For me, the most eagerly anticipated theatre trip in a long, long time – “Fawlty Towers – The Play”.
The ‘Famous Five’ aka Jo, Janet, Carol, Ann and yours truly jumped on board the 10.28 out of Kettering, heading for the capital.

The train was busy, and I think we got the last seats. Noisy too, with multiple Hen Parties all attempting to see who could be the loudest and dress using the least amount of clothing. Don’t they know I’m on blood pressure tablets?!?! 🤔
Our trip to London was in part a celebration of Janet’s birthday (yesterday) and we’d also booked the Apollo Theatre a while back with plans to also squeeze in a ‘cheeky Chinese’ before the performance.
And if the train was busy, London itself was even busier! Just to keep things interesting, most of the roads near the Theatre had been fully closed-off meaning there were people spilling out onto the road as well. Manic!!! 🙁. We later learned that it was all down to a march involving far-Right, Tommy Robinson as well as a counter protest by Stand Up To Racism.



Our eatery of choice was The Orient in Wardour Street, right in the heart of London’s China Town. It was an excellent meal! If anything, there was far TOO MUCH food!! 😉. Note to self: Next time, stop ordering after you get to the Crispy Duck course! 😋😋









Yes, far too much! 🤐😯
2.15pm: We took our seats for the matinée performance. The Apollo is one of the smaller Theatres in London, and it filled up pretty quickly. By the time the curtain went up, it was pretty much a ‘full house’. Surely a good sign of things to come? 🤔

THE Fawlty Towers?
The real Fawlty Towers? Yes, pretty much! The Play is a comedy also penned by John Cleese based on the TV sitcom of the same name that he co-wrote with Connie Booth. The theatrical version is adapted from three episodes of the TV series forming one seamless storyline; “Hotel Inspectors”, “The Germans” and “Communication Problems” – three of my favourites, but let’s face it, they were ALL hilarious, weren’t they? 😂😂😂😂
Sadly, none of the original stars is in this, the theatrical version, but you would have never have known it! The actors captured their alter-egoes perfectly, with a special shout-out to Adam Jackson-Smith who played Basil.

…and we shouldn’t forget the creatives that made it happen on the night…


The Verdict
I guess it was a risky business, attempting to transfer such an iconic show as TV’s 12-episode Fawlty Towers to a West End production. Would it be as funny as we remember it and would it ‘work’ as live production? Well, based on our collective thoughts (and based on the laughter around the Theatre) – a resounding success!

Yes, we knew every line before it was delivered, yes, we knew where the multiple stories were heading, and yes, we knew ALL the punchlines, but it didn’t stop us laughing at all those familiar iconic scenes as if we were seeing them for the first time.

So, if you’re worried that they might have ruined a classic – don’t! This was a hilarious 90 minutes of nostalgic fun where it literally was: ‘a laugh a minute’.
The performance finished around 4.30 and we were soon back on the Tube heading for St Pancras International where thankfully, it was a lot less busy heading home. Janet dropped us off at Dave and Rosi’s so we could wish Dave ‘Happy Birthday’ from earlier in the week. Paul & Karen were there together with John & Trish. We stayed for a quick chat and a few nibbles (more food!)
8pm: Phew! What a memorable day – for all the right reasons! 👍👍. Happy Birthday Janet and Dave!

I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!
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