‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ Theater Review: Goes Very Right With New Cast Members

The play’s title is the understatement of the year. From the moment the troupe of the fictional Cornley University Drama Society takes the stage to perform The Murder at Haversham Manor, doors fail to open, pictures fall from the walls, cast members pratfall and sets collapse – sometimes all at once. The show, which originated in a London pub and continues a four-year run on London’s East End, opened on Broadway in April 2017. This week, the venerable show debuted new cast members Toccarra Cash as Annie and Mara Davi as Sandra  – who acquit themselves superbly in what must be exceedingly difficult roles to play. They wring uproarious laughs from this epic exercise in public humiliation.

BUY TICKETS FOR ‘THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG’ ON BROADWAY

The physical stunts are amazing – and it is a feat in itself that no one get hurts. The Play That Goes Wrong, which won an Olivier Award for best comedy in 2015, undoubtedly appeals to our juvenile instincts with its broad physical comedy. But it keeps more astute theater goers with its smart sendup of creaky theater conventions.

The Play That Goes Wrong, Lyceum Theatre, 149 W. 45th Street, New York, N.Y.