Review: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG at Kavinoky Theatre

Just how wrong can everything go so that it looks wrong in a perfect way? That should be the goal in any good farce. And the farce du jour these days seems to be the ridiculously absurd but oh so perfectly titled, THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG now playing at the Kavinoky Theatre.

Following in the footsteps of such classic farces as RUN FOR YOUR WIFE and NOISES OFF, playwrights Henry Lewis, Henry Shields and Jonathan Sayer bring us this British import that won over Broadway audiences before being moved Off Broadway, where it is celebrating it's 1000th performance .

The audience is invited to watch a local theatrical troupe present a whodunnit murder mystery, but the rickety set and not so experienced local thespians may not be ready for prime time. The stage crew ambles through the audience looking for the lost dog, a missing 2- CD set, and a willing audience volunteer to help put the set back together just seconds before the curtain rises.

The small cast is made up of a rag tag group including an actor who forgets his lines, another who can't stop mugging, an overly dramatic diva, and plenty of accident prone newbies.

Brian Mysliwy is great at the dual roles of troupe director Chris and Inspector Carter. His polished performance was full of exasperation coupled with a Scotland Yard sense of decorum.

Steve Copps as Cecil Haversham reveled in his role as the novice actor who was stiff as a board but beguiled by the audience's reactions. Copps found all his laughs and the audience ate up his juvenile grinnings. His second role as the Gardener found him holding a dog-less leash and the comedy wrote itself right there.

Kelly Meg Brennan was the overly dramatic ingenue Florence, prone to dramatic fits. She hit all her marks in a part that requires lots of passing out and being carried about .

Don Gervasi as Thomas Colleymore is blustery and the perfect to-the-manor-born Englishman. Jacob Albarella is great as the bungling butler Perkins. The two share many fine comedic moments together.

Afrim Gjonbalaj was quite funny as the stage manager Victor, who was perpetually oblivious and absent minded. His interjections were brief, but appropriately silly. And he hammed it up perfectly when called upon to jump in for the leading lady.

Alexandria Watts is the stagehand Annie, and she gave a convincing performance as an inexperienced techie as well as a stand in actor. Kodi James is given plenty of ridiculous shtick as "The Deceased", all keeping in line with the farcical style required. His rebirth in the second act commanded attention, despite a questionable attempt at an English accent.

The split second action requires exact precision as doors slam, punches are thrown, and props fall on cue. The opening weekend cast gave it their all but at times the physicality overwhelmed then. The numerous times that required someone to be knocked unconscious suffered from slight timing delays and the "chaos" could use some tightening.

There can be great comedy found in repetition, and the cast found a good rhythm in a scene that is repeated four times in a row, each time speeding up. The campiness found as they struggled with bungled props, broken down set pieces and nonsensical posturing was mostly handled with aplomb. To say nothing of the props which included throwing ridiculous white crepe paper as snow, red ribbon used as blood, and hand painted flames in the fireplace.

Co Directors Adriano Gatto and Michael Galante guided the action at a good clip but the amount of physical comedy required as the second act progressed showed some slackening that was palpable. With the goal of making pandemonium look effortless, the ensemble will no doubt find a tighter rhythm as the run progresses .

The set by Dyan Burlingame was designed as a fine homage to the regional community theatres everywhere. Lighting Designer Brian Cavanagh gets to have some fun with miscued lighting cues and cheesy sound effects, effectively designed by Geoffrey Tocin. Andrea Letcher's costumes were perfectly placed for the period.

If this play is your cup of tea, the writers are bringing their newest work to the Broadway stage.. Look for PETER PAN GOES WRONG this spring, as the boy who refuses to grow up crashes around the set as he attempts to fly!

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG plays the Kavinoky Theatre through March 19, 2023. Contact Kavinokytheatre.com for more information.

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