"The Play That Goes Wrong" - by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer & Henry Shields - Greater Boston Stage Company (Stoneham, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: Mark Linehan above as “Robert” with Jeff Mahoney below as “Trevor” in a scene from "THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG" by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields now playing at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA. now playing through April 19, 2025. Photo Credit Maggie Hall Photography)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
"Perkins! Pour us all another scotch!"
- ("Chris") / Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields
Greater Boston Stage Company
Presents the Hilarious
"THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG"
A Comedy of Catastrophes!
Written by Henry Lewis, Henry Shields & Jonathan Sayer
Directed by Tyler Rosati
Cast Includes: Spencer Daniel+ as “Understudy Trevor/Chris/Dennis,” Sarah Gazdowicz* as “Sandra/Florence Colleymore,” Liam Grimaldi as “Max/Cecil Haversham and Arthur the Gardener,” Jenny S. Lee as “Understudy Sandra/Annie,” Alex Leondedis as “Understudy Jonathan/Robert/Max,” Mark Linehan* as “Robert/Thomas Colleymore,” Jeff Mahoney as “Trevor,” Paul Melendy* as “Chris/Inspector Carter,” Sarah Morin as “Denise/Perkins,” Stewart Evan Smith* as “Jonathan/Charles Haversham,” Ceit Zweil* as “Annie.”
Additional Creative Team:
Original Scenic - Designer Peter Colao; Scenic Designer - Danielle Ibrahim; Lighting Designer - Katie Whittemore; Costume Designer - E. Rosser; Sound Designer - James Cannon; Properties Master - David Allen Prescott; Intimacy/Violence Design - Samantha Richert; Production Stage Manager - Meghan Ward*; Production Manager - Meghan Ward*; Assistant Production Manager - Ryan Natcharian; Assistant Stage Manager - Hazel Peters*; Production Assistant - Melissa Smith; Production Assistant - Cassie Lebeau; Fight Captain - Sarah Morin; Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Consultant - Kira Troilo, Art & Soul Consulting LLC.
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
** Represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 of the IATSE
+ Young Company alumni
Performances:
March 28, 2025 through April 19, 2025
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
GREATER BOSTON STAGE COMPANY, 395 Main Street Stoneham, MA. 02180
TICKETS:
Reserve your tickets today!
Box Office Hours: Mondays – Fridays, noon to 6pm Box Office # 781-279-2200 boxoffice@greaterbostonstage.org
BUY TICKETS
COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.
(Warning: The following review contains spoilers)
Greater Boston Stage Company (GBSC) presents the hysterical "THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG" and this much comedy could prove dangerous to one’s health.
Anyone coming to see this show should be "conscious" of (may prove to be an ironic choice of words) any set pieces, props, costumes, liquids...mints, etc. flung your way or falling in your path.
In truth, this two-act comedy is both an engineering marvel and a guaranteed laugh riot, accent on the “riot” part.
In "THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG," GBSC is taken over by the fictional "Cornley Drama Society."
Cornley has brought to the unsuspecting community of Stoneham a "dark and brooding drama" where a calamitous, nail-biting, bone-breaking and funny as hell "Murphy's Law" reigns supreme.
In their undaunted conviction to present this piece, Cornley Drama Society show is impeded by endless mishap after mishap…before the curtain even goes up.
The phenomenal GBSC cast is more than up to the challenge of "executing" (probably a poor choice of words) the grueling physical comedy involved.
Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, "THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG" opened on Broadway in 2017, having already previously won for Best New Comedy at the 2015 Laurence Olivier Awards.
The play-within-a-play, entitled “The Murder at Haversham Manor,” is a “serious” 1920s murder mystery and, during the performance, the cast and crew contend with non-functional set pieces, ill-prepared cast members, an incompetent crew and floors collapsing.
What the Cornley cast and crew soon realize is that anything that can go wrong WILL GO WRONG.
Costume disasters, forgotten or ill-timed lines, falling down sets, missing props, miscues and knock-down, drag out fights between upstaging cast members…all those combative elements which may seem far-too-familiar for veterans of community theatre (we thank you for your ongoing service, by the way).
The GBSC production is directed by Tyler Rosati who has exceptionally staged what can only be described as “harmonious chaos” as it is almost lyrical in nature and musical in approach.
Rosati has ensured that all the show’s technical elements and occasionally arduous physical comedy execution required is done so with great care and precision throughout this show.
(Photo: The CAST of "THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG" by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields now playing at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA. now playing through April 19, 2025. Photo Credit Maggie Hall Photography)
The brilliant Stoneham stage motif of "Haversham Manor" is a highlight with its intricate design and is a stunning set (both metaphorically and literally, at times).
The set for "THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG" maximizes the entire Stoneham stage and it needs to - as it literally becomes one of the most important "characters" on stage.
Similar to the show's literary 'cousin,' "Noises Off!," (by Michael Frayn) every technical element of "THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG" must be...and is...blueprinted.
It is no small effort to make on stage disasters look seamless and striking, but it is here that the combined efforts by the GBSC cast and its creative team excel.
Costumes, props, hair and make-up are all perfectly in keeping with the show's humor which comes exclusively from the tragically inept attempt by the "Cornley" players to provide an evening of suspense.
SAFETY must always (always, ALWAYS) be taken into account for any group even considering staging such a physically and technically complex show as "THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG."
The above is said noting that, at the March 29th GBSC performance, an actual injury was thankfully averted as one “collapsing” set panel nearly did strike one of the actors, falling mere inches from the actor's head.
The sheer volume of physical acrobatics and precisely timed out technical cues involved is a massive "undertaking" (again, probably not the best choice of words) - but for this production, it is where the entire cast and creative team of GBSC excels.
(Photo: Paul Melendy as “Chris” in a moment from "THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG" by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields now playing at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA. now playing through April 19, 2025. Photo Credit Maggie Hall Photography)
Even before curtain goes up, there is an onslaught of mishaps, and do not be surprised if some in the audience will be drawn into the fray.
The director of the murder mystery play is Chris Bean (Paul Melendy) who also portrays "Inspector Carter" in charge of the murder investigation at Haversham Manor.
As the show advances (or retreats), both as "Carter" and director, Bean's level of competency will be called into question.
Some "...GOES WRONG" fans or regular viewers of the British series may take notice (or perhaps even exception) to how Melendy has uniquely approached the character of “Chris,” usually portrayed as erudite and stuffy.
In the GBSC production, though, Melendy has chosen to portray Chris as more plebian, (imagine if "Big Bang" character "Sheldon" had instead been raised on the "Jersey Shore") - and yet, the portrayal still works thanks to Melendy's impeccable timing and utter conviction to the character.
In addition to Bean, the cast of the fictional ensemble includes: Jonathan (Stewart Evan Smith) who plays victim "Charles Haversham."
Even in "death," Charles is persistent in trying to re-emerge on stage and continues to get "victimized" as the show progresses.
Smith is hilarious in his portrayal of Charles, yielding many laughs and a few equally funny ad-libs throughout the show.
(Photo: The CAST of "THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG" by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields now playing at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA. now playing through April 19, 2025. Photo Credit Maggie Hall Photography)
Dominating nearly every scene is actor Robert Grove (Mark Linehan) in the role of murder suspect "Thomas Colleymore."
Like most on stage, Linehan endures a multitude of grueling physical scenes.
Fortunately, he maintains astute comedic timing throughout, providing many comical moments.
In the dual roles of "Cecil Haversham" and "Arthur the Gardener" is the flamboyant actor Max Bennett (Liam Grimaldi) who, with an impish smile and mischief in his soul, occasionally breaks both character and the fourth wall...much to the annoyance of his castmates.
Grimaldi is animated as Bennett, who is also not safe from many of the catastrophic antics on stage.
In addition to the physical comedy, there is also a madcap "sword fight" scene between the characters of "Colleymore" and "Cecil" which….you guessed it…does not go “as planned.”
Denise Tyde (Sarah Morin) plays faithful butler, "Perkins" in the "play-within-a-play."
Morin effortlessly taps into the character of Tyde’s struggle with being a poorly prepared actor plagued by a penchant for regularly mangling the lines spoken by the beleaguered character "Perkins."
(Photo: Liam Grimaldi as “Max" also playing "Arthur the Gardener” in a scene from "THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG" by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields now playing at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA. now playing through April 19, 2025. Photo Credit Maggie Hall Photography)
Sandra Wilkinson (Sarah Gazdowicz) plays sultry seductress and suspect "Florence Colleymore," who is disarming...that is, until Wilkinson is both disarmed and deported to off-stage after an on-stage accident.
Sandra later attempts to resume her character…in far less clothing.
However, Wilkinson sees Stage Crew member Annie (Ceit Zweil) on stage wearing Wilkinson's costume and performing the lines of "Florence."
Zweil is a riot as the nervous Annie, who is alarmed at literally being shoved onto stage as "Florence", but then soon gets into it and ultimately refuses to relinquish it upon Wilkinson's return.
While the show descends into complete and painful chaos, some of the most grueling slapstick and pratfall scenes in the show are expertly managed by Gazdowicz and Zweil.
Serving as lighting and sound technician for the show is Trevor Watson (Jeff Mahoney), who has a disturbing "Duran Duran" fetish (the pop group, not the "Barbarella" character).
Mahoney showcases great timing as Trevor, whose anxiety level is on overload as he is also accidentally brought on stage and “thrust” into the mayhem.
(Photo: Mark Linehan above as “Robert” with Jeff Mahoney below as “Trevor” in a scene from "THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG" by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields now playing at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA. now playing through April 19, 2025. Photo Credit Maggie Hall Photography)
From its disastrous outset to its devastating conclusion, everybody in the audience will get side-splittingly tortured from laughing so hard at GBSC's production of "THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG."
(Editor’s Note: if anyone locates a dog who responds to the name "Winston" and is carrying a "Duran Duran" CD in its mouth, please contact the Cornley Drama Society at once through GBSC.)
Enjoy the chaos at "THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG" continuing at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA. until April 19th, 2025.
Coming up next at GBSC will be "FOUNDING F***ERS (EFFERS)" an irreverent romp through the American Revolution by Conor Casey beginning May 2nd, 2025.
For tickets, contact the Box Office at # 781-279-2200 or at boxoffice@greaterbostonstage.org
BUY TICKETS
Approximately two hours with one intermission.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
Welcome to opening night of “The Murder at Haversham Manor,” where everything that can go wrong does. From an unconscious leading lady and a corpse that can’t stay dead to actors tripping over everything (including their lines), this uproarious disaster will have you in stitches. Perfect for fans of "Clue" and "Sherlock Holmes"The New York Times hails "THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG" as “A GUT-BUSTING HIT!"
ABOUT GREATER BOSTON STAGE COMPANY
We bring vibrant professional theatre and dramatic education beyond the boundaries of Boston, featuring world and regional premieres alongside fresh interpretations of familiar work. Within this setting, we uniquely foster the artists of tomorrow by providing ongoing performance and employment opportunities to our company of current and former students. Located in Stoneham, MA.
GREATER BOSTON STAGE COMPANY produces five Mainstage shows, presents a series of Special Events, and runs year-round classes, lessons, and fully staged productions through The Young Company for students in grades 1–12.
395 Main Street
Stoneham, MA. 02180
Box Office # 781-279-2200
boxoffice@greaterbostonstage.org
greaterbostonstage.org
