A week ago now, I received an invitation from Amy at Interactive Theatre International, to attend the opening night of 'Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience' as part of Brighton's Fringe Festival. Despite my pretensions of being a culture vulture, it is rare that I actually go and see anything as part of Brighton's annual Festival and quirky Fringe Festival.
On Thursday evening of last week, it was with great anticipation that I drove my lovely friend, Becka, and me, to Brighton's Thistle Hotel for an evening of food, entertainment and poor service.
I was a huge fan of the television series 'Fawlty Towers' as a child (although the production is very clear that it is not affiliated to the show in any way - hence the subtle spelling difference), and I was filled with nostalgia at the thought of experiencing some laugh-out-loud comedy treats.
The concept is a unique one: go to an hotel for a three-course meal, which happens to be served by 'Basil', 'Sybil' and 'Manuel', and become part of the inevitable chaos that surrounds them.
The experience starts during the pre-dinner drinks, with a confused Manuel throwing peanuts at guests, clearing the 'glasses' (removing people's specs), and Basil calling out the seating plan, accompanied by suitably acerbic comments - "Are you a magician?" to the man dressed in black shirt and black jeans.
The performance took place in the hotel's restaurant, and literally felt like we were featuring in the show itself. The chef had dropped his false teeth in the (delicious) tomato soup, bread rolls were launched at diners' heads, and I got chased around the room by Manuel and his pet 'rat': I was hysterical.
The characterisation was impressive: Basil had the look and the mannerisms; Manuel, the air of hapless and perpetual confusion; Sybil, the fantastically authentic hair, costume and make-up. For me, it was Sybil who stole the show; she was utterly convincing, with natural comic timing and the 'Sybil laugh' down to a tee.
The food was great, as was the background service from the actual hotel staff, and the experience was completely unique. I don't even think you'd have to be a fan of the original show to appreciate it. It took experiential theatre to a whole new level, and I'd be really interested to see what the company is going to come up with for next year.
Roll on May 2014...
PS. We were guests of 'Interactive Theatre International' but the views are 100% my own: loved it!
Hello! I'm back. I've hated neglecting the blog recently, but the move, working full-time and our new Internet connection with teething problems, have conspired against me.
Life is different; life is good. We're settled and yet still living with lots of boxes. Life is easier and yet still mentally busy. I've had an enforced absence from the Internet and social networking and I've HATED it.
Now we're on line and the computer is set up in our new study, I promise to be a better blogger. I'm still passionate about it as a concept, and I really want it to go somewhere, but I realise I've got to put the effort in.
Last weekend marked the occasion of my 35th birthday, or #halfwaytoseventy as I renamed it with uncharacteristic pessimism.
I had a big girls' night out planned on Friday in Brighton - a shared event with a very close friend whose birthday is three days before mine. Dexter got tonsillitis. By about 6pm on Friday evening, he had a raging temperature spike and we carted him off to the emergency out of hours doctor. Friday night for me was cancelled.
By Sunday, my actual birthday, he was making a good recovery. It was a gloriously sunny day and all I wanted to do to celebrate was have some quality family time with my lovely boys. So we went for a walk.
We walked through our new village (despite living in a new-build development, I have somewhat grandiose ideas I am now a country bumpkin), round a local park which is home to a lovely country hotel, and ended up at a tea rooms.
It was a proper old-lady afternoon out, and I loved it! We all got a healthy glow from some exposure to actual sunshine, Dexter attempted some 'sheep whispering' and I ate the best ploughman's lunch in the South East. Perfect.
