The Play That Goes Wrong at Theatre Raleigh Has It All:
Crazy Characters, a Set That Self-Destructs, and
Brilliant Choreography of Complete Chaos

Theatre Raleigh will present The Play That Goes Wrong on Sept. 14-18 and 21-25 (photo by Jennifer Robertson Photography)

Theatre Raleigh's production of The Play That Goes Wrong is a bit of a paradox: it's the best "worst play" that you'll probably ever see. The audience loved it. The near-capacity crowd at the Theatre Raleigh Arts Center was amused throughout last night's performance of The Play That Goes Wrong. I am starting with this, because it is extremely difficult to describe actors performing as "bad actors," a set that self-destructs, and brilliant choreography of complete chaos.

The Play That Goes Wrong is a 2012 play by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields. It might be better described as an experiment in delivering a two-hour Benny Hill sketch on stage in an environment with no retakes. As hard as this seems, it was very well executed by director Tim Seib and an energetic cast, including Khalil LeSaldo, Happy Mahaney, Mac McGill, Jeff Ronan, Nat M. Sherwood, Shayla Spradley, Liam Yates, and Shannon Michael Wamser.

Theatre Raleigh will present The Play That Goes Wrong on Sept. 14-18 and 21-25 (photo by Jennifer Robertson Photography)

The play is set up as a murder mystery during a snowstorm, with the typical crowd of suspects; but none of that really matters. It is all just a canvas for a multitude of crazy characters, including a butler who can neither remember his lines nor pronounce them, a femme fatale who is frequently knocked unconscious, and a hammy actor playing directly to the audience. This is just a small sampling.

Perhaps, the biggest star of the show was the set itself, created by scenic designer Chris Bernier. Nothing worked as it was expected to work, particularly the doors and windows. Credit to production stage manager Mette Schladweiler for making the chaos seamless.

Theatre Raleigh will present The Play That Goes Wrong on Sept. 14-18 and 21-25 (photo by Jennifer Robertson Photography)

The cast were frequently juggling props, created by Denise Schumaker, and doing wonderful physical comedy. A few of the comedic bits may have run a bit long, but the opening-night audience was consistently amused. Traditional slapstick was in full force as the actors were flying and flopping all about the stage and props.

The new Theatre Raleigh Arts Center is lovely and comfortable. I can't say this is exactly a must-see event, but I don't imagine anyone will regret the experience. As usual, I implore you to consider bringing your children (probably age 8 and up). They will love the physical comedy and see a much different theater experience than the typical play. The Play That Goes Wrong might not be for everybody, but should be a lively and fun night out.

Theatre Raleigh will present The Play That Goes Wrong on Sept. 14-18 and 21-25 (photo by Jennifer Robertson Photography)

Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields' THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG (In Person at 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15-18 and 21-25), directed by Tim Seib and starring Shayla Spradley, Jeff Ronan, Khalil LeSaldo, Shannon Michael Wamser, Liam Yates, Nat M. Sherwood, Mac McGill, Jess Barbour, Khoa Pham, Happy Mahaney, and Greg Laux (Theatre Raleigh at the Theatre Raleigh Arts Center at 6638 Old Wake Forest Rd. in Raleigh). TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPpY0KXgWqY. VIDEOS: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBrPHqUNhtfRMWQ2Ej8Fxeg. 2022 MAIN-STAGE SEASON: https://theatreraleigh.com/2022-main-stage-season/. THE PRESENTER/VENUE: https://theatreraleigh.com/, https://www.facebook.com/TheatreRaleigh, https://www.instagram.com/theatre_raleigh/, https://twitter.com/theatreraleigh, and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBrPHqUNhtfRMWQ2Ej8Fxeg. DIRECTIONS/PARKING: https://theatreraleigh.com/location-parking/. COVID REQUIREMENTS: https://theatreraleigh.com/covid-19-updates/. THE PLAY: https://www.mischiefcomedy.com/our-work/the-play-that-goes-wrong/about, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-show/the-play-that-goes-wrong-511409, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Play_That_Goes_Wrong. THE SCRIPT (excerpts): https://books.google.com/books. TICKETS: $30-$45, plus taxes and fees. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: 919-832-9997, [email protected], or [email protected]. PLEASE DONATE TO: Theatre Raleigh. Susie Potter's Review.

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