Review: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG at Studio Tenn

Studio Tenn brings yet another delightful production to their stage in Mischief Theatre’s, The Play That Goes Wrong, a masterclass in comedic chaos, blending slapstick humor, impeccable timing, and rapid delivery of theatrical mayhem. Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields, this play-within-a-play play takes audiences on a wildly entertaining ride as an amateur theatre troupe, the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, attempts to stage a 1920s murder mystery called The Murder at Haversham Manor, However, as the title eludes, everything imaginable goes hilariously awry.

This production delights in orchestrating disaster from the moment the curtain rises (or rather, refuses to rise properly). Forgotten lines, misplaced props, collapsing scenery, and cast members being accidentally knocked unconscious are just a few of the many obstacles that turn what should be a serious whodunit into an unintentional comedy of errors. A key strength of The Play That Goes Wrong is its unwavering commitment to farce. Just when you think the show has reached its peak of disaster, it somehow escalates to another level of mishaps.

During the performance, one after another misadventures plague the cast, including sticking doors, props falling off the walls, collapsing floors, missed cues, mispronounced words, cast members being manhandled, and an inattentive stage manager. The brilliance of the show lies in how meticulously choreographed the mistakes are performed, with the actors delivering physical comedy that is both precise and riotously unpredictable. As each performer remains fully in character struggling to keep the fictional play afloat, their exaggerated sincerity only heightens the absurdity.

The cast’s performances were outstanding, with each actor playing both their role in the murder mystery and their accident-prone actor counterpart. Double kudos to Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva, Mitchell Ryan Miller, Nat McIntyre, Brian Michael Jones, Phillip David Black, Garris Wimmer, Caleb Shore, and Megan Murphy Chambers for their relentless energy and larger than life characters. Director and Costume Designer Matt Logan hit another home run with his always spot-on wardrobe ensembles. Mr. Logan’s direction gave his cast a wide birth to expound on their already over-exaggerated characters. Scenic Designer Cody Tellis Rutledge and Scenic Director Mitchell B. White gave the audience an elegantly grand and versatile stage to view all of the murder, mystery and mayhem.

Beyond the humor, the play is a love letter to theatre itself. It cleverly satirizes the perils of live performance while also celebrating the resilience of actors who, no matter what, retain the performance mantra “the show must go on”. The technical aspects are just as impressive as the comedic staging, a production that appears to fall apart so catastrophically requires immense precision. The collapsing set, misfiring props, and carefully orchestrated pratfalls all contribute to an experience that feels spontaneous yet is truly a feat of theatrical engineering.

If you enjoy physical comedy, entertaining shenanigans, or simply need a night of uncontrollable laughter, The Play That Goes Wrong is an absolute must-see. It’s a riotously funny production that will leave you in stitches and appreciating the sheer artistry of well-executed chaos.

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