We weren’t entirely sure what to expect from the stage show of Fawlty Towers – would it simply be a nostalgic evening of lighthearted entertainment, drawing sketches from the short-lived but enduringly-popular 1970s TV series?
Or would it contain some surprises? Would there be an attempt to modernise the material for a world that’s very different from when the pilot episode aired some 50 years ago?
This play very much is an exercise in nostalgia. If you’re a fan of the TV show, you’ll know what to expect – a lighthearted comedy set in a hotel and, well, that’s basically the whole premise.
Basil Fawlty (Adam Jackson-Smith) is the uptight owner and manager of the hotel, running it alongside his wife Sybil (Anna-Jane Casey).