This post contains affiliate links and our team will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on the links.
“The Play That Goes Wrong” sees a theater society troupe present a murder mystery played on stage for the awaiting audience. All manners of chaos ensues and escalate as cues are missed, lines fumble, props mishandled, and actors juggle a menacing kaleidoscope of shock and awe. Your jaw will drop and eyes widen from sheer hilarity and second-hand embarrassment. It’s all in good fun as the accumulation of unrelenting flubs from every actor’s nightmares take center-stage in this tour-de-farce of impeccable timing and exuberant energy. Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields. Directed by Eric Petersen.
“The Play That Goes Wrong” lives up to its name with splendid grace and an ensemble of professionally experienced talent. Michael-Leon Wooley (Disney’s The Princess and the Frog) as Trevor is a stage technician keeping the show moving, even making time to mess with actors. Mary Faber (NBC’s Parks and Recreation) as Annie, another stage technician who embraces filling in a role for an indisposed actor. Sterling Sulieman (The Vampire Diaries) as Johnathan the helpless victim of a sinister murder.
Regina Fernandez (Peter and the Starcatcher) as Sandra the beautiful fiance who happens to be in a secret relationship with Johnathan’s brother, Garrett Clayton (Disney’s Teen Beach Movie) as Max. Johnathan’s soon to be brother-in-law and Sandra’s brother, Trent Mills (Shrek the Musical) as Robert discovers the body with Johnathan’s butler, Reggie De Leon (Broadway’s Aladdin) as Dennis. Not to worry with John Sanders (Matilda) as Chris on the case as the detective.
The on-stage antics is a gorgeous love letter to stage actors and technicians making something so technical appear to be one unplanned disaster after another is no easy feat. Or was it? Unflawlessly keen to its craft. So many opportunities present itself for improvisation and feeding off the energy between audience and actors becoming more of a community event.
A similar relationship making comparisons to theater hijinks like “Noises Off”. But where that production infuses behind-the-scenes drama between actors, “The Play That Goes Wrong” saves that story device for their later project, “Peter Pan Goes Wrong”. I rather not get into that train wreck and prefer the show retain its attention to good nature fun. The effort the theater troupe takes to still put on a good show despite its shortcomings beckons the spiritual idea of “the show must go on”.
The whirlwind antics had me in stitches as I reminisce from my own theater experience. Everything that goes wrong in the show, has at some point in fact gone wrong for real albeit unplanned in other shows of everyone’s theater career. Not just for actors, but stage technicians as well. Making this very relatable for anyone with any theater experience.
The struggle for actors to keep memorized dialogue in the order they play out, incidentally going around in a loop, falling set pieces, misplaced props, replacement actors, and so much more. But that’s why we love the theater. No matter how rehearsed, each live performance will be somehow unique to that moment.
“The Play That Goes Wrong” performs at the La Mirada Theatre during select showtimes between January 24 – February 16, 2025. For more information and ticket sales, visit www.lamiradatheatre.com.
