by Jo-Anne Bishop
(Pictured: Jawon Mapp as Robert, Alexander Ariate as Jonathan, Honey Pham as Annie behind, Daniela Vlaskalic as Krista, and Vanessa Leticia Jetté as Sandra. Photo Credit: Dahlia Katz.)
If you’re looking for a night of non-stop laughter, look no further than the Grand Theatre’s season opener, The Play That Goes Wrong, written by Henry Lewis, Henry Shields, and Jonathan Sayer. This hilarious and brilliantly executed slapstick comedy feels like Saturday Night Live meets Monty Python — equal parts clever and chaotic, with just the right dose of British absurdity.
A play within a play, the action unfolds as the fictional Comley Polytechnic Dramatic Society presents their production of Murder at Haversham Manor (a loving nod to Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap). Predictably, everything that can go wrong does, and spectacularly so. But in this case, everything that goes “wrong” lands perfectly right.
The set itself is a marvel: an architectural masterpiece designed to fall apart piece by piece in all the right ways. Watching walls collapse, doors jam, and props rebel against their actors is pure theatrical magic. It’s impossible not to marvel at the precision with which chaos unfolds. A symphony of slapstick timing and technical mastery. Under the sharp direction of Dennis Garnhum, with outstanding set design by Beyata Hackborn, every collapse, cue, and calamity is executed with clockwork precision. The set becomes a character of its own, and one that quite literally brings the house down.
(Pictured: Photo by Nanc Price for The Citadel Theatre’s production of The Play That Goes
Wrong (2024), in partnership with Theatre Calgary and Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre,
featuring Vanessa Leticia Jetté and Honey Pha)
The cast delivers standout performances across the board; each actor fully committed to their characters-within-characters and the glorious mayhem that ensues. Timing is everything in a show like this, and they all nail it. Still, if gold stars were being handed out, John Ullyatt (Dennis, aka the butler Perkins) and Andrew MacDonald-Smith (Max, aka Cecil Haversham) would take top honours. Their impeccable comic timing, physicality, and effortless charm make every scene they touch an absolute highlight. Max’s frequent breaking of the fourth wall adds to the fun, delivering endearing and consistently comical moments that delight the audience.
That said, The Play That Goes Wrong is truly an ensemble triumph. Daniela Vlaskalic (Krista/Director/Inspector Carter), Alexander Ariate (Jonathan/Charles Haversham), Vanessa Leticia Jetté (Sandra/Florence Colleymoore), Jawon Mapp (Robert/Thomas Colleymoore), and Honey Pham (Annie/Stage Manager) all deliver spectacular performances as the hapless cast struggling to keep the play afloat. Their commitment to the chaos — from bungled lines to hilariously choreographed fight scenes — keeps the audience in stitches. Bernardo Pacheco (Trevor), Emily Meadows, and Izad Etemadi (Stage Crew) round out the cast perfectly, adding an extra layer of comic brilliance.
The Play That Goes Wrong is a joyful disaster done right: a masterclass in controlled chaos that will leave your cheeks sore from laughing. You’ll find yourself rooting for this endearingly incompetent troupe right to the final curtain — and thankful they didn’t “just call it a day” when everything started to fall apart. Whether you’re a theatre buff or simply in need of a good laugh, don’t miss this one. It’s proof that sometimes, when everything goes wrong, theatre can go so wonderfully right.
What: The Play That Goes Wrong
Where: The Spriet Stage at The Grand Theatre, 471 Richmond Street, London, Ontario
When: October 14th to November 2nd.
Tickets: Single tickets range from $25 to $97 and are available at grandtheatre.com, by phone at 519.672.8800, or at the Box Office, 471 Richmond Street.
The Grand Theatre is grateful to offer Canada Life Pay-What-You-Can pricing, presented on Sunday, October 19 at 2:00 p.m., as well as an Open Captioned Performance on Saturday, October 25 at 2:00 p.m.
Runtime: Approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes, including intermission
Reviewed by Jo-Anne Bishop
The Beat Magazine 2025 