It will be all right on the night as play goes wrong

THERE will be tears of laughter and tears of despair at The King's all this week - the later on stage, the former in the audience.

The Play That Goes Wrong

The Play That Goes Wrong, co-written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, is described as ‘a highly physical comedy packed with finely-tuned farce and Buster Keaton inspired slapstick delivered with split-second timing and ambitious daring’.

It introduces audiences to The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society who are attempting to put on a 1920’s murder mystery.

As the title suggests, everything that can go wrong, does go wrong, as the accident prone thespians battle on against all the odds to get to their bows.

Winning the 2015 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy and a 2017 Tony Award for its Broadway transfer, The Play That Goes Wrong continues to play to sold out houses in the West End, whilst enjoying its new status as Broadway’s longest running play.

It is a remarkable rags-to-riches story for a play, which started its life at a London fringe venue with only four paying members of the public at the first performance.

It has since played to an audience of almost one and a half million worldwide and garnered a host of celebrity fans; Joanna Lumley said, “We laughed until the tears ran down our faces” while Ant & Dec described it as “The funniest show we’ve seen.”

“Why would all these regional theatres want a return visit of our little murder mystery show when last year’s tour went so badly wrong,” laughs producer Kenny Wax, “I am at a loss to understand it.”

The Play That Goes Wrong, Festival theatre, Nicolson Street, until Saturday 17 March, 7.30pm (matinees 2.30pm), £19-£31.50, 0131-529 6000