Presented by Interactive Theatre International
@ Aces Bar, Market Plaza, Gouger St
WEDNESDAY 29 Feb 2012 (until March 18)

The name really says it all. Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience is just that: the live show of classic British sitcom Fawlty Towers (the spelling having been changed for obvious copyright reasons) where the audience is treated to dinner and a show, courtesy of Basil and Sybil Fawlty (Kevin Whittle and Karen Hamilton) and hapless Spanish waiter Manuel (Andy Foreman.)

The show takes place at Aces Bar & Bistro in the Central Market where, upon arrival, audience members are seated individually (and rather haphazardly) by Basil and Manuel. The three actors then launch into a two-hour show which incorporates all the barely-controlled chaos that only Fawlty Towers (or Faulty Towers) can provide. Never fear, though: the food arrives on time and (despite what the cast might imply) is completely free of anything unpleasant which might have ended up in the meals on the original TV series.

The show is presented by Interactive Theatre International, a company which prides itself on productions which incorporate as much audience participation as possible. Strict re-enactments of scenes from the original aren’t on the menu here, although the actors do pay homage to it with a running storyline where Manuel places $50 on a horse while Basil (unsuccessfully) attempts to keep the whole business a secret from Sybil. Rather, the three actors stay firmly in character for the entire performance and rely on improvisation and audience interaction to provide the bulk of the comedy.

While it certainly helps to be a die-hard fan of the TV series, it’s not necessary to have seen every single episode of it in order to enjoy yourself. Various elements of the stage show draw on aspects of the sitcom; catchphrases like Sybil’s bark of “Basil!” and Manuel’s famous “I know nothing” both drew cheers of recognition from the audience. However, you don’t need to be familiar with the intricacies of the BBC original to get a kick out of Manuel’s ability to misinterpret every single one of Basil’s instructions, nor to laugh at Basil’s seething contempt for – and crushing fear of – “mein Fuhrer” Sybil. “She breathes fire, you know,” he remarked conversationally to me at one point in the evening (after Sybil was well out of earshot.)

The acting is impossible to fault. Whittle, Hamilton and Foreman provide spot-on impersonations of Basil, Sybil and Manuel, from the costumes and voices right down to individual mannerisms. Whittle in particular has John Cleese’s wild, flapping hand gestures down to a fine art. It’s perhaps notable that Hamilton’s Sybil – who fawns over the guests exactly as Prunella Scales’ original did – has an underlying snarkiness that Scales’ portrayal didn’t have. Upon noting a large butter stain on my napkin as she tucked it into my shirt, she commented “that’s probably why she dresses you in black, dear,” referring to my all-dark clothes that night. It’s one-on-one character interactions like these with audience members which make this show such a unique experience.

The production isn’t perfect, of course. The lulls in the scripted routines while meals are served drag on too long (especially if you’re a fast eater like me) and at these points the evening becomes little more than your average meal out. While the cast continue to engage sporadically with audience members during these times, it’s difficult to remain entertained by these interactions unless one of them happens right at your table. Fans of Polly the chambermaid will also be disappointed by her character’s absence from the entire show, perhaps out of fear that her relative voice of reason could have watered down the chaos provided by the other three characters.

But all in all, the show is a masterful tribute to one of the greatest comedies ever made. Anyone with even a passing interest in Fawlty Towers – or even British comedy in general – can expect to witness a thoroughly enjoyable performance. Oh, and the food’s not bad, either.