The Faulty Towers Dining Experience

Ushered in by an irritated Basil, oblivious Manuel and genial Sybil, the feeling of trepidation was palpable as diners/audience members wondered who would be first participant/victim in this interactive tribute to comedy favourite Fawlty Towers. Over two enjoyable hours, sometimes hilarious, sometimes deliberately cringeworthy character improv was punctuated with a tasty if unspectacular three-course meal and classic scenes adapted from the series. At one point, our Basil mentioned that this wasn’t some pantomime, though it did conjure memories of that silly genre. High-spirited innuendo, slapstick and convincingly outrageous performances – particularly the dead-spit Sybil – pressed all the right nostalgic buttons for fans of Cleese and co.

Thistle Hotel, 1 August 2013

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