Review: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG is Rightfully Funny at La Mirada

As our actual world collapses into chaos outside, it's actually quite a sigh of relief to sit and watch (and laugh at) someone else's avalanche of chaos for a change—and, from what I gather, no one really gets seriously hurt. Well, at least I think so.

Even before the madcap production of sight gags and pratfalls called THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG begins, things don't seem to be as they should be. 

Already, a part of the set has torn off. Panicked stage hands are scrambling to get things in place in a goofy manner. The aloof stage manager's biggest worry at the moment seems to be his missing Duran Duran CD lost somewhere in the theater. And, amusingly, the play's director (who is also acting in the play) is forced to step out from backstage to apologize to the audience for a slight misunderstanding.

"My apologies to those who came expecting a performance of Jason Alexander in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF…" he sheepishly declares, warning us that this is something wholly different. Ha!

Okay. While a small part of me would have enjoyed an encore performance of that impressive La Mirada Theater musical production, I'm also glad of what has arrived here in its stead.

Filled with non-stop, over-the-top comedy that seems to just keep ratcheting up at every turn, THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG—a new So. Cal. regional production from McCoy Rigby Entertainment that continues performances through February 16, 2025 at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts—is, by design, one of the funniest, most gut-busting productions one will ever have to experience in a live theatre. 

A masterclass in over-exaggerated farcical comedy that Brits seem to have a natural knack for devising, this ridiculously topsy-turvy show employs a seemingly endless supply of physical humor, slapstick, and meta-theatrical elements that pile up on top of another like a runaway train that just keeps getting funnier and funnier as it keeps hurtling forward. 

The show's structure follows a traditional three-act farce but has been adapted to the format of a "play-within-a-play," wherein we are led to believe that we, the audience, are here for the "opening night" performance of a fictitious 1920's-style murder mystery play put on by the amateur theater company Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society. 

Their play is entitled "Murder at Haversham Manor," which then continuously devolves into a series of technical failures, forgotten lines, and catastrophic mishaps that threatens to derail the performance (but is essentially a laugh riot for us, the audience). 

The cleverly-choreographed, intentionally insane chaos hilariously multiplies as the supposed-to-be-dramatic narrative progresses, building to a crescendo of absurdity and outrageous follies that keeps everyone on edge. 

What THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG gets so very, very right is its smart, humorously layered juxtaposition of the intended high-stakes drama of "The Murder at Haversham Manor" with the unintended high-stakes drama of the Cornley Polytechnic acting and production troupe's constant failures at every turn that they must fix on the spot to keep it going. Despite the mounting disasters, the determined cast and crew desperately try to carry on, leading to increasingly outrageous moments. 

Thankfully, the show's machinations do not allow for any pauses for the high jinks—well, except the intermission, I suppose. Its relentless pace at dispersing every sight gag, missed cue, botched line, broken prop, or debilitating accident ensures that the show never has a dull moment, making it highly engaging for all audiences, no matter what type of comedy tickles their particular fancy.

Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields, the show—which first premiered in 2012—draws on familiar elements of farce and physical comedy, reminiscent of classic slapstick works from the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Lucille Ball, and Carol Burnett. The humor is derived from the relentless escalation of "surprise" disasters, with each mistake further compounding the absurdity. This style of comedy appeals to audiences across cultures, backgrounds, and ages, as it relies on mostly visual gags and exaggerated character reactions rather than verbal witticisms alone. 

One of the play's obvious key strengths is its built-in self-awareness. Here, the audience is placed in the unique position of experiencing not only the "intended" play put on by this amateur community theater collective, "The Murder at Haversham Manor," (albeit a messy version of it, haha) but also the actual play being put on that brought us all to La Mirada in the first place, the aptly titled THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG. 

And, yeah, there's no ambiguity in that title.

This dual-reality blurs the line between performance and real-life, making the audience happily complicit in the humor. The actors break the fourth wall many times, acknowledging their mistakes and directly interacting with spectators, creating an immersive and, ultimately, communal theatrical experience.

And although the collection of events that occur in THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG appears to be an uncontrolled disaster, it is, of course, meticulously choreographed. Helmed  with swift precision by director Eric Petersen, every falling set piece, missed cue, or mistimed reaction is calculated to maximize comedic impact while also ensuring The Acting Company's (apparent) safety. 

This pre-planned precision is what differentiates it from an actual failing play that falls apart before our eyes—what seems tragically spontaneous is actually an incredibly disciplined performance that combines the symbiotic skills of an actor with the skills of a visual and technical magician. The production's ability to make chaos appear natural is a testament to the collaborative efforts of writers, set designers, prop makers, and, of course, the actual  performers on stage executing everything with great timing and believability.

And this ensemble cast is just exceptional all around—from their brave physicality and limberness to their loud mannerisms and facial expressions—providing perfectly comedic personas that fit their respective roles. 

Since THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG is presented as a play-within-a-play, the actors are not only playing their "real-life" characters as part of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society but also their assigned (and, as needed, assumed) roles in "The Murder at Haversham Manor."

We first meet Chris (the prim-and-proper John Sanders), the overly serious and understandably stressed-out director of Cornley's murder mystery play who himself plays Detective Carter in the drama. Optimistic when he comes out at the start to welcome the audience to the performance, his panic quickly takes over as one disaster after another threatens his play's opening night. But, somehow, despite everything literally falling apart, he is still determined to keep it all going no matter what.

Alongside him, the principal cast of "Haversham Manor" also includes towering hulk Robert (the excellent Trent Mills) who plays Thomas Colleymore, the Best Friend of the play's murder victim. A self-important actor attempting to stay "method" throughout, Robert tries his best not to acknowledge any mistakes, even the most obvious ones. 

Robert shares the most stage time with Dennis (hysterical scene-stealer Reggie De Leon), who plays Perkins, the gray-haired butler of Haversham Manor. A well-meaning but dim-witted actor who struggles with pronouncing and remembering his lines, Dennis is often seen reading difficult words scribbled on his hand to hilariously bungled results.

Also in the cast is Max (the adorable Garrett Clayton) who mostly plays dandy Cecil Haversham, brother of the murder victim and, later, cockney Haversham Manor gardener Arthur. A truly novice-level actor who mostly enjoys the attention of being on stage, Max often hams up every scene he is in and often breaks character as he is astonished and self-impressed by his otherwise stiff line readings. His prideful smiles to the audience is endearingly ridiculous in the best way.

Meanwhile, cast member Jonathan (dashing Sterling Sulieman) is pretty much playing a silent corpse that gets dropped, man-handled, and stepped on accidentally numerous times, since he's tasked with the role of Charles Haversham, the murder victim found dead at the mansion. His counterpart is overly dramatic actress Sandra (the funny Regina Hernandez) who takes her role as posh society gal Florence Colleymore—Charles' fiancée—very seriously, but gets sidelined by an injury mid-way through the play. 

In a funny, 42nd Street-style turn of events, one of the play's behind-the-scenes crew members Annie (perfectly deadpan Mary Faber) is spontaneously forced to step into the role of Florence when Sandra gets knocked out of the play. Despite some initial fears and stilted orations of her lines read directly from a printed copy of the script, she gradually embraces the spotlight and steals our affections—all while still wearing her crew hat and wireless intercom mic.

Overseeing all the disastrous action from the wings like a passerby staring at a car accident on the freeway is stage manager Trevor (the hilariously giddy Michael Leon-Wolley, whose voice I instantly recognized from Disney's The Princess and the Frog), who seems to be delighted by all the chaos.

The physicality of this ensemble's performances—combined with the well-timed delivery of their supposed-to-be-dramatic lines—ensures that all of its imbedded humor lands effectively. The harmonious interplay of this ensemble cast is just superb, with each performer contributing to the show's precise comedic timing and rhythm as they banter with one another. 

While there is no denying that the actors assembled for this show contributes to its overall success, the sum of all of its various machinations needed to come together seamlessly to make it all work. And they do.

The aforementioned acting troupe must not only be able to orate their lines for comedic effect, they must also execute complex stunts, including falls, collisions, and props malfunctioning in ways that require physical precision—which this cast brilliantly executes. 

Sure, the over-the-top, hysterical acting is at once expected and absolutely needed here, but I'm actually particularly impressed by the acting chops it takes to seem as though they're trying really, really hard at covering up their mistakes—knowing that they're trying to perform (and finish) this play for an audience… and, dammit, they're going to try their hardest to make it happen! 

Some might say that it's not that difficult to get an easy laugh with these non-stop barrages of physical and visual gags, but I actually think it takes an act of bravery to make the seemingly unplanned "accidents" work without incident. Can you imagine an audience awkwardly laughing at a sight gag that didn't quite work, especially ones that require getting bonked in the head with a piece of scenery or, yikes, falling from a collapsing second story platform—resulting in real, not-pretend injuries?! Thank goodness it all works out!

These human performers work beautifully in conjunction with Czerton Lim's intricately-designed set—intentionally fashioned to malfunction with collapsing floors, moving furniture, and misplaced props—that create "unpredictable" yet carefully-timed (and, yes, predictable) mishaps. 

Add to this the impressive work of sound designer Josh Bessom and lighting designer Steven Young whose "incorrect" cues and "misplaced" sound effects contribute to the escalating sense of disorder, further enhancing the play's humor. Visually, the notable contributions of Costume Designer Adam Ramirez and hair/makeup designer Kaitlin Yagen help sell the vintage-adjacent setting of the play-within-a-play's narrative to make their low-tech mishaps seem especially ridiculous.

This might be a stretch… but, for me, at its heart, THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG seems to be an affectionate love letter to amateur community theatre. In its own funny-skewed perspective, the idea of immovable resilience is celebrated through the actions of this plucky group of theater geeks who remain determined to finish this performance despite everything around them falling apart. 

This kind of "show-must-go-on" perseverance highlights the dedication of theatre practitioners to "keep calm and carry on" no matter the circumstances. Though for us audience members, it is sheer hilarity, but seeing the actors' valiant commitment to their craft—to delivering their lines, even as the set crumbles around them and they suffer serious injuries—just reinforces the resilience and absurdity of untainted artistic ambitions of those hell-bent on entertaining patrons of their art.

To be honest, I don't remember experiencing too many breaks in my laughter during THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG. Overall, the show is an expertly-crafted piece of unapologetically silly live comedic theatre that demonstrates the power of precision in the guise of "random" chaos. By blending slapstick humor, meta-theatrical elements, and sheer physical comedy-laced energy, this theatrical enterpris creates an unforgettable theatrical experience that will have you laughing non-stop. While its primary goal is to be an entertaining, crowd-pleasing spectacle, it also spotlights the resilience of theatre performers and the thrilling unpredictability of live theatre—proving that, sometimes, abject failure can be the greatest source of laughter.

Follow this reviewer on Bluesky / Instagram / X / Threads: @cre8iveMLQ.

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Photos by Jason Niedle / TETHOS courtesy of La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Performances of the McCoy-Rigby Entertainment production of THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG at The La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts continue through Sunday, February 16, 2025. The theater is located at 14900 La Mirada Boulevard in the city of La Mirada, CA. Parking is Free. For tickets, visit LaMiradaTheatre.com or call (562) 944-9801 or (714) 994-6310.

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