“The Play That Goes Wrong” gets everything very right

By ADAM CROWE
A Seat on the Aisle

As an exquisite bookend of the season, Indiana Repertory Theatre, which opened with an excellent production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, closes with The Play That Goes Wrong. The play has been taking America by storm over the past few years and is still running in London, where its authors have turned it into a cottage industry that includes a number of spin-offs.

Farce is an ancient art form. Here, authors Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields have ingeniously injected the classic form (exaggerated characters and improbable situations) with a high dose of slapstick. The combination isn’t new, but these writers manically turn everything “up to 11.” The results are a riotous two acts that will leave most audiences exhausted from laughter.

Claire Wilcher, Dominique Lawson, Eric Sharp, Sarah Coakley Price, and Brett Mutter toast a lifeless Rob Johansen. (Photo by Zach Rosing)

Anyone with even a passing awareness of any Agatha Christie story will know these characters immediately: wealthy gentry, visiting guests, household staff and of course, a police detective. It is important to the comedy that we are familiar with these folks, as the situations grow ever wilder and funnier over the course of the play.

Special attention must be paid to the off-stage creative team. Christopher and Justn Swader have designed a beautiful set that falls apart on cue. It is a character unto itself. Izumi Inaba’s costumes are perfect for the occasion, as are wigs by Drew Bryson. Finally, Jason Lynch’s lighting and sound by Uptownworks are masterpieces of audience manipulation.

The cast is fully up to the door-slamming, set-collapsing insanity of it all and is wonderfully funny. China Brickey, Ryan Hallahan, Ron Johansen, Brett Mutter, Claire Wilcher, Sarah Coakley Price, Dominique Lawson, and Eric Sharp are all in perfect synchronization.

Bottom line: With so much “going on” in the world today, the need for a good belly laugh is more critical than ever. Director Ben Hannah and his winning cast will supply you with more than enough to get you through. The Play That Goes Wrong is just the recipe. Based on the post-show excitement from the audience, you might want to get your tickets soon!

The Play That Goes Wrong runs through May 11 at The Indiana Repertory Theatre in downtown Indianapolis. Tickets are available at irtlive.com.

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