It sounds like a complicated concept - it is a play about a play that goes wrong, actors playing actors - but it actually works. From the moment it started we were in tears of laughter and I can honestly say I have never known a play that has had the audience laughing constantly all the way through before. I am still aching today!
The fictional amdram group is called Cornley Polytechnic and they happily admit they're not that good but they enjoy what they do and you can see that they throw themselves fully into their roles.
The real cast are from Mischief Theatre Ltd a comedy improvisement company and it shows through at their responses to heckling and audience participation, and even Cecil's surprise when he gets laughs and applause when he stops to take a bow.
The "play" is a murder mystery although very little investigation manages to happen. If something can go wrong it will do: The stretcher they carried the body away with wasn't attached to the poles so he was left behind; the shelves collapsed and needed a "stage hand" to hold the candlesticks up; the door jammed and, as you can see in the picture, everyone fell through the door; cast members were knocked out; the upper stage collapsed; pictures fell...
During the interval the "director", who had spent a lot of the play on his phone, was running around the theatre calling for a dog which wasn't found until curtain call and required an empty lead being carried around stage when the dog was supposed to be on stage.
I highly recommend that you go and visit this play if you get a chance!
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