Scottish fans of the ratings grabbing BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers are in for a treat this autumn as Basil, Sybil and Manuel embark on tour of Scotland, bringing culinary mayhem and laughs galore to Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, St Andrew’s, Broughty Ferry and Banff in Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience.
It was August 2008 that saw a smash-hit production, all the way from Australia, enjoy its UK premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe. An instant hit, suddenly three much loved, iconic sitcom characters were back, live on stage (well, in a restaurant) creating laugh out loud mayhem. Now, after more than a decade on the Fringe, the production from Interactive Theatre International (ITI), which premiered in Australia 27 years ago, is set to embark on its first Scotland Tour.
A loving tribute to the Seventies’ BBC series, dinner and theatre collide like never before in Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience. Take your seats at your table in the ‘Faulty Towers’ restaurant and prepare for a service like no other, delivered by Basil, Sybil and Manuel themselves. As your starter is unceremoniously plonked before you the chaos begins, actually it starts even before that but let’s not give too much away.
With an original script woven through a three course meal, watch as the terrifying Sybil rules the roost, as Basil loses it, and as Manuel finds he can’t do right for doing wrong. Boasting a nod a wink to all your favourite moments from the classic sitcom, Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience is a side splitting evening of food and laughter… and just a bit of audience participation.
After such an impressive run at Edinburgh, Jared Harford, Executive Producer of ITI, explains why, in the post pandemic landscape ITI have decided the time is right to tour, he says, “With all the data we’ve gathered from the Fringe over the years, we know that people come from all over Scotland to see us. Now it’s our turn to come to them.”
Not that their 11 consecutive years, doing two, sometimes three, shows a day during August in Edinburgh is an achievement to be taken lightly. Indeed, in 2019, ITI even programmed their own venue for the first time. Harford recalls, “In 2019, we did our ‘massive’ Fringe. We had 16 different shows at our venue. It was amazing, something I’d always wanted to do. We were planning to do the same in 2020. We had put down a £40,000 deposit on the venue and then the pandemic hit. We lost everything.’
Although The Dining Experience returned to Fringe in 2023, ITI soon discovered the landscape had changed and it was time to venture further afield, hence their Scotland Tour, which brings not one but two Basils north of the border.
“Yes, we have two Basils coming to Scotland for the tour,” confirms Harford, “Jack Baldwin, our Associate Artistic Director who looks after all the shows in the UK will share the role with Dave Tremaine, who has been with us for eight years now.”
A double-dose of Basils, the temptation has to be to go twice and compare, surely? “Yeah…” says Harford, with just hint of reticence, before adding, “To be honest, they are both just as good as each other, so yes, go and see the one who inspired The Show That Goes Wrong and then go and see the one who wrote a hit show us in Australia.”
The Scotland Tour visits The Scotsman Hotel, Edinburgh, Palm Court Hotel, Aberdeen, Vic’s Cafe, St Andrew’s, Forgan’s Broughty Ferry, Arta, Glasgow and Fife Lodge Hotel, Banff.
“All our venues are owned by The Scotsman Hotel group, our new partner in Scotland,” reveals Harford. “I’ve only been to The Scotsman Hotel and it is just phenomenal, absolutely gorgeous, so that instills confidence that everything else will be of the same quality; they’re renowned for five star luxury, I believe.”
Having dominated Edinburgh every August for so long and now embarking on their first Scottish tour, Harford still has great ambitions for ITI outside of The Dining Experience.
“I’ve got this dream that either one day someone will write something for us that involves music, or I just want to stage a musical. The only problem with that is that Australia is such a large country with such a small population that it’s difficult to get around, consequently, people aren’t in the habit of going to see things. That’s why we keep having the same four or five musicals going around and around.
“And, of course, in the UK it’s not really easy to put on a musical, although we are partnering with someone this year for Christmas; putting on A Christmas Carol which I’ve invested in, so we are an official associate producer. It’s good to dip my toe in that area.”
For the time being, however, it seems Faulty Towers The Dining Experience will remain the jewel in the ITI crown and if you find yourself in London on a Theatre Break, it’s worth remembering they have a residency there too, at The President Hotel, not far from the new West End stage production. Heaven for any Fawlty Towers’ fan.
“It’s quite exciting to have more than one Fawlty Towers product available to people. If you look at Mamma Mia The Party and Mamma Mia! The Musical and ABBA Voyage, all three happily run concurrently. So there’s no reason why people can’t go and see the stage show, which is obviously John Cleese’s rewriting of the TV show, and then come and sit and enjoy the dining experience, which is a script devised by our company that allows people come along and be involved in creating the thirteenth episode. London is big enough for both of us.”
In the meantime, however, Basil, Sybil and Manuel are heading to a venue near you. Book now. And please remember, no hamsters.
FAULTY TOWERS: THE DINING EXPERIENCE SCOTLAND TOUR VISITS
Edinburgh – The Scotsman Hotel, 9 October-3 November
Aberdeen – Palm Court Hotel, 17-20 October
St Andrew’s – Vic’s Cafe, 22-23 October
Broughty Ferry – Forgan’s, 24-27 October
Glasgow – Arta, 6-17 November
Banff – Fife Lodge Hotel, Banff, 9 November
Tickets for all venues are available from https://www.interactivetheatre.com.au/scotland-tour/
This feature was commissioned by Interactive Theatre International
