Jonathan Sayer Archives - North West End UK

Peter Pan Goes Wrong – Opera House, Manchester

28Mar

By Emma WildNo Comments

North West

Peter Pan Goes Wrong – Opera House, Manchester

Well, what a night! This show will live long in the memory for all the right reasons! The ‘Cornley Drama Society’ (Mischief Theatre) have visited Cornley Polytechnic (The Opera House Manchester) to put on their production of Peter Pan (which is most definitely NOT a pantomime!). Cornley Drama Society is full of endearing characters, including over-ambitious wannabes, all of whom are hilarious, under-rehearsed, prop, stunt and line-bumbling amateur thespians. The programme (which is an absolute hoot!) informs that Members of the Cornley Youth Theatre have the honour of joining the ‘real near-professional actors and directors’ of the adult section of the Society, (whether they want to or not!) for this disastrous production of J.M. Barrie’s classic story about a mischievous boy from Neve...

Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle – Apollo Theatre

22Mar

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle – Apollo Theatre

Mind Mangler, Keith (performed by Henry Lewis), is a mentalist, a human lie-detector, an expert at prophesy, a man who can read your mind. As this show comes from the crazy team at Mischief Productions who also devised the hugely successful The Play That Goes Wrong and Peter Pan Goes Wrong, it's not long before the Mind Mangler's tricks spiral into chaos. Lewis is an imposing figure with a sonorous voice that is perfect for this role. He exudes misplaced self-confidence in his abilities, while recognising that his past is not without its flaws. A lot of flaws. This is a performer with huge aspirations to play Las Vegas but who fate will undoubtedly and inevitably kick to the end of the pier. There's a lot of audience participation, from revealing personal secrets to mixing up Rubik cub...

Peter Pan Goes gnorW – Edinburgh Playhouse

29Feb

By Oliver GigginsNo Comments

Scotland

Peter Pan Goes gnorW – Edinburgh Playhouse

Mischief (here working with Kenny Wax Ltd and Stage Presence Ltd) is the multi award-winning company responsible for the very popular The Play That Goes Wrong, and its many conceptual spin-offs. These include the BBC One television series The Goes Wrong Show, Mind Mangler - Member of the Tragic Circle, Magic Goes Wrong, Mischief Movie Night and, of course, this evening's Peter Pan Goes Wrong, which was directed by Adam Meggido, with help from Associate Director Fred Gray. Like many of their shows, the concept is as complicated as the title. The ‘Cornley Drama Society’ Jake Burgum (Trevor the Stage Manager ), Jean-Luke Worrell (Francis the Narrator), Ciara Morris (Sandra / Wendy), Theo Toksvig-Stewart (Max / Michael), Clark Devlin (Dennis / John), Jamie Birkett (Annie / Tinkerbell), Gar...

18Oct

By Emma LambeNo Comments

North West

Peter Pan Goes Wrong – Liverpool Empire

If you haven’t already heard of Mischief Productions and their work, then look them up, they’re brilliant. You can find some of their TV work on BBC also. Writers Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Sheilds do a fantastic job at making a beloved classic work as a slapstick comedy production. Think lights flickering, props being misplaced, set falling apart and performers being injured. This is the kind of show that you could watch with friends and family old and young and they’re sure to love it. The concept for Peter Pan Goes Wrong is just like the title says, Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society presents J M Barrie’s timeless classic Peter Pan and things don’t go quite to plan. The show officially begins as the audience are still taking their seats. With actors weaving in and out o...

28Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Making Mischief in Edinburgh Again

Mischief are the award-winning company behind The Play That Goes Wrong, Magic Goes Wrong and The Comedy About A Bank Robbery as well as the BBC comedy series The Goes Wrong Show and they are back in Edinburgh for this year's Fringe. CHARLIE RUSSELL AIMS TO PLEASE Written and performed by Charlie Russell Pleasance Courtyard (Below) 3rd – 27th August at 3.15pm https://bit.ly/3PHe8Mi Charlie Russell wants to do a show in Edinburgh, but all she can think about is what she wants people to think of it and ultimately, of her. So rather than focusing on what she wants to say, she’s just going to create a show that will please absolutely everyone by trying to hit as many solo fringe show tropes and styles as possible within an hour. That’s doable, right? MISCHIEF MOVIE NIGHT ...

The Play That Goes Wrong – Manchester Opera House

31May

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

The Play That Goes Wrong – Manchester Opera House

When going to the theatre, I always love to see a ‘comedy farce’ more than anything else; I enjoy a good drama as much as the next person, but I find that farce comedy just works so well in a theatre environment and there’s one company that stands out above all the rest for being masters of the farce; this is of course the Mischief Theatre Company. Set up back in 2008 by a group of talented theatre students; This company has had great success on stage and on screen and perhaps their best known production and most successful is; The Play That Goes Wrong which is without doubt the best of farce and currently back at Manchester Opera House for one week only! The production first debuted in 2012 at The Old Red Lion Theatre in London and now just over a decade later; the original cast ha...

The Play That Goes Wrong – Liverpool Empire

24May

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

The Play That Goes Wrong – Liverpool Empire

The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society has finally found the play for their member numbers and the time has come for them to put it in front of an audience, but are they ready? Mischief Comedy’s The Play That Goes Wrong focuses on the Drama Society’s performance of Murder at Haversham Manor and is two hours of guaranteed laughs and enjoyment. Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, it is a comedy and a piece that will stand the test of time, as there is no actual time period mentioned throughout the piece. The comedic timing is absolutely spot on and to be able to deliver the piece straight-faced, whilst standing in exactly the right place at the right time, so as not to mess up any of the cues definitely takes a special type of skill. Just when you think nothing el...

Original cast to get it wrong again for just 2 weeks

9May

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Original cast to get it wrong again for just 2 weeks

The original cast of The Play That Goes Wrong are reprising their roles for two weeks as part of the production’s current UK tour, 10 years after they first performed the play at The Old Red Lion Pub Theatre. The original cast from the 2012 run, Rob Falconer (Trevor), Dave Hearn (Max), Henry Lewis (Robert), Charlie Russell (Sandra), Jonathan Sayer (Dennis), Henry Shields (Chris), Greg Tannahill (Jonathan) and Nancy Zamit (Annie) reunite to perform The Play That Goes Wrong to UK audiences for the first time in over five years, playing at Opera House Manchester, 30th May – 4th June 2022, and Theatre Royal Newcastle, 6th – 11th June 2022. The Play That Goes Wrong is on its 5th UK tour, running until 21st August, and is blundering its way through its 8th year in the West End, currently ...

New cast announced to try and get it right or wrong!

4Mar

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

New cast announced to try and get it right or wrong!

The Play That Goes Wrong, the Olivier Award-winning box office hit today announces a brand-new cast at The Duchess Theatre from Tuesday 5th April 2022. The new cast will include Tomisin Ajani as Trevor, Jo Ben Ayed as Dennis, Ashh Blackwood as Annie, Anya de Villiers as Sandra, Tendai Humphrey Sitima as Robert, Scott Hunter as Max, Oliver Mott as Jonathan, and Mikhail Sen as Chris. The company is completed by Roisin Fahey, Charlie Richards, Stuart Vincent, Emily Waters and Jack Whittle. The Play That Goes Wrong is blundering its way through its 8th year in the West End and is currently booking until April 2023. In August 2021 it became the longest running play at The Duchess Theatre (since the theatre opened in 1929) and is the longest running comedy in the West End. Awarded the ...

24Aug

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

Groan Ups – The Lowry

Mischief Theatre Has had what could be described as its own residency at the Lowry theatre in the past few weeks; with productions; ‘The Play that Goes Wrong’ and ‘Magic Goes wrong’ all delighting audiences returning to live theatre. Their third production to frequent the Salford Quays theatre this Summer is Groan Ups and it’s a departure from their usual escapades and calamity-laden gags - this is play, with no sets falling down, no props inadvertently missing, it’s something very different. Groan Ups follows the lives of five children as they grow into adults, highlighting three different chapters of their lives on stage. The production opens with the characters being 6-year-olds in the second year of primary school then developing into teenagers and lastly as 30-year-olds at a sc...