How can something go so wrong but be so right?! The Play That Goes Wrong is Black Box Theatre Co.’s debut production, running until August 30th at Waterfront Theatre.
First produced in London in 2012, The Play That Goes Wrong was written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields of Mischief Theatre Company and is brought to Granville Island by the actors/creators Tracy Labrosse and James Barclay who along with PR pro Heather Evens make up Black Box Theatre Co..
The Play That Goes Wrong takes place on the opening night of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’s production of The Murder at Haversham Manor – a 1920s large cast murder mystery play, similar to The Mousetrap – which coincidentally happens to also be playing on Granville Island, providing a fun inside joke for this production. Much to the glee of the audience, the Cornley Drama Society cast and crew greatly overestimates their abilities resulting in a cavalcade of mishaps during their productions, and this new performance is no different. In their attempt to mount a grand English country-house mystery, they instead create another Great British theatrical tradition, the farce.
Director Tracy Labrosse, who also stars as Sandra (or Florence Colleymoore in the play within the play), leads a stellar cast of James Barclay as Max/Cecil Haversham/Arthur, Jordon Navratil as Cornley Director Chris Bean/Inspector Carter, Trevor Roberts as Dennis/Perkins, Christopher Dellinger as Robert/Thomas Colleymoore, Matt Loop as Trevor the Sound & Light Operator, Nick Palidwor as Jonathan/Charles Haversham and Rebecca Wass as Annie. From the moment theatre doors open, the superb cast and backstage crew make mayhem look easy as they navigate the disastrous production. While they can rehearse and repeat the slapstick and pratfalls as much as possible, they can’t prepare for moments that go wrong or different from rehearsal. Keeping them on their toes the opening-night audience was fully engaged, offering shout-outs to the stage like an improv game. The players rolled with the punches making it an even more fresh, hilarious production, much to the audience’s appreciation.
If a noise-meter was the rating scale for this performance, it would be off the charts from the waves of uproarious laughter echoing through the spectators! The Play That Goes Wrong hits it out of the park as Black Box Theatre Co.’s first production, if the sold-out opening night is anything to go by this is a must-see show for late summer laughs for the whole family.
The Play That Goes Wrong is playing at Waterfront Theatre, 1412 Cartwright Street, Granville Island until August 30, 2025. Visit granvilleislandgoeswrong.com for show details and tickets. Showtimes at 7:30 with weekend matinee at 2pm, be sure to arrive early as the theatre experience begins as soon as the theatre doors open.