No I’ve not made a spelling mistake. The show is a tribute hence the Faulty in place of Fawlty (John Cleese won’t actually be there, but the person filling his shoes comes pretty close).
Based on the iconic 70s sitcom featuring John Cleese, set in a hotel in Torquay. Comes the Faulty Towers Dining Experience. Although the show only ran for 12 episodes, that hasn’t stopped it being ranked as one of the best British Sitcoms of all time.
With numerous unforgettable moments, it’s the perfect show to build an immersive experience around. And the dining part adds depth to the experience as you feel as though you’ve arrived at Faulty Towers for the evening.
This dining experience was born in Australia, premiering in 1997. It has gone on to run in 41 countries worldwide to date. The show has been in London for ten years and took up its residency at the President Hotel this year.
There are a group of actors that share the three roles (Polly has the night off so doesn’t star in the show). On the night I went Clare Buckingham stepped into the role of Sybil Fawlty, Benedict Holme starred as Basil Fawlty and hapless weight Manuel was played by Anthony Clegg.
70% of the show is improvised. This is incredibly impressive and I cannot fault the three actors at all. Clegg was hilarious in the role of Manuel, and together with Holme made a hysterical double act.
The night kicks off in the bar. You’re told to order enough drinks to last you an hour as there won’t be a chance to buy any again for a while. So with armfuls of beer and wine, we meet our hosts.
Immediately the language barrier between Basil and Manuel proves a comical issue. With Manuel serving peanuts as you would tennis balls.
We’re then taken to our tables, and you’ll be thankful to know that Manuel doesn’t actually serve you the dinner – I’m sure that would be a nightmare!
It makes an entertaining evening, albeit it comes a little repetitive after a while. The three actors are natural comedians and really embody the characters they’re playing. Which is not easy when it’s such an iconic character as Basil Fawlty.
Fan favourite moments from the series are recreated – including the hamster!
The dinner isn’t anything to write home about and for the price you pay for the experience you’d expect better quality food. Although in a way it’s incredibly on brand, it is the kind of thing the drunk chef would serve you at Fawlty Towers. But I’m not a food critic, so I’ll leave someone else to comment on this.
The ending was also quite abrupt, but all in all the Faulty Towers Dining Experience proves a great night out. It’s fun, it’s hilarious and it’s light hearted. It’s something unique, as there aren’t many theatre dinner combinations around. And if you’re a fan of the sitcom I’m sure you’ll love it!
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