REVIEW: FAWLTY TOWERS @ NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE

🎭 Fawlty Towers: The Play

📍 New Wimbledon Theatre, 93 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London, SW19 1QG

🗓 Tuesday 21st October 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️

A NOSTALGIC JAUNT

FAWLTY TOWERS is based on the TV show of the same name, the very zenith of British sitcoms, a perfectly calibrated Swiss watch of cringe and chaos that has nestled in our collective consciousness for five decades. Episodes are still watched repeatedly in my household so I was overjoyed to recieve an invitation to see the show brought to life.

To bring such an icon to the stage is a Herculean task, one that John Cleese himself has undertaken for this much-hyped UK tour. The result? A perfectly pleasant, if slightly protracted, trip down memory lane that doesn't quite capture the electric, manic pace of its small-screen ancestor.

The production is a stitched-together tapestry of three classic episodes - 'The Hotel Inspectors', 'The Germans' and 'Communication Problems' - and provides a familiar comfort. We are immediately transported back to the haphazard hotel in Torquay thanks to Liz Ascroft's delightful, period-perfect set which seamlessly and cleverly blends the reception, dining room, and even an upstairs bedroom. On closer inspection I would have liked the set to have been of higher quality. Rather than it looking like one full set, you could see how it all came together which made it feel cheap.

The cast are doing the Lord's work of impersonation as they bring these institutions of comedy to life. Danny Bayne as Basil Fawlty completely nails the loping gait and the exasperated, put-upon mannerisms that make the character so beloved. Mia Austen captures Sybil's machine-gun cackle and commanding presence with aplomb.

My personal favourite was Hemi Yeroham's Manuel who is as endearing and hapless as ever, garnering immediate applause upon his entrance. They are all, in essence, a high-quality tribute band, delivering the iconic lines we know and love with admirable accuracy.

However, and here's the rub, the translation from screen to stage introduces a fundamental challenge: pacing. What worked with sharp, televisual cuts and the luxury of retakes for impeccable comedic timing can feel rather lethargic when performed live. The first act in particular suffers from a surprising lack of urgency. The setup of scenarios, while necessary, feels drawn out, with the moments of farce not quite reaching the crescendo of chaos expected. There are lulls where the energy dips, waiting for the next beloved catchphrase to land, which they do, but not with the breathless abandon of the original.

The second half does thankfully pick up the pace as the various plots all come to a head in a gloriously madcap fashion. The physical comedy finally gets the chance to truly shine and the audience, clearly comprised of long-standing fans, laps up every "I know nothing!" and "Don't mention the war!".

Ultimately, this is a show for the nostalgists. For those who can quote every line and simply want to see their favourite characters in the flesh. It's a sweet and well-meaning homage, but it lacks the frenzied, almost painful brilliance of John Cleese and Connie Booth's original version. It's an enjoyable evening but you might find yourself wishing the service was just a little snappier.

A pleasant stay, but perhaps not quite the five-star experience we remember from the television.

Overall I'm glad that I've seen this show, and would recommend it to fellow FAWLTY TOWERS fans, but I think anyone coming to the production blind would struggle to connect with it.

Performances continue at New Wimbledon Theatre until Saturday 25th October. Click here to book tickets and check in to Torquay's most notorious hotel!

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of Fawlty Towers: The Play was gifted by New Wimbledon Theatre who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CAST LIST:

Danny Bayne as Basil; Mia Austen as Sybil; Hemi Yerdham as Manuel; Joanne Clifton as Polly; Greg Haiste as Mr Hutchinson / Wilhelm; Adam Elliott as Mr Walt; Paul Nicholas as The Major; Jemma Churchill as Mrs Richards; Emily Winter as Miss Tibbs; Dawn Buckland as Miss Gatsby; John Hasler as Mr Thurston / Günter; Neil Stewart as Taxi Driver / Mr Firkins / Mr Kerr / Mr Sharp; Josie Brightwell as Liz / Johanna; Ashleigh Harvey as Debbie; Ben Jacobson as Ken; Matthew Gordon as Mr Dale; Raymond Rose as Philip

RUNNING TIME (approx):

1 hour 50 minutes, including interval

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