Fawlty Towers: The Dining Experience

Based on the much repeated television show of the same name this dinner show has been doing the rounds internationally since its inception in Queensland in 1997. In this live performance the audience finds themselves in a real restaurant being welcomed by Basil, Sybil and the hapless Manuel.

Fans of the show will anticipate the misunderstandings and delight in the re-creation of their favorite business.  In this performance the role of Manuel was expertly played by Anthony Sottile. He maintained his character throughout the 2 hours under the intimate scrutiny of the audience as he served their food and puzzled over the instructions given by his boss.

Rob Langston (Basil) has the stature and mannerisms of John Cleese as required in this role and did not disappoint the fans with Nazi references and the goose step, and Karen Hamilton as Sybil maintained her composure in the hardest role, being “the straight man”.

The staging of this performance in a large restaurant, with the scripted action taking place largely in a walkway down the middle of the diners, meant some lines were missed as the actors had their back to a portion of the audience and at times voice projection was poor.

If you are not a fan of the show you may find the action repetitive and clichéd but Fawlty Towers fans will delight in being a part of their favorite show.

Shirley Jensen