FAWLTY TOWERS – LIVE

By Diana Simmonds

September 19 2016

FAWLTY TOWERS LIVE, Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney 18 Aug-18 Sept; Comedy Theatre Melbourne, 21 Sept-23 Oct; Her Majesty’s Theatre Adelaide, 26 Oct 26-13 Nov; Regal Theatre Subiaco, 17 Nov-11 Dec; Playhouse, QPAC Brisbane, 28 Dec 2016-22 Jan 22 2017, NZ to follow. Photography James Morgan: above - Blazey Best and Stephen Hall; right - Aimee Horne

Almost 50 years ago (!) John Cleese and Connie Booth wrote six half-hour episodes of a sit-com for the BBC. It was so successful they were asked to write six more and then they said, “that’s it, no more.” And they meant it. Fawlty Towers is as legendary for the brevity of its existence as it is for its comedic genius – which is alive and well today.

So timeless is the concept – life in an awful seaside hotel in Torquay – that news of its adaptation for the stage by Cleese seemed logical. It was promised that we would get the Fawlty Towers we loved and can quote chunks of; it was to open in Australia with an Australian cast. What’s not to love? 

First of all, what’s to love is the set which, although it compacts the dining room, an upstairs bedroom, the lobby, front desk and kitchen into one setting, is exactly as it was left in the 1970s. And if you think about it, Basil would have done exactly that with the hotel: absolutely nothing. And that’s very droll. 

Liz Ascroft’s design is also tongue-in-cheek faithful to the costumes, in particular Sybil (Blazey Best) is properly and too snugly clad in her not-quite-designer suit and frou-frou white blouse (and marvellous bouffant wig), while the rest of the staff and guests are equally visually perfect. 

Second of all, the show comprises basically three cut and stitched episodes of the original series: The Hotel Inspectors, Communication Problems and The Germans. Director Caroline Jay Ranger cuts and stitches between comedy and farce with a company of the finest which reveals that, third of all...

The casting is similarly meticulous. Blazey Best simply is Sybil – all nasal twang, lemon-lipped simper and incongruously sexy as well as the whiplash niceness that keeps Basil on the hop. And as the lanky, rubber-limbed maniac hotelier Stephen Hall is splendidly splenetic and frenetic.

As Polly, the chamber maid of all seasons, Aimee Horne is uncannily like Connie Booth to look at while Syd Brisbane brings the vacuous earnestness of Andrew Sachs’ Manuel to life with goofy ease. The supporting roles are also filled to maximum effect.

Deborah Kennedy is a scene-stealer as the hard of hearing and cantankerous old boot Mrs Richards. Ana Maria Belo and Anna Lee make everything of their small but vital cameos as the nervous nelly guests Miss Tibbs and Miss Gatsby. Paul Bertram bristles militarily as The Major, while Paul Denny, Andrew Johnson, John Sherman, Emily Thomas, John Voce and David John Watton are variously bemused guests, puzzled hotel inspectors, bewildered Germans and a hapless taxi driver. 

Essentially, Fawlty Towers Live is two hours (including interval) of Fawlty Towers – live and is non-stop full of all the misunderstandings, wise cracks, witticisms, surreal situations, lame jokes, clever jokes – and marvellous characters beautifully realised.

Beginning with loads of mayhem including Basil’s terror at the impending visit of hotel inspectors, continuing through the business with the stuffed moose head, the illicit bet on a winning horse, Mrs Richards’ run-in with Manuel and the English language and culminating in an inspired re-run of what happens when you’re trying not to mention the war. 

A great night out, despite the best efforts of Basil, Sybil and the rest.