Faulty Towers the Dining Experience

at the

Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2010

22 shows at the Aegean Restaurant

featuring:

Blair Martin as Basil; Karen Hamilton as Sybil;

and Daley Donnelly as Manuel

2010 Melbourne Comedy Festival Reviews:

Generation-Q (5 April 2010)

Faulty Towers dining experience is an act not to be missed this April. This “perfectly unorganised” show is a creative mix of audience interactivity and theatrical humour, all served up in a “faulty”, disorderly manner.

Following the footsteps of the well known TV show, this comedy performance throws any slight notion of a “normal, sit-down restaurant meal” right out the window. From the faultless gestures and mannerisms of Basil Fawlty to the perfectly crafted hairpiece upon Cybil’s strong-willed head, this show leaves your belly aching well before the punch line (and main meal) has even been delivered.

From the first of Basil’s insults, “Do you have to be as stupid as him?!” to Manuel’s misinterpretations of ‘serving the nuts’ (Manuel plainly serving the peanuts to guests as a tennis player would), to Cybil’s unmistakable wobble, the dinner was certain to leave a memorable imprint upon the most avid Fawlty Towers fan.

Always on their toes, there was not a remark or question from the guests that would stump these well moulded characters. Every opportunity to generate a dramatic, bold scene was worshipped by the actors, whilst still keeping to their own planned sketches throughout the 2 hour show. There was the “FIRE!! Drill” and the “German Goosestep” skits and we even got introduced to ‘Basil’, Manuel’s Siberian hamster.

An epic, brilliant display of character research and a love for entertaining their guests makes this dining experience an event for the whole family to enjoy. You will be left in unexpected fits of laughter from start to finish. Just here’s a little tip, don’t ask for anything from Basil, or Manuel. In fact just make do with your 2 pepper shakers or no bread plate and be thankful your food isn’t poisoned or there isn’t a fire.

Australian Stage (2 April 2010)

When you’re ushered into a restaurant and spy a bread roll as a chock under a table leg, an oversized rat on another table, and discover you have two knives and two peppers instead of the usual duos, you can only guess that the next few hours will present some challenges in the dining stakes. It also points to the fact that with such attention to detail, the ensuing entertainment is likely to be top notch.

Fawlty Towers is well regarded as one of the pinnacles of British comedy; some claim it as the greatest sitcom ever created. So, it’s a brave soul indeed to take on such beloved material and re-work it. Luckily for the 60 or so nervous diners in attendance on opening night, Interactive Theatre does justice enough to the legacy to make this Dining Experience a very enjoyable one. The company play it smart by making the show an amalgam of many memorable situations and jokes from the original show: the classic goose step, clandestine gambling, and rat jokes all received applause mid-chew from the appreciative audience.

One of the true delights of the theatre is the experience of live artists right in front of you and you can’t get much closer than when in the midst of theatre dining. A trembling Manuel leaning on your table, wide-eyed, asking you to please stack your bowls is a rather privileged vantage point when the caliber of acting is as high as it was last night. The cast of three playing Basil (Blair Martin), Sybil (Karen Hamilton), and Manuel (Daley Donnelly) are an exceptionally talented trio of actors whose renditions of the famous characters are a delight to experience, particularly so up close. Martin’s Basilesque mannerisms are impressive, as is Hamilton’s mincing walk and trademark Sybil laugh, and Donnelly delivers a near flawless performance as the downtrodden Manuel.

Of course, it’s not an experience without some hazards. Hot bowls of soup are slammed unceremoniously down in front of you and bread rolls must be caught mid air if one wants to actually consume them. Naturally it all adds to the fun factor and the completeness of the Fawlty Towers experience.

Reviewer - Simonne Michelle-Wells

2009 Melbourne Comedy Festival Reviews:

The Funny Tonne (April 2009)

These guys are good. This show is hilariously on mark. For a moment or two I actually thought I was in the dining room of the fabled hotel.

Basil is sarcastic and biting, Sybil is delightful to everyone but her husband and Manuel doesn't really know what anything means.

Authentic and authentically fun, and they feed you as well! What more could you want?

Reviewer - Kristy Lillyst*****

This interactive dining experience is a must for those who have been fans of the British sitcom Fawlty Towers.

Michael Davoren is the spitting image and character of Basil Faulty, Alison Pollard-Mansergh plays an excellent Sybil Faulty, and Daley Donnelly does a hilarious Manuel.

The actors are all very gracious as they play around and work off you as they serve you your lunch or dinner. A lot of fun, great to take family and friends along to.
Reviewer - Jessica Chi *****

Sunday Herald Sun (19 April 2009)

What began twelve years ago in Brisbane is loudly lauded in Britain as "site-specific immersion theatre".

Us Aussies would describe it as dining onstage in a theatre restaurant where the fare's fair to middling and the service is a little ratty - or should that be a little hamster?

Don't expect to be fed immediately.  After all, the waiter is Manuel (Daley Donnelly), the chef is missing and Basil (Michael Davoren) has called International Dial-A-Chef.  Sybil (Alison Pollard-Mansergh) has vocal cords capable of turning a charging rhino, but she can be pleasant, if patronising, to guests:  "This is butter!"  "This is soup."

Speaking of soup, be sure to give it a stir while listening for clunking noises.

In this take on Fawlty Towers, the audience can make the fun.  Be kind to Manuel, insert earplugs if Sybil approaches and expect a tongue lashing from Basil.  But play along.

Bursts of Fawlty repartee work well, and accents and character quirks are captured superbly.  Fans of the original will love trading insults with the cast.

Reviewer - Roger Mitchell ****

Generation-Q (13 April 2009)

Do you miss the abusive taunts of Basil Fawlty? Or the shrill nasal voice of Sybil? Or perhaps you miss Manual’s ability to cock everything up (he is from Barcelona after all)? Then you can’t miss the sell out show of Faulty Towers - The Dining Experience.

Eat your dinner while taking in the serenity of shrieking waiters and diners crying with laughter. Conceived from the actor who plays Sybil herself, Interactive Theatre Australia began performing the show back in 1997 and has made it over to the UK, performing to uproarious applause in the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Basil and Sybil hold no qualms in making you choke on your side dishes as they yell at Manual to put the ‘roll on plate’ or to get rid of Basil the ‘Siberian hamster’.

So if you’re in the mood to see a funny show this comedy festival season but you are unable to fit in dinner as well, then this is the show to fix all your problems.

2008 Melbourne Comedy Festival Reviews:

The Funny Tonne (8 April 2008)

What a fantastic evening!! Basil, Sybil and Manuel serve up a decent meal with some extraordinary comedy! A perfect birthday celebration with friends – make sure you let Sybil know – or just a night out with your partner. Even people who aren’t terribly familiar with the Faulties will be captivated by the antics of these three – and those who are familiar with the show all roar with laughter at the recognition of familiar phrases and situations. However, these three actors are not just mimics of the better known John Cleese, Prunella Scales and Andrew Sachs – the original Basil, Sybil and Manuel. While I’m sure there is a set script the actors are following to some degree, the unique audience each night must make for slightly different improvisations as well, which are certainly a testament to the abilities of [the performer playing Basil], Alison Pollard-Mansergh and Tony Nixon – Basil, Sybil and Manuel, respectively.

Make sure you set aside far more than the 2 hours allotted to the evening in the program: dessert was served at 9:20 and then there was an opportunity after dinner to meet the cast, purchase a bottle of their special wine and have them sign Nigel Bell’s hand drawn caricatures on the labels. I didn’t leave the venue till nearly 10:00: full of beef and potatoes and with an aching jaw from smiling and laughing so much.

MEAP Website (31 March 2008)

The trepidation and excitement in the air was palpable on arrival at The Temple Bar for this unique theatre meal experience. No one seemed to know what to do bar getting a stiff drink and scanning the room for familiar characters. Luckily, everyone was soon herded outside to be announced and seated table by table and the night began.

The basic idea of this performance is that audience members take their places in the Faulty Towers Dining room and, as diners, we are witnesses and sometimes hapless participants in the improvised and scripted shenanigans that ensue. The restaurant becomes a stage and the action occurs while a three course meal is served.

Three of the Fawlty Tower's most loved characters - Basil, Sybil and Manuel - are there to serve, irritate and amuse the audience. They are just as amusing and slapstick as the original characters with Sybil (Alison Pollard-Mansergh) "oh I knowing" away on the telephone while Manuel (Tony Nixon) balances bowls of soup so precariously you are sure they may end up on your lap. Of particular note is [the performer] playing Basil in a role he inhabits both through a natural resemblance and a remarkable countenance. It had never occurred to me how scary and bizarre a character he was but he is both, anointing himself as the 'Manners Police' and sneaking up on those diners that dared to flaut formal dining conventions.

Some of the highlights of the scripted pieces included a runaway Siberian hamster and a tussle over a betting slip. Sometimes the action spills out onto the pavement and nearby diners were treated to glimpses of the show. This is challenging stuff for the actors and they remained in character throughout despite a number of testing guests, one of whom fondled Manuel's bottom during his search for the hamster which was possibly taking the interactive theatre too far. The performers' experience in dealing with the public shone throughout: they judged audience participation well and did not push any shy participants beyond their limits. 

Overall, Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience is satisfying, funny and unique and in a way the meal is just the icing on the cake. This is a must-do for fans of the iconic TV show: perfectly executed, excruciatingly funny and not nearly as cringeworthy as one might expect.

Groggy Squirrel (30 March 2008)

When you see this show in the Festival Program, it might make you cringe a little. How lame could this get? Well surprisingly this is a brilliantly executed evening of Theatre Restaurant entertainment and if the ear piercing squeals from the nearby table of middle aged ladies were anything to go by, a complete hoot to boot.

A big audience of 83 crowded into the Templebar Precinct that is appropriately a gold curtained drag venue at other times. Sybil (Alison Pollard-Mansergh) began mingling with the crowd around 7pm in a stunningly huge wig. Manuel (Tony Nixon) started scurrying about and was soon followed by a commanding Basil Faulty and we knew the show had begun. The audience were shoved rudely back out onto the street, waiting while the front door key was accidentally lost and found. Basil yelled party's names individually, who were then seated by a cringing, harried Manuel. Nigel Bell has managed to look so uncannily like John Cleese's Basil that my knees quivered in fear a little, as I looked up into his sneering visage.

Bread rolls were chucked across the room to everyone by Manuel while Sybil continued to mingle and pass out butter, laughing like a drain and we were soon enjoying the pumpkin soup of first course. The Food was basic theatre restaurant type chicken or beef, but it was yummy and suited the sort of Faulty Towers 70's theme. The performance gradually built through the first course to get into some plot development between courses that involved iconic references to many of the episodes of Fawlty Towers. Basil used Manuel to place a secret bet, we were treated to a fire drill, the chef collapsed in the kitchen and Manuel's hamster escaped, amongst a myriad of other things that you can spot as you go.

There were slatherings of violent slapstick and a hilarious chase scene on Smith St that we watched like a silent movie through the bar's windows. The show was all nicely tied up by dessert and a good night was had by all. The audience were a very integral part of the show, so beware that you may find a fluffy 'hamster' down the back of your collar or your dining table climbed upon.

I was surprised and impressed by this show; the performances were frighteningly pitch perfect and the show delivered on all its promises.

It's a little pricey but covers a full night of entertainment and a three-course meal, so well worth it, especially if you are a Fawlty Towers fan.

2007 Melbourne Comedy Festival Reviews:

Pretend Paper (16 April 2007)

The scene was set for one of the most fun and unusual dinners I've been to in quite a while, A perpetually smiling and charming Sybil ushers us in to the main dining room at the back of the Pumphouse Hotel. My dinner partner and I were not sure what to expect of this two hour dinner show based upon the classic television comedy, but we soon realised we were going to have a lot of fun.

As you enjoy a three course dinner you are transported into the world of Faulty Towers with Interactive Theatre. The food is not the main event at this dining experience, but the comedy is.

The cast are all accomplished performers and fantastic impersonators bringing to life the much loved characters. [The performer playing] Basil is the spitting image of the original character and his mannerisms are spot on. Tony Nixon as Manuel is great as the Spanish waiter who is way out of his depth and Alison Pollard-Mansergh as Sybil has a piercing "Basil!" shriek that you won't forget. The actors work well together and keep the energy going over the two hours filled with chaos, giggles and mayhem a plenty.

The show happens around the dining room and at your own table. It is both scripted and improvised and it really works. If you are a fan of the show then you are going to enjoy this dining experience which will open up the Comedy Festival experience to a broader audience.

Age Online (12 April 2007)

A truly new comedy festival encounter awaited my arrival at the Pumphouse Hotel in Fitzroy. This performance, which is travelling to various hotels around Melbourne through till the end of April, was more than just stand-up; it was more than a comedic theatre performance and it was certainly more than a pub meal.

Fifty or so perplexed faces waiting expectantly outside the venue’s doors gave way to looks of sheer panic once it became known exactly what would take place in the subsequent two hours.

And the basic premise is this: step inside the restaurant and you step inside the comical walls of Basil and Sybil Faulty and their hapless waiter Manuel.

Whilst you  try and consume a three-course meal, the  trio of  comedic characters attempt, through both improvisation and skilled scripting, to bemuse, bewilder and baffle the audience through memorable antics from the famed television show, Fawlty Towers. 

All the fabulous frolics – from Manuel dropping plates and misunderstanding almost everything, to Basil’s gambling and secretiveness, and Sybil’s ridiculously high-pitched squeal – it’s all covered in two hours of fast-paced laughs and utter chaos.