Review: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG at Osceola Arts

It is rare to sit down in a theatre to see a play and literally laugh non-stop from before the curtain all the way to the final bows. Sure, there are hilarious comedies out there that garner many laughs in an evening but to create a raucous reaction from an audience with little time to take a breath until the next unbelievably funny moment – for almost every moment of the play - that is rare. So, when I tell you this is exactly the experience you are likely to have sitting in the audience at Osceola Arts’ stellar production of THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG, trust me, you should run, not walk, to get your tickets to what is likely to be the funniest and most entertaining Central Florida productions of the year. Fair warning – you should be prepared for your face and your sides to hurt by the end of the evening – and not just metaphorically – it is truly that fun.

If you haven’t had the chance to see a production of THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG, the concept is simple. The audience gathered is there to attend a production of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’s production of “The Murder at Haversham Manor” a British murder mystery with all the tropes and dramatic moments you might find in any Agatha Christie-esque whoddunnit. The problem is this theatrical company, while not lacking in heart and energy, are, shall we say, not the most skilled professionals (on stage and off) but they are certainly some of the most dedicated. Beginning with a few funny pre-show moments, and a curtain speech by the director and actor (Jason Blackwater) which provides a bit of a view into the history of the company - the play within a play starts off with a bang and from the very first moments the audience is treated to every potential thing that could go wrong with a stage play. In the two hours and twenty minutes (including a 15 minute intermission) of hilarity you have it all - costume mishaps, flubbed lines, pratfalls, malfunctioning set pieces and physical mix-ups that are so fun to watch, you may just laugh until you cry. The plot of “The Murder at Haversham Manor” doesn’t really even matter – you are simply holding your breath to see what the actors (and the set and props) may do next. But as they say, the show must go on, and these characters take that absolutely to heart all the way to the smashing finish.

The recipe for a farce of the magnitude of Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields’ THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG may seem, on paper, straightforward – what could be funnier than a play with flubbed lines, pratfalls and unexpected mishaps – but solid (and solidly funny) script aside, it takes a highly skilled cast and creative team to pull it off well. Luckily for our local Orlando audiences, Osceola Arts is more than up to the task, bringing together some of the funniest and most capable actors, directors and designers together to pull off this theatrical coup d’etat. Leading the comedic charge for this production is local theatrical comedy staple Brandon Roberts who expertly guides his cast through the highly choreographed blocking and perfectly timed actions to deliver a well-oiled machine that comes off as chaotic and without reason. What better leader for a play filled with some of the funniest physical humor than a performer like Mr. Roberts with many comedic performances under his belt. To pull off this feat he has gathered together an absolutely wonderful cast who fully embrace their characters – embodying each with unique personalities that clearly come through as they try to make their way through the play together.

First, we have Chris – the president of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society making his directorial debut with “Haversham Manor” and also portraying the grizzled Inspector Carter who is tasked with solving the murder of the title. Jason Blackwater gives a wonderful performance as the man who is not only forced to watch his show fall apart, but do it from amongst the chaos – often with a look of bewilderment and disbelief on his face. As Max, a passionate player of the society, the hilarious Michael Knight plays two roles in the play – brother of the murder victim Cecil Haversham, and the gardener – both of which he does while incessantly (and hilariously) mugging for the audience, sometimes even stopping the show with his antics.  Hannah McGinley Lemasters shows off her solid comedy chops as Sandra – portraying Florence Colleymore, fiancée of the murder victim, Charles Haversham, played with equal verve by Patrick Kramer.  Ms. McGinley Lemasters falls victim to some of the funniest physical moments on stage, ending with an ongoing altercation with Megan Borkes, who plays the thankless Stage Manager, Annie who reluctantly steps into her role after one (or a few) of the more unfortunate mishaps. Trevor Spence, is Robert – who portrays Florence’s brother Thomas Colleymore and tries desperately to keep the production moving, despite its many disasters. As Trevor, the Sound and Lighting technician, Clarissa Moon gets to join in the action when everything continually “goes wrong”. And finally, Katy Williams has some of the funniest moments of the night as Denise, who plays Haversham Manor’s doddering butler Perkins, employing a running joke of forgetting her lines and hilariously mispronouncing key words of the script. But as excellent as each of the actors above are in their roles – they work so well together they often feel like one big comedic organism on stage, ebbing and flowing from one crazy moment to the next.

Besides this nimble cast the other shining star of Osceola Arts’ THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG is the set. Designing (and building) a set that is at one moment visually beautiful and in the next a death trap, while keeping the actors on stage safe and able to perform is quite a feat. Osceola Arts’ Technical Director and Master Carpenter Waylon Lemasters has created a masterpiece making every broken set piece, malfunctioning element, or stuck door seem natural and real. And it is the set that garners the most thrilling moments at the conclusion of the play, which is fitting, considering it tries to steal the show from the actors throughout the evening. Rounding out the creative team, Bradley Cronenwett’s lighting and director Brandon Roberts’ sound design hilariously punctuate some of the best moments of the evening, and Kimberly Murray-Patel’s costumes evoke the perfect 1920’s British look that lends authenticity (and sometimes hilarity) to the moment.

In closing – I cannot say strongly enough how wonderfully funny Osceola Arts’ THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG truly is. It is a non-stop freight train of hilarious moments that starts with a bang and never stops until the very last bow. The show is a masterclass of comedic performance – one you will be truly sorry if you miss.  

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG, presented by Osceola Arts, runs through June 30th.  Tickets are only $30, with senior, student and group rates available. Shows run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (with a Thursday performance on June 20th). Osceola Arts will also provide an audio descriptive performance for blind and low vision patrons on Friday, June 28th  at 7:30pm and an American Sign Language - interpreted performance on Saturday, June 29th at 2:00pm. For additional information and to purchase show tickets visit OsceolaArts.org or call 407-846-6257.

All Photos provided by Osceola Arts and feature the cast of THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG

To post a comment, you must register and login.