The Play That Goes Wrong will officially open on Broadway

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

The Olivier Award-winning hit comedy The Play That Goes Wrong will officially open at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre on 2 April 2017, following previews from 9 March. The Mischief Theatre production is currently booking through to 3 September 2017.

The Play That Goes Wrong is co-written by Mischief Theatre company members Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields.

Synopsis: "The Play That Goes Wrong is a riotous comedy about the theatre. The play introduces The 'Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society' who are attempting to put on a 1920s' murder mystery, but as the title suggests, everything that can go wrong...does, as the accident prone thespians battle on against all the odds to get to their final curtain call."

Directed by Mark Bell, the production will star the original West End cast, which includes Matthew Cavendish, Bryony Corrigan, Rob Falconer, Dave Hearn, Henry Lewis, Charlie Russell, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields, Greg Tannahill and Nancy Zamit.

Having began its life on the London fringe in front of four paying members of the public, the play went on to win the Olivier Award for Best Comedy in 2015. The West End production is currently joined by two other Mischief comedies - Peter Pan Goes Wrong and The Comedy About a Bank Robbery - making writers Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields the youngest writers to ever have three plays simultaneously staged in the West End.

Henry Lewis released the following statement:

"We are delighted that due to an administrative error The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society will be coming to Broadway's Lyceum Theater in place of the RSC's production of Black Beauty. A fresh American audience with no knowledge of our previous work will be a real help to us. We are also optimistic these 5 months before we open will give Dennis a chance to fully memorize his lines including all the long words. We would also like to wish the RSC all the best with Black Beauty, which will now be taking place back in England at the Cornley Village Hall. We'll leave the vaulting horse out for you."
The creative team behind The Play That Goes Wrong features scenic design by Nigel Hook, costume design by Roberto Surace, lighting design by Ric Mountjoy, and sound design by Andy Johnson.

The Play That Goes Wrong is produced on Broadway by Kevin McCollum, J. J. Abrams, Kenny Wax, Stage Presence Ltd. and Catherine Schreiber.

- by Tom Millward

Originally published on

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