By Martin Brisland.
The 19th century writer Henry David Thoreau is credited with the aphorism “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.”
That seems to me to sum up Basil Fawlty.
As someone who knows Fawlty Towers well, I arrived at Mayflower Theatre with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. After all, this is the King of Sitcoms and regularly tops polls when it comes to the greatest ever British sitcom.
50 years after it first aired, this is a production that has an audience who know exactly how funny and brilliant it should be. The show was based on a real-life character, Donald Sinclair who John Cleese met when he stayed at his Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay in 1970.
Only twelve episodes were ever written by Cleese and his then wife Connie Booth, who played Polly in the original. This play blends together three of the episodes which were The Hotel Inspector, The Germans, and Communication Problems.
The farcical momentum of the television originals is intricately woven into a multi-story plot. Director Caroline Jay Ranger has approached the material with reverence rather than reinvention, to deliver Fawlty Tower’s greatest hits.
As soon as Dennis Wilson’s iconic ‘Fawlty Towers’ theme tune filled the auditorium I felt the warm glow of meeting an old friend.
The audience audibly pre-empted punchlines, proving it is a show that is imprinted into the shared cultural memory.
Danny Bayne’s Basil Fawlty is a triumph of unhinged and manic comedy. Bayne delivers a faultless Fawlty mixing barely restrained fury, paranoia, snobbery, and despair. He builds with great control, letting the chaos escalate until Basil’s ultimate breakdown lands at the end of Act 2 with the “Don’t mention the war” scene. Danny Bayne excels at mimicking the physical comedy of John Cleese.
Mia Austen totally captures Sybil’s clipped tones of authority and venomous calm. Her unflappable competence and the way she manages Basil with no room for his nonsense is spot on, down to her loud braying laugh.
Hemi Yeroham stole several scenes as the nation’s favourite Spanish waiter, Manuel, who lives in a state of perpetual bewilderment.
Jemma Churchill’s overbearing Mrs Richards is another highlight. A superbly written character, her refusal to switch her hearing aid on, and the outrageous misunderstandings that this causes, are uproarious.
The Major is played with just the right blend of befuddlement.
Liz Ascroft’s two-level Torquay hotel set, complete with lobby, dining room, staircase, and guest bedroom is instantly familiar, right down to the famously jumbled Fawlty Towers sign.
When Sybil spends a night in hospital due to an ingrowing toenail, Basil is left in charge of the hotel, gets a knock to the head, and then a group of German guests arrive.
Director Caroline Jay Ranger ensures that every scene of Cleese’s tight script is expertly choreographed so that we never lose sight of the story or the gags despite the chaos.
Half a century on, the farce still makes an audience rock with laughter, even when they know exactly what is coming. Familiarity does not dilute the audience’s enjoyment, it enhances it.
The play gives fans exactly what they want; a replay of some of Fawlty Towers most iconic lines and unforgettable scenes.
Act two is where the storylines come together with maximum chaos and laughs. Perfectly executed, the threads deftly blend in an impressive final scene.
For me it is the comedy event of the year.
Fawlty Towers The Play is at Mayflower Theatre until Saturday 7th March. Tickets via mayflower.org.uk or 02380 711811.
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