THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG Enters Final Week At Carnegie Theatre

Make your way to the Carnegie Theatre for the last week of the hilarious comedy "The Play That Goes Wrong," by authors Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields.

Due to renovations of their Corbett Theatre on the NKU campus, the Theatre program is serving up this amazing comedic gem at this Covington location. In the joke-filled, physically demanding, slapstick show director Ken Jones, cast and crew provide a hilarious adventure into a world of good, silly, side-splitting fun.

"The Play That Goes Wrong" takes the form of a play within a play. A group of bumbling but committed Drama Society types try to stage a 1920s Agatha Christi- style murder mystery. All the craziness of acting gone awry combine with wackily earnest efforts that the show must go on create a continuous series of disasters on a stage that make audiences laugh from the pre-how bits to the curtain call.

It's a play that leans heavily on the physical elements of farce while having some fun with old-school theatrics. Credit should be given to the director Jones for tapping into the energy of these young performers and capturing the perfect balance within the comedic genre. There is a great skill in creating something that looks this chaotic while keeping the impeccable comic timing. Jones has never disappointed Cincinnati audiences when it comes to comedy.

The cast of the murder mystery try hard to hold the show together physically and narratively through half-baked improvisations and an overall desire to somehow make it work. They convey all the love of being onstage and a passion to keep the play afloat no matter how many holes it springs. This ensemble works together with extraordinary precision.

Jathan Briscoe as the body of Charles Haversham, effortlessly puts up with an enormous amount of abuse as he is stepped on, dropped, and otherwise thrown about the set. Bodie Moore playing the director Chris is especially adept at verbal comedy and the dry delivery of ridiculous lines. Luc Vandenbroek is very funny in displaying the pleasure of overacting and his physical comedy is masterful. Hailey Watson plays the leading lady whose glamorous turn results in startling slapstick. Somehow, her meek character overcomes every adversity as she makes sure we notice her sultry sex appeal.

Reagan Wildoner, an audience favorite, is lovably terrible as an amateur who does most of his acting through exaggerated gestures as he keeps his eyes aimed at an audience. The audience stopped the action of the play several time with applause for Mr. Wildoner. Phoenix Bills has numerous amusing moments as the incompetent butler Perkins as played by the incompetent actor Dennis who never stops mispronouncing certain words.

Max Mason is the light and sound technician whose breezy approach to her duties sometimes interferes with the play's technical momentum. Mason plays this well and is especially funny during pre-show activities. Annie, the stage manager, played by Elliet Malatesta is pushed onstage in terror as an understudy, only to learn she loves acting so much that she'll fight for the right to stay in front of the curtain. Malatesta nurtures the character from sweet to a crazed adding to the overall controlled chaos of the show.

Scenic designer Eric Barker in conjunction with Lighting Designer Jo Sanburg create a mansion with a gothic feel that disintegrates before our eyes. We, the audience, are as surprised as the characters are by the malfunctions. One drawback is that the Carnegie Theatre itself presents sightline issues, so try to sit in the center section for the best view of all the moving parts. Special accolades to costume designer, Daryl L. Harris, for gorgeously hilarious costumes from the outer wear down to the underwear. Also, I'd like to give a shout out to Marcia Fortner, stage manager, and her assistants, Kiley Ernst and Jordan Kerr for controlling the onstage and backstage activity which must be nothing short of mayhem.

"The Play That Goes Wrong" is the funniest play I've seen in a long, long time and quite possibly the funniest thing that's around at the moment. It's an evening of pure silliness. I think my side are still aching and my smile just won't go away.

Tickets

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG runs through April 20, 2024, at The Carnegie Theatre. 1028 Scott St, Covington, KY 41011 Tickets can be purchased online: https://thecarnegie.com or Call: (859) 572-5464.

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