The (One-Act) Play That Goes Wrong: What could possibly go afoul?

Burbage Theatre Co. presents The (One-Act) Play That Goes Wrong by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields of Mischief Theatre. “We are thrilled to kick off Season 13 with a bang, or rather, a hilarious disaster! A return to what Burbage does best,” says  Artistic Director Jeff Church, who skillfully directed this raucous production that left us rolling in the aisles. That description is fitting, as they have dubbed their new season “Confronting Chaos.” The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong — with its impeccable timing, broad physical comedy, and relentless merriment — promises to have you laughing from start to finish. Seriously, there’s a laugh every 20 seconds. You’re still recovering from the last laugh when the next begins! 

Here is Burbage’s synopsis. “You all know the classic murder-mystery story. There has been an untimely death at a country manor. Everyone is a suspect, and an inspector arrives to determine the culprit. However, when this play is performed by the accident-prone thespians of The Cornley Drama Society, everything that can go wrong … does! The actors and crew battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences! From Mischief, the creators of the Tony Award®-winning Broadway hit The Play That Goes Wrong is the original one-act play that started everything going wrong. For 75 minutes, expect a plethora of disasters – from missed lines to falling props. Do you ever find out who murdered Charles Haversham? You’ll have to see for yourself!”

Church gives us a brilliantly enacted production featuring an excellent ensemble of  funny actors. The synergy between this cast of eight is electric! It would have to be, as the ‘improv’ in this play within a play leaves room for much error — yet there is none! It’s incredible how well the cast delivers each time, as the actors react and adapt to all the mishaps in their production. You’ve likely never seen anything like this. Mayhem never looked so merry! 

The  talented ensemble includes Allison Crews, Liam Roberts, Valerie Westgate, Jack Clarke, James Lucey, Michael Greene, Hector “Manny” Maldonado, and Andrew Iacovelli. The design team created an explosive set. that, as Church says, “We will gleefully destroy at every performance, undoubtedly adding to the chaos and fun.” The spectacular crew who adeptly pulled all this off includes stage manager Hector “Manny” Maldonado, assistant stage manager Noah Goldman, set designer Trevor Elliott, technical director Andrew Iacovelli, Brittany Costello ATD/props, and lighting design by Thomas Edwards.

“I’ve been interested in this show since the full-length version first moved to Broadway  in 2017,” says Church. “I caught Lyrics Stage’s production in Boston a few years ago and laughed harder than I  ever have in the theater. When I saw there was a one-act version, I was thrilled. It’s more compact but hits almost every mark. It was time to do it at Burbage.”

Church, known in the state for his hilarious physical comedy, was a natural choice to direct this production. “It was difficult to stage and rehearse at times – the timing has to be so precise for audiences to catch every note, and the bells and whistles of the set and props require a lot of patience to figure out and fit into the show. It can be grueling at times to make that happen. It requires much repetition. But this cast has been game from the word, ‘Go.’ They are a special group – all talented, funny, and just good people. Their hard work is the reason this process was such a joy, and it really was. Our production team also broke their back to prepare the set   so we could rehearse with it as much as possible. Suffice it to say, I count myself a lucky director.” 

“I really just want people to have a laugh,” Church adds. “Laughter is important, especially in these often distressing times…   This is one of the best shows written in the past few years for a good laugh.” Stay for the cast’s “Talkback Questions” at the end. It’s worth the extra five minutes.

Burbage’s production of The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong is presented through September 22. For more information, visit www.burbagetheatre.org or call (401) 484-0355.

Photo: Maggie Hall, Burbage Theatre Production Photos