The Play That Goes Wrong (Sydney Opera House) ★★★½

Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer & Henry Shields. Mischief Theatre. Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House. 19 Jun – 3 Aug, 2025 then touring nationally.

Slapstick supergroup Mischief Theatre’s original hit is back in Aus. The Play That Goes Wrong has grown from fringe breakthrough to theatrical staple, and now, the 13-year-old comedy is proving that simple gags are timeless.

If you’ve never been to a production by the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, you’re in for a treat, as this accident-prone amateur theatre troupe gives more than their share of blood, sweat and tears—simply because the show must go on. As they attempt to stage a production of The Murder at Haversham Manor (a pseudo-Agatha-Christie murder mystery), well, things go wrong…

I must confess, every time I sit down to watch an Agatha Christie play (be it the recent Robin Nevin-directed The Mousetrap and And Then There Were None, or the work of Sydney’s beloved Genesian Theatre), I think about The Play That Goes Wrong. It so perfectly skewers the tropes of the genre and the quirks of a small theatre company. If you’ve ever spent time in the world of community or amateur dramatics, you’ll know what I mean. This show-within-a-show is littered with familiar types—from the pompous over-actor, the constantly posing actress, the neophyte mugging for easy applause, the forgetful cast member sneakily reading his lines off his palm, to the one-man actor/director/producer trying to hold it all together while staying in character. Wobbly sets and glimpses of backstage crew included.

The Play That Goes Wrong lives in the shadow of Michael Frayn’s immortal backstage classic Noises Off, but it swaps that play’s intricate backstories and rivalries for oodles of ever-escalating physical comedy. Nigel Hook’s original set design is a wonder of hidden tricks, and original director Mark Bell made the madness look easy.

This local cast all have fantastic moments to shine amid the careful chaos. Jonathan Martin is a rock as the stressed/manic director/star/producer Chris, always trying to smile through gritted teeth. Joe Kosky’s Robert delivers one of the best physical comedy moments as he clings onto furniture for dear life. And Sebastiano Pitruzzello, in the crowd-pleasing role of the shy-but-loving-it Max, earns his rounds of applause.

The danger for all long-running shows is that they start to get a bit tired, and you run the risk that subsequent casts—playing a copy of a copy of the original performance—lose the apparent spontaneity that’s central to the humour. And I must confess, that does happen here. We’re now so far removed from the original creators and actors that the performances have lost that sliver of authentic heart. For me, the real success of Mischief Theatre was their ability to create realistic(-ish) enough characters, then pile a farcical amount of pressure on them and watch them react. Currently, there’s a lot of big acting happening, but less genuine reacting—which robs the comedy of some of its depth.

The Play That Goes Wrong has “good bones”, as they say, and is a guaranteed laugh (especially after a wine or two on a cold Sydney winter night). As I find myself hunkering down and comfort-watching favourite TV shows, it’s nice to do the same with theatre—to settle back with a show you already know will deliver a hilarious night out.