Although this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the first appearance of ‘Fawlty Towers' on TV screens, the hotelier from hell is a timeless comedy creation as this stage adaptation ably proves. Check in at ‘Fawlty Towers – the Play' and be guaranteed an evening of anarchy and disaster, courtesy of your irascible host, Basil Fawlty.
If you love the sitcom, you'll love ‘Fawlty Towers – the Play'. It's a ‘greatest hits' format that works incredibly well, though that description doesn't do justice to just how ingeniously put-together the script is. The plots of some of the finest episodes (‘The Hotel Inspectors', ‘Communication Problems' and ‘The Germans') have been melded together with craftsmanship by the comic legend who created the series and played Basil, John Cleese.
There are also nods to other episodes, such as ‘Basil the Rat', that will delight long-standing fans who know almost every line of dialogue. There is sufficient original material to meld everything together and offer something new, too. And if you thought the climax of ‘The Germans' is comedy perfection that couldn't possibly be improved – you may want to think again. This frantically-paced stage adaptation demonstrates how tightly-written the show was. It loses none of the original bite once transferred to the stage. After all, the sitcom was filmed in front of a live studio audience.
‘Fawlty Towers – the Play' opens with an acidic exchange between Basil and Sybil – the married couple running Fawlty Towers, a shabby hotel in the English seaside town of Torquay. It clearly establishes that, whereas Sybil (Mia Austen) accepts her lot, Basil (Danny Bayne) feels trapped in a marriage that has long since exhausted any mutual affection, as well as a job he clearly hates and for which he has completely the wrong personality.
Enter Mr Hutchinson (Greg Haiste), a pretentious spoon-salesman with verbal affectations that immediately irritate Basil. But when Sybil mentions that there are hotel inspectors in the area, Basil puts two and two together and comes up with five, rapidly swivelling between fawning all over Mr Hutchinson and nearly choking him to death on a cheese salad in the dining room. Basil's loathing for his paying guests intensifies when the profoundly deaf Mrs Richards (Jemma Churchill) checks in. She's rude enough to give even Basil a run for his money. But when Sybil has to go into hospital to have an ingrowing toenail removed, Basil is left running the hotel unsupervised. To make matters worse, German guests arrive, much to the chagrin of the Major (Paul Nicholas). Whatever you do, don't mention the war.
‘Fawlty Towers' was written with all of the traditional elements of farce – mistaken identities, rapidly turning tables, misunderstandings and deceits. This transfers exceptionally well onto the stage. With elements of the distinctive original set design and costumes faithfully recreated (terrific job by designer Liz Ashcroft), ‘Fawlty Towers – the Play' is like seeing the episodes come to life before your very eyes.
The illusion relies on a cast good enough to convincingly portray iconic characters that are synonymous with particular performers. That's no easy task. But thankfully this ensemble is brilliant. Tall, gangly Danny Bayne perfectly recreates 1970s John Cleese down to his voice and mannerisms. Cleese was always tightly-coiled, neurotic and brittle. Bayne convinces with all of these traits. He is a superb physical comedy performer and captures Cleese's gestures and vocal inflections with consummate skill. After a while, you have to keep reminding yourself that you're not seeing a young John Cleese. Mia Austen is equally capable as the no-nonsense Sybil. Her recreation of that dreaded laugh (“like somebody machine-gunning a seal”) drew huge appreciation from the audience.
We were also impressed by Joanne Clifton's portrayal of Polly the maid, which is a faultless impersonation of Connie Booth. Hemi Yeroham is sympathetic as Manuel, the Spanish waiter, who receives many laughs for relatively few lines. Although it may seem blasphemous to say as much, we adored Paul Nicholas as bluff old Major Gowen more than the original actor. As a supporting character, he has a little more freedom to bring additional nuances to the part that helps to make the old boy more intriguing. With perfect comic timing, Nicholas gets the laugh every time.
The reason that ‘Fawlty Towers' is timeless is that the characters resonate so strongly. Basil is the result of many long years of pent-up anxiety: that peculiarly English way of entering middle age full of impotent rage that he takes out on waiting staff and guests. Desperate to better himself and prove he's a man of refinement, Basil is doomed to only ever reveal his shallowness and ignorance (the Bordeaux/Claret wine scene is a classic example). The world of ‘Fawlty Towers' draws on the English comedy of manners every bit as much as French farce. At the same time, Cleese pokes fun at a well-known national failing. Everyone British who has ever stayed in a hotel will have met Basil types, and know full-well that hospitality is not our strong suit (is it really so unreasonable of Mr Hutchinson to request access to the television in advance?) Outside of the UK, the play may resonate less strongly. In America, where hospitality has been refined almost to the level of a science or a martial art (though they have plenty enough of their own problems), the situation and pathos of ‘Fawlty Towers' may be less likely to land. But in the UK, by goodness, we get the joke!
There may be some in the audience who receive knowing looks from their spouse when Basil overreacts to something that's wound him up. Those same punters may laugh until tears form as a macrocosm of their own internal daily conflicts play out publicly in excruciating detail on stage. Others may just enjoy the fast-paced farce and the memorable one-liners. There was resounding laughter throughout this performance, demonstrating that whatever drew people along to watch the show, it hit the sweet spot over and over again. It's a joy to experience ‘Fawlty Towers – the Play'. It loses none of its brilliance on the stage. This magnificent cast bring the very best out of a comedy classic that will always be the finest of vintages, and will never cork.
Cast: Danny Bayne, Mia Austen, Hemi Yeroham, Joanne Clifton, Paul Nicholas, Greg Haiste, Adam Elliott, Emily Winter, Dawn Buckland, John Hasler, Jemma Churchill Writers: John Cleese and Connie Booth Director: Caroline Jay Ranger Theatre: Bromley Churchill Theatre Running time: 125 mins (including interval) Performance dates: 30th September – 4th October 2025 Buy tickets for ‘Fawlty Towers'
