Review: Faulty Towers - The Dining Experience

I grew up watching older British Comedy, so I’ve always had a love for it. Fawlty Towers was of course one of these loves, as well as Monty Python, The Goodies and Benny Hill. I’m shocked that I never heard about Faulty Towers, The Dining Experience until now, but better late than never, I finally went to go. Straight up, and I didn’t even realise until writing this review, the actual names of the show and the original are different. Fawlty is spelt F A W L T Y whilst the Dining Experience is F A U L T Y. Not a big deal, just thought that needs to be clarified. Even with the name change, Faulty Towers The Dining Experience is almost a complete mimic of an episode of the original Fawlty Towers, just with more improvisation. It’s remarkably impressive.

It is also quite group, family or couple experience. It would be weird going in to sit by yourself and enjoy a three course meal. It just wouldn’t be the same. For the night I took my partner too the show, who actually has never seen anything to do with Faulty Towers before, apart from one scene I showed her once. It’s interesting already going in as one person knowing everything about the show, and another going in pretty much blind to what it’s about. Performed at The Aegean, a greek restaurant in Fitzroy, a short wait occurs before Basil, the co owner of the hotel, emerges to show everyone to their seats, with the help of Manuel, the waiter of the hotel. The comedy starts immediately, due to the personal touch that the actors take with the guests, giving them different names or slurs. For instance later in the night during a fake fire drill, I was referred to at the Harry Potter knockoff.

Basil is pretty rude to the majority of the guests when seating them, so it was a surprise that we didn’t endure too much abuse when being seated, instead receiving a smile. Perhaps it was because we we’re the youngest in the restaurant. Soon after being seated we are given an intro, where we are introduced to Cybil, Basil’s wife and co-owner of the hotel. Cybil is much more sensible and real than Basil at first, and easily brings empathy to the show by her compassionate act. However the star of the show in my opinion is Manuel. Manuel brings the biggest laughs, to the amount that my partner, who mind you hasn’t had any history of Fawlty Towers, was in pain from laughing so hard.

The show progresses from the intro through two of the three main courses, with each course coming with a fresh array of jokes or a sketch. A juggling match is made out of the bread, as Manuel lobs multiple pieces to different people across the restaurant, whilst some of the entries of pumpkin soup had fake dentures in them. Manuel’s misinterpretation of Basil’s orders brings the most laughs in the show, as he takes everything he says to heart, the most extreme taking wait on the tables to literally waiting for Basil to return by dancing on top of one family’s table. I don’t want to give away the major laughs for the show, but the presentation and improvisation was incredible well done to the extent that sometimes I forgot that we weren’t in one of the episodes of the originally show.
This is what Faulty Towers does best, and stands out as the shows major selling point for the show. It has the ability to take a 40 year show and still make it hilarious for a contemporary audience. Take my partner for instance; having no knowledge or interest in british comedy, she ended up laughing at the show more than I did at some points. Even if not all the comedy was spot on, the addition of a three course meal of really well made food should give you enough incentive to give this show a go. Faulty Towers The Dining Experience might of ended at the MICF by this reviews airing, however productions of the show take place all around the world, so go to their website to find a location near you!

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