The Play That Goes Wrong
next weekend in London
A disastrous amateur murder mystery collapses in real time, turning missed cues, broken sets and bad acting into farce.
⭐4.7
Stephanie Delaney ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Robert Prance ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Elizabeth Siekierka ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Anton anderson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Yvonne ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Diletta Terzi ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Deanna Rebecca Earley ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Roy Testa ⭐⭐⭐
David Barker ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Laura Lorenzo ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Happy customer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Danae Bixler ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Serban-Parau Oltea ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
SN ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ashley Sobke ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hatem Rushdy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Anna Bell ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Things to Know Before You Go
Updated: Tue 14 Jul, 06:00 London time
Is there a Saturday matinee for The Play That Goes Wrong next weekend?
Yes — Sat 25 Jul 14:30 (tickets available).
What time does the The Play That Goes Wrong Sunday show start next weekend?
Sun 26 Jul 15:00
What's the cheapest The Play That Goes Wrong performance next weekend?
From £49 (Sat).
The pre-show — what's actually happening when you walk into the Duchess?
Cornley Drama Society's stage manager is on stage trying, unsuccessfully, to fix the set. Members of the cast wander into the auditorium asking if anyone's seen a missing dog called Winston, hammering loose flats, requesting that a man in row D move so they can reach the door. None of it is essential to the plot, but missing it is missing a third of the joke; aim to be seated by 7.20 for a 7.30 curtain.
How does the set actually fall apart safely — and which collapses read best from where?
Mischief Theatre's set is engineered to look fragile and behave like a precision instrument; the falls are choreographed to within a few centimetres. The first-floor study collapse is the showpiece of Act Two and reads best from the stalls, where you see the geometry of the lean as it begins. The dress circle reads the upstairs/downstairs gag earlier; back of the dress circle starts losing the smaller falls into the wings.
For someone who's seen The Goes Wrong Show on BBC — what's different live?
The pacing and the misses. On television, the falls are cut to land cleanly; live, you can see an actor anticipating, the saving improvisation when something genuinely misfires, the audience's role as accomplice. The Duchess is small enough that even the back rows feel the cast playing off the laughs. If you only know the company from the BBC series, the live show is funnier — partly because some of it actually does go wrong.
Is The Play That Goes Wrong suitable for children?
Generally yes. The show is recommended for older children and teenagers, roughly eight and above. The humour is mainly physical and situational rather than rude, and much of the fun comes from watching the set misbehave. Very young children might miss some of the wordplay, but there is plenty to enjoy visually.
How long is the performance?
The running time is around two hours including an interval. The pace is brisk, with the mishaps escalating steadily, so it tends to hold the attention of both adults and younger audience members.
Do I need to understand theatre in-jokes to enjoy it?
Not at all. While seasoned theatregoers may recognise certain references, the core of the comedy is extremely straightforward. Doors jam, props break, lines are forgotten and the characters try desperately to carry on. You can walk in with no background at all and still find it hilarious.
What sort of humour can I expect?
Expect a blend of slapstick, verbal gags and escalating misunderstandings. The tone is warm rather than cruel; the actors play their characters as earnestly as possible, which makes the disasters even funnier. If you enjoy classic farce or British sitcoms built around everything going wrong, this will suit you.
Is there any strong language or adult content?
There is the occasional mild swear word, but nothing sustained or aggressive. The surprise comes from the accidents and the timing rather than shock value. If you are looking for a comedy that multiple generations can share, this is a very safe choice.
About this show
A murder mystery where absolutely everything collapses – that is the basic promise of The Play That Goes Wrong, a farce about an amateur drama society attempting to stage a very serious whodunnit. From wobbly scenery and misplaced props to missed cues and increasingly baffled actors, every element of the production appears determined to misbehave. What begins as a slightly shaky opening night quickly descends into gloriously choreographed chaos.
Created by Mischief Theatre, this long-running West End hit combines precision physical comedy with old-fashioned theatrical silliness. You do not need to know anything about the stage to enjoy it: the jokes are clear, visual and relentless. For anyone who has ever taken part in school plays, amateur dramatics or simply likes watching things go delightfully wrong, it is one of London’s most reliably funny evenings.
Other plays next weekend
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Witness for the Prosecution
My Neighbour Totoro
Stranger Things : The First Shadow
Museum Tours Next Weekend
British Museum
Tower of London
Madame Tussauds London
National Gallery
Attraction Tours Next Weekend
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London (Harry Potter)
Windsor Castle
Westminster Abbey
