Play Title: The Play That Goes Wrong

IBDP THEATRE

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section A:
The Play Text, Its context and the Ideas Presented 3
About the play 3
Ideas Presented in the Play 3
Intention of the play 5

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The Play That Goes Wrong is a play by three playwrights Henry Lewis, Jonathan
Sayer and Henry Shields. The show has been running since 2012 and has won
various awards such as the Olivier award, Whatsonstage Award and the Broadway
World Award. The play as suggested by the title itself is about a play which takes
place during the 1920s for a murder mystery but everything goes wrong. The play
comprises various accidents, with actors missing their cue to not being able to
present their characters, the play starts off bad which takes a rather hilarious yet
disastrous turn.

First performed in 2012 by mischief production, The Play that Goes Wrong starts
off with a set that is falling off and is missing parts. The play automatically begins
with different problems faced in a theatrical play. Despite starting with a rocky
start, the play that goes wrong is a comedic play that mainly focuses on the
element of farce in which the audience are shown in the play with characters that
overly exaggerated the mishaps and the comedic timing. The play is despite
numerous mistakes and accidents are going in the play the characters continue
continue the play and show improvisation and despite not being able to achieve a
flawless play, the show how the actors are dedicated and passionate, and how did
your mind the audience that plays about joy and how characters push through the
various circumstances that are unforeseen, do show the audience the impossibility
of attaining perfection.

Ideas Present in the play:

The doors that malfunction and want to open the fireplace with hanging props. The
cord falling are some of the examples from the play, that perhaps show how
uncertain the mishaps in the play are.

For example:
In Act One:

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In this scene the play shows how the door malfunctions and won't budge at all.
This is an example of how unforeseen circumstances occur in the play and how the
actors deal with it. “Robert and Dennis dart around the side of the set to enter”, by
doing this the actors hilariously show how they improvise during the mishaps.
Another example of how improvisation is used is in another scene of ACT 1:

In this example when dennis realises that the scotch bottle which should be empty
is full, she dumps it in the voice pipe which “unfortunately” comes down the other
side of the pipe and robert is spurted with it, Robert grabs the coal scuttle and puts
the liquid inside, in this also they use improvisation and showcase the mishaps.

Similarly as the above examples, a lot of mishaps occur in the play which the
playwrights have tried to put forth in a hilarious way to showcase the audience,
how various circumstances occur in a play and how actors use improvisation to
cover it. The play that goes wrong ultimately is a play filled with chaos that is
relatable to all the plays that are produced in a theatre. The play shows how
anything can go wrong from actors forgetting lines to props falling off, the
playwrights have shown how the nature of a play or a theatrical act is
unpredictable and has the circumstance of going south filled with chaos. This play
brings into reality what operating a theatre looks like and shows the complications
associated with staging a play. The play also shows with the help of its characters
the improvisations that actors have to do in unforeseen circumstances. However,
the playwrights also show that despite all the setbacks and the chaos building up in

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the play, the characters are dedicated to keep the show running which shows that
persistence and determination is also a key importance while staging a play.

Intentions for staging the play

My primary intention with staging “The Play That Goes Wrong” is to create an
entertaining and amusing piece of act which is filled with exaggerated chaos that
occurs along the play. With exaggerated movements from the characters, their
reactions and the mishaps they get themselves into, I intend to show a piece of
theatre which provides its audience with an entertaining experience. Not only that
but instances where the characters forget their play and use wordplay, the
escalating mishaps, the blabbering, hesitations and the intentional pauses will be
used in order to break the fourth wall between the audience and the actors to add
the extra entertainment value in the play.

Farce is a recurring genre that is found in the play. With the help of this play I also
intend to emphasise the use of farce in a theatrical play. I will make the characters
overly exaggerate their acting manner and include facial expressions, gestures that
are very noticeable and use mannerism to push forth the comedic effect delivered
by the play. The dialogues will be paced quickly, meaning that the characters will
speak a bit faster than characters in a normal play with a witty personality to ensure
that the audience are faced with comedic rhythm. Since the play consists of chaotic
scenes, the use of farce will be shown when the actors are unable to open the door
that creates a comedic scene that the door is malfunctioning, forcing the characters
to glide through the stage to the backstage that will incorporate exaggerated use of
movements, By mixing farce in the play, not only will I be able to showcase
comedy and humour but also show the absurdity of staging a play.

"The Play That Goes Wrong" is something that I looked into as it helps to question
viewer expectations and how plays may divert from the audience's initial thought
handling. The play deliberately challenges the audience's perceptions of traditional
theatre performances. The chaos starts off lightly and subtle but as the play goes on
the chaos keeps on escalating and it intensifies the performance, while initially the

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audience might think that this is a traditional play, my intention is to show that this
play is not perfect but is filled with hilarious mishaps and disasters. By diverting
the audience's initial thought process, I will be able to grab the attention of the
audience. As the concentration span of a normal person is only about 15-20
minutes, I intend to use the diversion to engage the audience repeatedly towards
the play and watch the chaos unfold. Contrary to a traditional play, I want the
audience to see the unpredictability and surprise associated with the play.

In addition, my intention for staging "The Play That Goes Wrong" will serve as an
exhibition for ensemble acting. This play entails a strong ensemble cast that can
work smoothly together to create the illusion of disorder and disaster. I intend to
emphasise the importance of working together, communicating effectively, and the
ability to adjust and respond in the moment by staging this play. This production
will allow the performers to showcase their capacity in ensemble acting,
emphasising their ability to support and complement one another on stage.

Finally, my main goal is to entertain and please those in attendance. "The Play
That Goes Wrong" is an amusing and highly entertaining comedy that will have
spectators laughing and smiling. Through putting on this play, I hope that it offers
a fun and engaging theatre experience for an array of audiences. My goal is to
create a memorable and enjoyable production that provides the audience with an
evening of laughter and joy.

Moreover, my theatrical goals for staging "The Play That Goes Wrong" include
showcasing our technical abilities, visiting the genre of farce, tough audience
expectations, supplying a platform for ensemble performing, and inevitably
entertaining and satisfying our audience. I anticipate creating an unforgettable and
engaging theatrical experience that demonstrates the ability to perform, challenges
norms, and leaves an eternal mark on our audience with this production.

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Bibliography:
https://broadwaygoeswrong.com/about.php

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