Following two sold-out and critically acclaimed West End runs, John Cleese’s Fawlty Towers – The Play, described as “the funniest show in town” (Daily Express), arrives in Milton Keynes for a limited engagement.
Hailed as “as good as comedy gets” (Sunday Times), the production – which premiered in May 2024 to widespread praise – is directed by original West End director Caroline Jay Ranger. The cast includes Danny Bayne as Basil Fawlty, Mia Austen as Sybil, Hemi Yeroham reprising his role as Manuel, Joanne Clifton as Polly, Paul Nicholas returning as The Major, and Jemma Churchill as Mrs Richards.
Marking 50 years since Fawlty Towers first aired on BBC Two on 19 September 1975, John Cleese—who co-wrote the “greatest British sitcom of all time” (Radio Times) with Connie Booth—has selected three of his favourite original episodes, ‘The Hotel Inspector’, ‘The Germans’, and ‘Communication Problems’, adapting them into a two-hour stage production complete with a new finale.
Theatre audiences nationwide are in for a treat as this “comedy masterpiece makes a seamless transition to the stage” (The Arts Desk), delivering “an indisputably funny evening” (Daily Telegraph). As the Daily Mail notes, “from the moment Basil walks on stage, the audience start laughing,” with audiences enjoying “some of the best punchlines ever written” (London Theatre). As Broadway World puts it, “if you loved the original TV series, you will adore this show”.
John Cleese said: “I’m thrilled with the top-class group of comedy actors that we've assembled for the UK tour of Fawlty Towers - The Play which begins in September. September also marks exactly 50 years since the first ever TV episode was broadcast on the BBC. I never thought that all these years later the stage show would get the reception that it has. But here we are, still making theatres rock with laughter.”
The production also brings to life a host of much-loved characters from the original series, including Mr Hutchinson / Wilhelm (Greg Haiste), Miss Tibbs (Emily Winter), Miss Gatsby (Dawn Buckland), Mr Thurston / Günter (John Hasler), Mr Walt (Adam Elliott), and multiple roles performed by Neil Stewart. Additional cast members include Josie Brightwell, Ashleigh Harvey, Ben Jacobson, Matthew Gordon, and Raymond Rose as hotel guests.
When Basil receives a tip-off that hotel inspectors may be visiting, he goes to great lengths to impress guests he believes are critics. Chaos ensues with the arrival of a group of Germans and the famously difficult Mrs Richards, whose relentless complaints complicate Basil’s attempts to conceal a gambling win from his sharp-eyed wife, Sybil. Alongside the capable Polly and the ever-confused Manuel, the Fawltys attempt to keep their hotel running—more or less.
Set in a fictional hotel in the seaside town of Torquay, the original BBC sitcom ran for just 12 episodes. The character of Basil Fawlty was inspired by real-life hotel owner Donald Sinclair, whose famously rude behaviour left a lasting impression on Cleese during a stay at Gleneagles Hotel.
The iconic series earned numerous accolades, including two BAFTAs for Best Situation Comedy, and was voted the greatest British programme of all time in a British Film Institute poll in 2000.
Creative Team:
Written by John Cleese & Connie Booth
Adapted for the stage by John Cleese
Directed by Caroline Jay Ranger
Set and Costume Designer – Liz Ascroft
Lighting Designer – Ian Scott
Casting Director – Anne Vosser
Assistant Director – Denise Range
