I went in sceptical - and emerged two hours later, giddily and delightfully weak from laughing
sitcom– and emerged two hours later, giddily and delightfully weak from laughing and reminded for the umpteenth time of the sheer folly of making pre-emptive judgements about shows.
will, almost inevitably, induce some highbrow breast-beating lament along “Whither British theatre?” lines. Yet not every production needs to be Robert Icke-style groundbreaking or punchy new drama. Sometimes, plain old entertainment, an all-round good time, is exactly what is called for and that is precisely what this provides, with bells on.
The reassuring news, for fans of those iconic 12 episodes that first aired on the BBC in 1975, is that John Cleese himself has written this theatrical adaptation. He has taken three of his favourite episodes – “The Hotel Inspector”, “The Germans” and “Communication Problems”, featuring that gloriously abrasive deaf lady Mrs Richards – and woven them together skilfully, adding a conclusion to tie them all together.
Integral to the success of this enterprise is the fact that the actors do not simply offer hollow impersonations of Basil, Sybil and the rest. They flesh the parts out plumply, while confidently providing all the tics and traits that we have come to know and love so well.
At a brisk two hours including interval, there is no chance of the show outstaying its welcome, unlike some of the hotel guests. In a programme interview, the ever-canny Cleese hints at the possibility of a sequel. Just as well – this leaves us wanting more, much more.
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