The Play That Goes Wrong has finally come to the Roslyn Packer Theatre and all I could think about was Brooke Satchwell!
Wednesday April 5 was the first night the Australian cast of the play would be performing in Sydney. To be quite honest, yet again I had no idea what to expect. I’d never been to a play before, unless you counted a high school production of The Wizard of Oz.
I’d heard good things about the play and the cast that made the Daily Mail “hyperventilate”, but I didn’t want to read too many reviews in case it affected my virgin judgement of what a comedic play should be like.
Just walking into the fancy theatre got me excited. It was modern and luxurious and the stairs had me in love. However, $9 for the Gin and Tonic that I got was kind of disappointing. But yet again, cute staff members. I’ll let it go.
Even whilst in the lobby, it seemed as though the play had begun. I don’t mean formally, but it would seem that part of the act was to interact with the audience before the formal production of the night had begun, adding context since they were already in character.
Before I dig deep into the play, I’d just like to say one thing to Roslyn Packer Theatre. Let food and drinks in!!
… please. I don’t want to pay $9 on a G&T and then have to skull it because it’s time to get to my seat.
Now the play.
Thankfully split into two Acts, knowing that an intermission would come got me through my worries of having to go to the bathroom during the play since my seats were smack bang in the middle of my row. And then it was time for the performance to begin.
It was clear from the beginning that the play was a play within a play. As confusing as that sounds, it makes perfect sense, creating a very interesting storyline. In its basic plot, the story follows a group of actors playing out the play ‘The Murder at Haversham Manor’ (Que dramatic music).
The plot of the story I have to say actually had me very much intrigued. It somehow felt very realistic for the audience to see all the things that could possibly go wrong in the production of a play, even if it was taken to the utmost extreme for satire purposes. Something my life could totally relate to.
The play had only just begun, but it was clear that everything would go to chaos, but in a good way.
The first act summed up; Charles Haversham is murdered, Haversham’s fiancé played by Brooke Satchwell was knocked unconscious, and the set was falling to pieces, literally; just to name a few things. From amazingly hilarious acting from the likes of Nick Simpson-Deeks and Adam Dunn, I found myself laughing alongside the rest of the audience in crazy hysterics. The script was humorous and made sure to never let the audience feel a lull in excitement.
With the intermission breaking the play at a very significant point, I found myself both relieved and angst driven with anticipation of what could possibly come. P.S. I was totally busting to relieve my bladder.
Coming into the second and final act, my expectations had been raised. I expected quality content to deliver, not only more of the “accident prone thespians” but also a resolution as to who murdered Lord Haversham!
However, what I received was a slight let down. While Act 2 still had some spots of comedy genius, it seemed, to me at least, that some of the actors dropped the ball. Some of the actors seemed to try too hard to be “hilarious” this time around and I believe it showed. Either that, or my comedy radar levels were broken. Although this very well may have been the case since the rest of the audience seemed to still enjoy the rest of the production.
Some of my highlights would definitely have to be Satchwell’s portrayal throughout the play. Perfect for the role, she exceeded all my expectations and that of my companions. Seriously though, how are you not bruised all over your body?
It was Simpson-Deeks however who I believe kept the play moving. Brilliant, he really related to and interacted well with the audience’s energy. They both however could not balance out my confusion at what was going on towards the end of the play. If it weren’t for the production ending the way it did, I would have been totally lost as everything seemed to turn into the kind of chaos no one wants.
Saying this, I was however quite pleased with the play. While many parts, especially towards the end, left me confused and underwhelmed, for the most part I enjoyed my first ever drama and was very glad it was The Play That Goes Wrong.
It is definitely a play that everyone should go and see, for it is a comedic plotline that is truly unique.
Check out The Play That Goes Wrong’ from April 6-23 at Roslyn Packer Theatre.
Purchase tickets here.
Rating for Brooke Satchwell: 9.2/10
Rating for Nick Simpson-Deeks: 8.9/10
Rating for Adam Dunn: 8/10
Rating for Darcy Brown: 7.5/10
Rating for Tammy Weller: 7.9/10
Rating for George Kemp: 7.3/10
Rating for Luke Joslin: 6/10
Rating for James Marlow: 5.5/10
Rating for the Entire Production: 7/10
Are you planning on seeing The Play That Goes Wrong? When are you going and what are your expectations? Let us know by commenting below.
– Written by Deli Ratnakirthi
