Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience – REVIEW
Image: FAULTY TOWERS: THE DINING EXPERIENCE. image: supplied
It began as a dinner theatre show in a Brisbane hotel in 1997 and has now become a global franchise. This is its 27th year, and Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience continues to amuse and shock audiences around the world, with any number of acting trios playing Manuel, Sybil, and Basil somewhere on the planet at any one time.
This very brief season in the Utzon Room at Sydney Opera House marks the twelfth time the show has been performed in that venue.
Based on the British TV comedy series, Fawlty Towers which ran in the mid-seventies and was incredibly popular in many countries, the dinner show, Faulty Towers, weaves classic moments, quotes, plot points and catch-phrases into a mostly improvised routine.
It’s a very interactive show. Basil (Matthew Robson), Sybil (Monique Lewis) and Manuel (Andy Foreman) are running a restaurant and the characters are actively involved in seating guests, serving food, creating chaos and being reckless and entertaining.
Surprisingly, only 12 episodes were ever made of the original series; this means that fans pretty much know every plot — and in some cases, every line — by heart. The humour in Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience relies on this supposition, although the brilliant physical comedy, improvisation, and general sense of mirth created in the room means even those unfamiliar with the original series can still enjoy this show.
You do need to come with a sense of fun and adventure, though. Don’t expect Michelin level service or a quiet, pleasant meal. Seats are shuffled, you may get a bread roll if you can catch, drinks need to be drunk fast or they may disappear.
It’s all in good fun, and in the end you’ll have enjoyed a three course meal and huge belly laughs.
