Witty Slapstick and Wordplay Comedy for the Whole Family
Built upon the premise that the show must go on (no matter what), The Goes Wrong Show is a British comedy centered on the fictional Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society. Each week, the amateur theater troupe has a new play to put on that is “performed live in front of a studio audience here in Cornley and broadcast to the nation,” according to director Chris Bean’s introduction to each episode. Though the cast tries their best to keep the play running smoothly, a number of unfortunate disasters causes everything to… well, go wrong.
Each episode is thirty minutes long, and the genres cover everything from holiday specials to horror stories, wildly inaccurate historical dramas, and even a legal drama. All the while, bits and pieces of lore and actor relationships help develop the actors behind the characters. Unfortunately, the show was recently canceled by the BBC, so there will be no new seasons.
Actors Playing Actors Playing Characters
In a rather ingenious (though occasionally confusing) framing device, the actors of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society are in themselves characters… playing the characters in each week’s play. Season 1 of the show brilliantly sets up each actor’s quirks and jokes – Dennis is the nervous wreck who can never remember his lines and speaks all of his stage directions; Robert has a bit of an ego; Vanessa can’t improvise; Jonathan never gets to enter the scene; Max always grins at the camera; Sandra is vain, and Chris runs around doing his best to hold the show together and keep it flowing. Alongside the cast is Trevor, the (apparently) lone stage manager that often has to run around fussing with and fixing props, usually with disastrous results.
Season 2, however, sees a bit more cohesion. The plays, rather than feeling like completely separate episodes, start to overlap and reference each other. A successful coup sees Robert taking directorship for the first time, and the season finale allows each actor to contribute their own play or acting workshop. Relationships among the cast are explored in a bit more depth, and there’s even some character growth that sees certain actors’ skills increase.
All One Can Do… is Laugh
One of the unique parts of the show is how the humor is structured. The show isn’t afraid to introduce a gag at the beginning of the episode and then wait until the end to make it pay off. Simple acts like locking a door part way through the play have unintended consequences when an important character can’t make it into the scene. Sometimes, the jokes are subtle, and it takes a few rewatches of the episodes to piece together every single cog in the wheel of disaster.
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Many times, a joke is not only introduced early but also builds upon itself. “A Trial to Watch” sees various flashbacks to a certain conversation in sets that pull apart in the middle. Each repetition of the scene makes the pairing of sets even more absurd, including a gym/morgue hybrid that makes the repeated conversation much funnier. Season 1 episodes are most known for being centered around larger jokes – the set for “90 Degrees” is built sideways; the courtroom measurements in “A Trial to Watch” are interpreted in centimeters and not inches, and “The Lodge” requires a subtle use of additional adjectives to pad out a slightly-too-short run-time. These larger jokes set the stage for additional running gags to add to the overall humor of the episode.
Undeniable Style
While The Goes Wrong Show was a recent and short production, the trio of writers behind it (Henry Shields, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Lewis, who play Chris Bean, Dennis, and Robert respectively) have been working together since 2008. Their first theatrical production, The Play That Goes Wrong was just one of many ventures the three have embarked upon over the years, with additional stage and television shows showcasing their comedic talent.
Most of the comedy is centered around slapstick physical jokes, like props and sets breaking, while the perfect timing and brilliant wordplay of the script adds to the chaos and makes for brilliant hybrid gags. Special features on the DVDs of the show (and mostly available on YouTube) include watch-alongs, where actors from the cast rewatch episodes and comment on some of the behind-the-scenes bits that audiences wouldn’t ordinarily be aware of. Understanding the mechanics of the show and how much detail has to go into it to ensure things go wrong safely brings another dimension of appreciation to watching each episode.
A Loveable Trainwreck
With memorable characters and well-written comedy, The Goes Wrong Show is definitely worth a watch for comedy fans. Even viewers who enjoy character-driven shows will find the show’s sprinkling of character lore and backstory enticing, driving the imagination to picture what rehearsals for these weekly plays must look like.
Unfortunately, as The Goes Wrong Show is a British production, it is hard to come by in the United States. However, the first season can be purchased on YouTube or watched through Prime Video or Tubi. The second season is virtually impossible to view in the States, though British viewers can watch it via BBC iPlayer.
Official Lionsgate Play The Goes Wrong Show Trailer
Source: Dead Talk Live
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Author
Cailen Fienemann is a current student at Le Moyne College pursuing her BA in English and Communications with a film studies minor and a creative writing concentration. Though uncertain about her career end-goals, any job that allows her to write is a cherished one indeed.
