Fawlty Towers at the Apollo Theatre

Going in completely blind for this show is not the most advisable, as whilst I could see the comedy of some of the jokes and skits, it did feel like being on the outside of lots of inside jokes, which tends to be the case with these shows based on TV shows. Whilst I can see the potential, this show was not for me.

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*

---

My Review:

Despite not having watched Fawlty Towers, I was able to appreciate the slapstick comedy of this show and I was impressed by the talent of the cast with regard to both physical theatre and comedic delivery of their lines through the use of timing and other devices such as tone and pace to name a few. This show was enjoyable and I could see how it would certainly appeal to fans of the show as the person I was with who is a fan of the show thoroughly enjoyed it and felt that it did the show justice which makes sense as the play was written by John Cleese who also wrote the original show.

The show is led by Adam Jackson-Smith (Basil Fawlty) and he truly has a gift for physical theatre which shone in this show. Every time he took a choreographed fall or injury, he acted it out so well, allowing for the full effect to be felt by the audience, adding to the comedy of this show. Joining Adam Jackson-Smith as the other owner of the hotel was Suzy Bloom (Sybil Fawlty). She did a fabulous job of opening the show and setting the tone for the rest of the performance. Suzy Bloom captured attention with her large performance, which matched the style of characterisation that felt suitable for portraying a character as big and commanding as Sybil Fawlty. Hemi Yeroham (Manuel) stole the show for me, providing a masterclass in physical theatre and perfect use of comedy to entertain both verbally and non-verbally. Every time Manuel appeared on stage I was thrilled, and it was especially Hemi Yeroham’s interactions with Adam Jackson-Smith which stood out to me as both of them were highly skilled in comedy, especially physical and expressional, thus allowing them to play off of each other wonderfully providing entertaining scenes that felt smooth and natural. Victoria Fox (Polly Sherman) was a joy to watch, especially with regards to her ability to play so well off of the other performers on the stage. This is a testament to her talent as being able to play off of others smoothly, providing the correct reaction to their actions is a true skill. Paul Nicholas (The Major) played brilliantly into his character to provide an enjoyable interpretation that was able to entertain the audience whilst simultaneously frustrating the characters on stage. This portrayal was particularly noticeable during one particular scene that was reliant on the comedic ability of the entire lead cast to work together as an ensemble to provide a successfully entertaining plot for the audience to watch. The rest of the cast was composed of Rachel Izen (Mrs Richards), Steven Meo (Mr Hutchinson, Wilhelm), Kate Russel-Smith (Miss Tibbs), Nicola Sanderson (Miss Gatsby), John Hasler (Mr Thurston, Günter), Danny Bayne (Mr Walt), Neil Stewart (Taxi Driver, Mr Firkins, Mr Kerr, Mr Sharp), Emma Fenney (Liz, Johanna), Mia Austen (Debbie), Ben Jacobson (Ken) and Chris Kelly (Mr Dale). The ensemble were able to stand out on their own during their scenes, whilst also complementing other cast members, providing an overall enjoyable performance that felt considered, allowing the show to be able to balance comedy and performance so that neither felt lost to the other.

This is a play that I would recommend for fans of the TV show.

---

Content Warnings:

The theatre has warnings on display which are as follows:

This performance contains: 

• Haze

• Smoking of Real Cigarettes

• Gunshots

• Sudden Loud Noises

I did not make note of any other moments that I felt should be mentioned.

---

Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope this review has proved interesting and helpful for you :)

- AnxiousTheatregoer