The Play That Goes Wrong

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From £43

Available Performances

Fri 16 Jan

19:30
Sat 17 Jan

14:30, 19:30
Sun 18 Jan

15:00, 19:00

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🕗 2hr 5min🎭 Duchess Theatre

⭐4.7/5 based on 5,315 reviews

Stephanie Delaney ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"We had a great time! The players and content were excellent, the timing of all the stunts plus the technical side of props etc brilliant. So well worked by what looks a great team, we haven’t laughed so much for years! Have told all our friends to go!"

12/01/2026

Robert Prance ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Brilliant in all respects"

11/01/2026

Elizabeth Siekierka ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Super fun! I love that!!! :D"

08/01/2026

Anton anderson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Lovely show, very funny I don’t think there was a time I wasn’t laughing."

06/01/2026

Yvonne ⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Mixed reviews from our group: if you love slapstick and farce, it’s for you. And that style is very well done. Even if you’re into that, it’s all very much on the same level. Not for me but our 9 year old loved it, as did most of the audience. Very small theatre with shallow rake."

05/01/2026

Diletta Terzi ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"We were cracking up the entire show! Recommended!!"

04/01/2026

Deanna Rebecca Earley ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"An absolute disaster of a show, and everything you can think of goes wrong! Highly recommended, go watch it if you can!"

03/01/2026

Roy Testa ⭐⭐⭐

"Just not my kind of theatre show. My wife and I thought that the humour was a little too slpastick and obvious although this said there were a lot of the audiance who were in stiches (soory)"

02/01/2026

David Barker ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"A very enjoyable and entertaining production. Full of energy, enthusiasm and no little dexterity."

01/01/2026

Laura Lorenzo ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Muy divertida, sobre todo la segunda parte que es muy dinámica. ¡Actores y actrices de 10!"

01/01/2026

Happy customer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"This show was uproariously funny! Every member of the cast has perfect timing and was the star of the show. I could watch it every week for a year!"

31/12/2025

Danae Bixler ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Very enjoyable. Everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong and some things that couldn't possibly go wrong also went wrong."

31/12/2025

Serban-Parau Oltea ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Wonderful production. Great actors. Great technical staff !"

28/12/2025

SN ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Hilarious, extremely well played and set up, audience participation very clever, fast pace, amazing, fabulous evening, would highly recommend. Great cast!!! Xx"

27/12/2025

Ashley Sobke ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Amazing! I laughed - hard - throughout the entire thing. We absolutely loved it."

26/12/2025

Hatem Rushdy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Brilliant. Genius. Hilarious. Laughed non stop throughout."

25/12/2025

Anna Bell ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"This is hands down the funniest play ever! I'd seen it a couple of times before, but we took our 9 year old son to see it for the first time and he absolutely loved it! I love this play so much - it is brilliantly done and the whole premise is fantastic! Go see it, you won't be disappointed!"

24/12/2025

Things to Know Before You Go

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.

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.