Wondering where we’ll be touring to in the UK this June? This interactive map will show you when the Faultys will be near you area. Just hover your mouse over the map and click the red dots for more info and links to buy tickets. Simple!
(If you can’t see the interactive dots then click on the post title ‘Upcoming UK June Tours’)
Watch out for one of these maps every month and let us know what you think of our interactive map on Facebook or Twitter!
Brighton Fringe Festival and our extra run of shows at the Thistle Hotel went down a storm, with our final performance on Sunday 9 Jun. Here are our favourite photos of Ed Howells, Rob Langston and Donna Gray (and some giggling guests):
We also received some brilliant reviews from The Argus, Broadway Baby and The Latest.
And if for some bizarre reason you missed us this May and June then don’t fear… we will be back due to popular demand in July, September and December. Check out the Thistle website for more information.
‘Welcome to cooking with Manuel…’
This July, we will be visiting the Gentse Feesten in Belgium where we will be performing at Capitole, Ghent. Manuel is so excited and just can’t wait, so in the meantime he’s made a video on his new favourite Belgian meal….
Did you catch the Faultys discussing ‘duck surprise’ and turtle necks on BBC Radio 2’s Weekend Wogan last Sunday? Donna Gray, Ed Howells and Rob Langston will also be performing at the Brighton Fringe Festival this May, here they are with Sir Terry.
Q1: What’s your favourite part of working with Faulty Towers The Dining Experience so far or favourite Faulty moment?
A: I just love playing Sybil. I was born in the ‘70s so was a young child when Fawlty Towers first aired. My primary school teacher, who encouraged me to be an actress, was a massive Fawlty Towers fan and we used to watch it on a huge box TV in the school library. The characters are so iconic and have stood the test of time. Sybil is such a fantastic character to play and I can’t believe that it’s my job!
Q2: Describe yourself in 3 words?
A: Blonde, dogs, ABBA
Q3: What’s your best (or worst) corpsing story?
A: I haven’t really corpsed myself yet, but watching Jordan (who plays Basil) with his head out of the door laughing at the little boy who stole the show by doing Basil’s bottle trick was very near!
Q4: What similarities and differences are there between you and the character you play?
A: My husband would probably say lots of similarities and no differences…Oh, except I don’t play golf! I do however talk non-stop, incessant rubbish and spend far too much on my hair and co-ordinating shoes.
Q5: If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?
A: I would be my dog ‘Trevor’, who’s a 12 year old Yorkshire Terrier. I’ve had him since he was a puppy and he’s spoilt rotten. Dogs are so much fun, loyal and loving. I adore him.
Q6: Who’s your favourite other cast member to share a dressing room with and why?
A: Ooh that’s so difficult, I’d hate to pick a favourite out of the boys… I do love the chemistry between Jack and Ed, they teach me lots of rude words and wind me up non-stop. I also love Paul and Brian, Paul says working with me and Brian is like being Dad to two squabbling twelve year olds, which I think must be a compliment?!
However, I’m going to go with Donna: although I never work with her as she’s another Sybil, she was there to guide me on my first two performances. I was really nervous but she held my hand and listened to me jabber on about total rubbish while providing a soothing motherly ear…she’s lovely!
Suzanna with Paul O’Neill (left) and Brian Roche (right) at The Charing Cross Hotel.
Q7: If your character had a dating profile, what do you think it would say?
A: Elegant, glamorous lady seeks gentleman who likes golf, big hair and listening!
Q8: What was your last tweet or Facebook status?
A: It was a picture of a baby monkey!
Q10: What don’t you leave home without?
A: Hand cream and Trevor (wherever possible)!
Q11: Do you have any hidden talents?
A: I think for anyone who has seen my Sybil’s rendition of Happy Birthday would have to agree that it is Opera singing!
I can also speak in almost any UK and worldwide accent!
You can follow Suzanna on twitter @SuzannaHughes to hear first hand what touring and performing with Faulty Towers is like.
Suzanna is currently performing at Charing Cross until the end of June and will then be at the Ghent Festival in Belgium in July.
Check out our Brighton Fringe 2013 trailer for a sneak peak at what the festival has in store this year for Faulty Fans.
We are performing at the Thistle Brighton until June 9th, so if you haven’t managed to get your tickets yet head on over to www.faultytowers-uk.com or call 01273 763 244 for more info.
And if that wasn’t enough of a backstage insight for you, here are some of our favourite Instagram photos courtesy of Donna Gray (@Donzigray) – who is playing Sybil – and our office team on the Dining Experience’s opening night.
1. Pre-dinner drinks at the opening night. 2. Ed Howells (Manuel) feeling the pink! 3. Sybil’s sea view dressing room. 4. Cool table settings!
Do you have any Instagram photos of Faulty Towers at the Brighton Fringe? Share them with us @thefaultytowers
Photos and videos are one thing, but actually being there is another… it is an experience after all! So get involved before the event sells out: Purchase your tickets for a Lunch or Dinner performance here.
Our Norway tour concluded with three nights at Gaffel Og Karaffel in the coastal town of Stavanger. Here are some of our favourite shots from Wednesday evening (15th) of the beautiful venue and fabulously enthusiastic audience.
The town itself has beautiful winding streets filled with small shops and cafes:
(Gaffel Og Karaffel from the outside)
(Stavanger cobbled street)
Overall, Norway has been an unforgettable experience and incredibly successful break in tour. We’ve had a great time working with all the venues and entertaining the friendly and fun loving Norwegian audiences and look forward to returning for more Faulty Fun at the end of the year!
Norway is just one of the 20 countries we are performing in this year, to keep up to date with tours and ticket releases follow us on Twitter and Facebook, or sign up to our monthly Newsletter.
‘Tusen Takk, Norway!’
From mountainous coast to urban sprawl: our exciting debut Norway tour continues in the capital city, Oslo ths week. For the 12th and 13th of May, Jordan Edmeades, Karina Garnett and Anthony Sottile performed at Lawo, a bar and restaurant near the University and majestic Parliament buildings in central Oslo.
The Faultys also decided to take a look at the National Theatre and surrounding area on Sunday afternoon, the trip involved Manuel attempting to skateboard, being taught ti dance Gangnam style and lots and lots of fan photos (not to Basil’s amusement). Check our our Facebook album for more pictures.
Lawo was a beautiful fusion of modern and vintage, with a stylish collection of old photos, cameras and books. Sybil loved the green sofas so much that she bought a suit to match!
You can find Lawo on the web and facebook. We’re looking forward to coming back at the end of the year!
This week we hit yet another Faulty Towers milestone with our Norway debut, starting in Teaterfabrikken in the beautiful town of Ålesund.
Surrounded by fjords and the high peaks of the Sunnmøre Alps, Ålesund is a sea port that is noted for its unique concentration of Art Nouveau architecture. In 1904 the town – built largely of wood – was the scene of a great fire in which most buildings were destroyed during the night, and the population had to leave the town with only a few minutes’ notice. Now the town is characterised by it’s colourful buildings and Art Nouveau style buildings which are a dream to photograph! Here are some of our photos from the tour.
Peter, the Director, chilling out outside Teaterfabrikken.
Teaterfabrikken is a beautiful quirky venue, set in an old fish oil factory building by the sea with a warm and friendly atmosphere. Keep up to date with their other events:
twitter: @teaterfabrikken
http://www.teaterfabrikken.no/
If you missed the Faulty’s in Ålesund, you can catch us in Oslo or Stavanger this week, AND we will be back for second Norway tour in October! Sign up to our newsletter if you want to be the first to hear about tickets!
In the mean time, look out for our next update on the Norway Debut Part 2: Oslo!
After finishing our Netherlands tour last week, we have spent a great three nights at the Cultuurcentrum Muze in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium this week. Every evening was a sell out, with a fantastic atmosphere, super friendly staff and wonderfully decorated tables that Sybil adored! (They matched her outfit).
Dining tables, Side of the Cultuurcentrum cafe and great hall, Muze Cafe veranda, Pre-dinner drinks bar, Quirky decor in the artiestenfoyer, Cultuurcentrum entrance.
Pink everywhere: Sybil and matching table cloth
The crew plus Muze staff with delicious homemade pizza on the last day.
Did you get to see Faulty Towers The Dining Experience at Heusden-Zolder? Let us know what you thought!
Spring’s sprung a bit late in London (on again, off again…), but we believe it’s just about here. To help it along we’ve got a great pop-up promotion for selected dates at Charing Cross over the next two weeks: a limited amount of tickets are available for only £35 each. Click on the date of your choice below to make an online booking, but be quick – there are only a small number up for grabs at this crazy price! See more about us at www.publicreviews.com
Sixteen years ago to this day Faulty Towers The Dining Experience debuted at The Ridge Hotel, Spring Hill in Brisbane, Australia.
In its 16th year, The Dining Experience is touring in over 20 countries, with eight acting teams and supporting staff in both hemispheres, plus a permanent residency in London’s West End…A fantastic achievement that Ali and the first performers would barely have dreamed of, back in 1997.
Need more history? You can read about Interactive Theatre International in further detail on our website.
This week we’ll be introducing Donna Gray, an experienced screen and stage actor and masters graduate from Drama Centre CSM. Donna has been playing Sybil in Faulty Towers The Dining Experience for just over a year now and has toured around the world to Barbados, Portugal, Ireland and our London West End residency at The Charing Cross Hotel.
Q1: What’s your favourite part of working with Faulty Towers The Dining Experience so far or favourite Faulty moment?
A: Travelling around the world with the show. My most recent highlight was performing alfresco on the veranda of Holders House in Barbados for the Holders Season 2013. We were on the bill amongst acts like Paul Merton and Russell Watson and we did two sell out shows overlooking the Caribbean Sea!
Apart from the travelling – whacking Basil around the head with a tray of nuts every night is always a highlight!
Donna at Holders House, Barbados (March 2013)
Q2: Describe yourself in 3 words.
A: Driven, impatient and blonde!
Q3: What’s your best (or worst) corpsing story?
A: There once was a man who laughed like a performing seal throughout the night. During an important silence in the show – where Sybil turns and catches Basil out – he was sitting right under my nose and as I was glaring at Basil he burst out laughing, or should I say barking! The rest of the audience and myself had to just turn and watch him. It was hard to contain myself but Sybil calmly turned to him and said “Are we related?” then laughed in her usual machine-gunning seal way herself! As I left the room the corners of my mouth started to turn up uncontrollably and on reaching the kitchen I just fell about laughing! (You had to be there!)
Q4: What similarities and differences are there between you and the character you play?
A: Scarily, there are quite a few! I like to chat, I have tendencies to say ‘I know’ and ‘Really?’ I have big hair and I love a matching two piece!
Q5: If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?
A: A Dragon of course! Or if you mean a real one, maybe a Parrot: I talk too much and preen myself (a bit like Sybil!). Or a Sheep because I’m mutton dressed up as lamb! Or a Golden Retriever as I’m very blonde and eager to please!
Q6: Who’s your favourite other cast member to share a dressing room with and why?
A: Ooh that’s a tough one! Can I have a few?
Jack (Basil) because he always comes with gifts of cheese or chocolate for after show treats and he plays the Beatles on his iPod.
Brian (Manuel) because we have a ritual of singing Bohemian Rhapsody as loud as we can to warm up pre-show.
Paul (Basil) because he never fails to have a story of the day to share with us and his determination to get the live match on his iPad gives a good energy in the room.
Q7: If your character had a dating profile, what do you think it would say?
A: Chic, tenacious, domineering woman with excellent social skills seeks tall, dark and handsome male with a good pedigree!
Q8: What was your last tweet or Facebook status?
A: “Linda’s Veggie Sausages to the rescue #cupboardsarebare #lunch #hurryupandcook”
Q10: What don’t you leave home without?
A: A bag of nuts and raisins and enough money for a skinny latte.
Q11: Do you have any hidden talents?
A: I can still do the splits!
If you want to see Donna in action, in both Faulty Towers and other clips, check out her 2013 Showreel:
