Review: Fawlty Towers – The Play at Wales Millennium Centre

Rhys John Edwards

To mark its fiftieth anniversary, the classic sitcom Fawlty Towers now has a stage version touring the UK. Not a remake or reboot, but a straightforward stage adaptation of three of its most memorable episodes (The Hotel Inspector, The Germans and Communication Problems).

Actually, ‘adaptation’ is probably too strong a word. This usually implies something has been altered or maybe even enhanced from its original incarnation, but it hasn’t changed a bit. This play is practically verbatim, with only the slightest narrative tweaks to ensure the three episodes flow together as a single story.

And I have to admit, I was a little disappointed.

Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t expecting a contemporary reinvention. No one wants to see a millennial Basil nervously avoid mentioning Tony Blair whilst serving a table of visiting Iraqis. But to have no acknowledgement of the time that has passed, no wink to the audience implying that the central conceit of this show is John Cleese dusting off a classic to keep the money coming in, feels… lazy.

I wanted something a little smarter, something closer to the Only Fools and Horses Musical, which was a loving tribute that still managed to cover new ground.

Instead, it feels as though Cleese rested up safe in the knowledge that once Hemi Yeroham’s Manuel shouts “I know nothing!”, the cash would start rolling in.

And the truth is, it probably did. Because, as far as I could tell, the audience around me loved every second.

Much of this is down to Danny Bayne, who avoids attempting a carbon copy of Basil Fawlty and instead allows glimpses of his own interpretation to shine through. Of course, he recreates that familiar simmering frustration and the physical comedy that defines the role, but it never becomes a mere impression.

Hemi Yeroham also brings great energy to Manuel and lands every comic beat he is given. Elsewhere, Paul Nicholas is excellent as the Major, capturing the character’s confusion with genuine charm and superb comic timing.

Joanne Clifton as Polly and Mia Austen as Sybil both do a fine job, although, much like in the original series, they are rather underserved as comic characters, with the biggest laughs inevitably reserved for Basil and Manuel.

Props should also go to the production design, which is one of the most impressive aspects of the show. Liz Ascroft’s set painstakingly recreates the world of Fawlty Towers, with the reception and dining areas looking almost identical to the ones fixed in our memories.

The problem is that Fawlty Towers – The Play is simply too faithful to the original. Because, ultimately, it is the original, word-for-word, just performed by different actors. And that gives the cast an almost impossible task.

Even if you could find superior comic actors to John Cleese and Andrew Sachs, it almost wouldn’t matter. The cultural impact of those performances is too significant.

The only way this show could truly succeed on its own terms would be to set out on its own path, with affectionate nods to the past, rather than feeble attempts to recreate it.

I should point out that, after the show, I bumped into some old friends and shared my frustrations with them. They rightly responded with “What did you expect?”

It’s true, Fawlty Towers – The Play doesn’t promise to be anything other than Fawlty Towers – The Play. In terms of ‘does exactly what it says on the tin’ pledges, it absolutely delivers.

And the audience around me laughed at every familiar joke and cheered as references were made to the moose head yet to be installed and the Germans who were soon to arrive.

So, it’s definitely possible I’m just too cynical. But still, I couldn’t shake the feeling during the curtain call that their applause was really earned by the show they adored on television, rather than the one they’d just watched on stage.

Fawlty Towers – The Play is performing at Wales Millennium Centre till Saturday 27 June, and continues to tour the UK throughout 2026. For more information, visit: https://fawltytowerstour.co.uk/