The Play That Goes Wrong brings slapstick and schadenfreude to the stage
Any time you’re having a bad day, you’ve probably shaken your fist at the sky and cursed Murphy’s Law – you know, the old adage claiming that anything that can go wrong will most definitely go wrong. All it takes is one piece of bad luck and suddenly your whole life feels like it’s spiralling out of control like a bad B-grade movie. Turning this pessimistic point of view into a riotous comedy might seem like a mammoth task, but that’s exactly what The Play That Goes Wrong does. Bursting onto the QPAC stage from May 4–14, this Olivier Award-winning piece of prime schadenfreude will leave you with tears (of laughter, not pity) running down your face.
It is a universally acknowledged truth that laughing at other people’s misfortune is extremely entertaining, which is what makes The Play That Goes Wrong such a raging success. Fresh from London’s West End and garnering a litany of rave reviews, this play is an exercise in extreme cringe – the title gives you a pretty clear idea of what you’re in for. The story introduces the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, a bunch of thespians hoping to put on a serious 1920s murder mystery production. From the moment the idea is hatched, the accident-prone actors in the troupe are hit with struggle upon struggle, wading through a series of blunders to make it to the curtain call. What eventuates through the unbeatable mixture of physical comedy and impeccably timed jokes is nothing short of a riot.
Brought to life by the aptly named Mischief Theatre, The Play That Goes Wrong keeps things meta by employing a cast of self described ‘would-be’ Australian thespians. Up-and-coming home-grown theatre talents join Logie Award-winning Brooke Satchwell and Mischief Theatre alum James Marlowe to create a group that play off each other perfectly, not taking themselves seriously for even a moment. The cast’s commitment to the slapstick style of comedy ensures that the whole over-the-top and self-deprecating tone of the play is done plenty of justice – and then some.
Keen to see just how bad – and simultaneously hilarious – things can get? You can pick up tickets to The Play That Goes Wrong through QPAC right now, so don’t leave it up to chance.
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