theater and had he attended, I imagine he would have been full of gut-busting laughter.
I usually don’t watch movies multiple times, or re-read many books, but I would see West Valley Arts’ The Play That Goes Wrong again in a heartbeat. It is so funny and complex that I am positive there are things I missed. I would love to see it from a different side of the theater to catch more of the nuances and jokes. If you forgive the pun, this production has tremendous “re-play” value. So if you are looking for laughs, chaos, or a memorable date this Valentine’s Day, then The Play That Goes Wrong is the right choice for you.
West Valley Performing Arts Center presents The Play That Goes Wrong by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields. West Valley Performing Arts Center, 3333 S, Decker Lake Dr, West Valley City, UT 84119
February 7 – March 1, 2025 7:30 PM
Additional Matinee on Saturday at 3:00 PM
This production is appropriate for all ages
Tickets: Adult $35, Youth $20, Senior $25, Military $25
Contact: (801) 965-5140, boxoffice@wvcarts.org
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