Category Archives: Faulty Towers The Dining Experience

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BASIL!

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We opened in London’s West End with a full-time residency on 18 October 2012. So we’ve decided to make the whole of October 2013 our birthday month – or, more exactly, Basil’s Birthday Bash. To celebrate, we’re running deals and giveaways all month.

‘Deliciously entertaining from start to finish, this is not to be missed.’
(What’s on London)

First up:
£5 off all Charing Cross tickets bought during October, for all performances at Charing Cross any time 1 October-21 December 2013.
To have the discount applied, book online and quote the promotion code: HAPPYBIRTHDAYBASIL
You can also be in for the chance of winning a pair of tickets to see the show on Friday 18 October 2013 – just tell us why you love Fawlty Towers through Facebook or Twitter using #HappyBirthdayBasil
We’ll be in touch with the winner on the morning of Thursday 17 October.
Also:
You can book a special discount of 20% off 4* hotel accommodation any time 1 Oct-21 Dec – just use the hotel’s booking line and quote Faulty Towers, plus your Faulty Towers booking reference: 0871 376 9012. (all subject to availability)

‘a rip-roaringly hilarious night out’
(This Is London)

OUR BIRTHDAY CAST
Our lovely cast for Basil’s Birthday month have all won 5* features at performances around the world:

Basil - Rob Langston

Basil – Rob Langston

brian roche, manuel,

Manuel – Brian Roche

sybil, donna gray

Sybil – Donna Gray (1-21 Oct)

Sybil - Karina Garnett (22-31 Oct)

Sybil – Karina Garnett (22-31 Oct)

To find out more about all of them, see our Actors page.

‘you’ll struggle to keep your laughter under wraps’
(Fluid London)

CHARING CROSS HOTEL
This wonderful, 4* listed building has been our London home all year. While O’Reilly was away this summer, the hotel had a grand refurbishment. Sybil loves the pink: it matches her favourite lipstick!

charing cross, charing cross hotel, refurbishment, hotel, dining room

‘unarguably great at entertaining their guests… it beats watching TV any day of the week’
(This Is Cabaret)

AROUND TOWN
You can travel by Faulty Towers rickshaw around central London. Further afield, flagbearers have been spreading the word… watch out for spot competitions for tickets on Twitter and Facebook…

charing cross, charing cross hotel, rickshaw, london, flagwalkers_putney-4sep13

 

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A year at The Charing Cross Hotel in photos

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Faulty Towers on Pienaar’s Politics – BBC Radio 5

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Click here to listen to Rob Langston, Terence Frisch and Suzanna Hughes on Pienaar’s Politics from rainy Bournemouth on 15th September 2013.

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Faulty Towers on ABC Sydney – 702 Drive with Richard Glover

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Click the image below to listen to the full interview with our Sydney Opera House debut team on 24th September 2013

drive, richard glover, faulty towers, 702 sydney, ABC

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Faulty Towers at The Charing Cross Hotel, London

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Tweet of the Week

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Tweet of the week is from one of our newest Sybils, Imogen Miller-Porter, and is a great picture of her, Benedict Holme (Basil) and Leigh Kelly (Manuel) on the front cover of the Nottingham Post this week.

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Tweet of the Week

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A little girl fascinated by Karina Garnett as Sybil in London

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Manuel in London, waiting for Sydney

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Manuel heard that LEGO now has a beautiful, 3,000 brick rendition of Sydney Opera House, so he thought he’d try his hand at the same thing in London, with a little help from his new friend and budding architect, Charlie.

Manuel will be off to Sydney himself soon… Faulty Towers The Dining experience is at Sydney Opera House 24 – 29 September 2013.
For more information and tickets, go to the Australian Tickets page of www.interactivetheatre.com.au or go direct to Sydney Opera House.

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Kingdom FM review & FringeReview Interview

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Click here for Kingdom FM’s great review of Faulty Towers The Dining Experience at Edinburgh Fringe or click the image below to hear Paul Levy of FringeReview’s interview with artistic director Alison Pollard-Mansergh.

alison pollard-mansergh, paul levy, fringe review

 

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Weirdest Fringe Props

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As the Fringe draws to a close and we get ready to pack away the plastic fish, teeth, fire extinguisher and rat back into their home in the props kit after our last shows tomorrow we wondered… what’s the weirdest props you’ve seen in Edinburgh this month?
 
Whether you’re a participant or a punter, tweet your favourites to @thefaultytowers and win a pair of £20 tickets to tomorrow’s lunchtime show!

IMG_4170

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The Birth of a new Basil and Sybil

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lara paul

 We recently welcomed Lara Dignam and Paul Geoghegan into the Aussie Faulty family. Having auditioned early in 2013, they rehearsed in March with our team at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Joined by long-standing company member Daley Donnelly (Manuel) and with artistic director Alison Pollard-Mansergh there too, they had their first performance in June at the Warwick Show & Rodeo Society Dinner in southern Queensland. This is what they said afterwards…

FT:       How were you feeling before your rehearsal on Friday? [the day before the Warwick show]

Paul:    I think my main concerns were hoping to impress Ali and to do a good job in general. I was also hoping to have a good rapport with Daley.

Lara:    Somewhat anxious!

FT:       And after your rehearsal?

Paul:    I was a bit brain dead. Learning and polishing in four hours what we covered in a week in Melbourne. When I got home I couldn’t think of a single thing I had done all day.

Lara:    Amazing what putting on the wig and frilly shirt does for your character development!

FT:       What was going through your mind on the drive to Warwick?

Paul:    I spent the two hour drive enjoying the scenery. And listening to select episodes of Fawlty Towers to get me in the spirit of things. When we got to Warwick, I found a coffee shop and had some quiet time having a good coffee and reading over the script one last time.

Lara:    I can’t believe the motel manager in Brisbane snubbed me because I’m in theatre and not on TV! I AM super important!!

FT:       First impressions when you got to the Warwick Rodeo?

Lara:    We were welcomed by seven year old twins wearing pink cowboy hats named Raven and Justice. It was a beautiful, peaceful area with friendly and eager people.

Paul:    The first ten minutes of the show felt awkward but once we got everyone seated I was on. Daley and I found some good comedy with the way Manuel had set the table. And then the night went by with nearly no hitches.

FT:       Were there any funny and/or frightening moments during your debut?

Paul:    I don’t care to admit one minor thing that happened!

Lara:    The moustache falling off (shouldn’t have bought the cheap glue Basil!).

FT:       The post-mortem?!

Paul:    Afterwards I felt good. Nothing was missed. No one got hurt. And everyone had a good time. For a debut performance, it was a good-sized audience to perform for. And performing with Lara and Daley was a delight. I can’t wait to perform with them again.

Lara:    Glad the first one is over and looking forward to the next one.

larapaul

Paul and Lara are now touring Australia.

For more information about our cast members, go to the Actors page on our website.
For show dates around the world, go to the Tickets page on our website.

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Introducing… Karen Hamilton

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Karen Hamilton has been a Sybil in Faulty Towers The Dining Experience almost as long as the show’s existed! Here are some of her best moments and touring stories. If you think this is bad, you should see the videos…

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Q1: What’s your favourite part of working with Faulty Towers The Dining Experience so far or favourite Faulty moment?
A: My favourite part of working with ITI is the fabulously talented actors I get to work with. Favourite moment…hmmmm, the improvisation…one story…In Ireland at Mullingar, a gentleman keep standing through the first set piece. I only had to look at him, leave some silence and say “Hemorrhoids?”…and then wait 3 mins for laughter to die down.

Q2: Describe yourself in 3 words?
A: Outrageous, quick, shameless

Q3: What’s your best (or worst) corpsing story?
A: In Australia, Brisbane, Sybil entered to find Basil’s hand in Manuel’s jacket. “Basil what are you doing?” Basil “Ummm, I’m just checking Manuel’s angina.” Manuel: “But I’m a boy”. We all stood still and the audience laughed and tears of laughter ran down our faces but our faces stayed the same for about 5 mins. Sybil: “…right”

Q4: What similarities and differences are there between you and the character you play?
A: I have Sybil’s forthrightness & drink abilities myself but little else. As my son said in Edinburgh at the age of 10…”Mummy I’m so glad your not like her.”

Q5: If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?
A: A duck, or Chinese chicken. Happy to just pluck around all day.:)

Q6: Who’s your favourite other cast member to share a dressing room with and why?
A: Of the current cast…Andy Foreman. We always end up laughing. And we tend to be on the same twisted wavelength.

Q7: If your character had a dating profile, what do you think it would say?
A: Charming lovely English lady seeks wealthy Mediterranean gentleman. Will beat current husband to death in order to be available.

Q8: What was your last tweet or Facebook status?
A: Today I’m not aiming for fabulous just unique.

Q10: What don’t you leave home without?
A: Well the kids think I should wear a bra.

Q11: Do you have any hidden talents?
A: OH YES!

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Teeth wanted & needed

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teeth, false teeth, fawlty towers, soup, surprise

 

How many sets of false teeth do you think a Faulty Towers show goes through in a year??  Heaps … particularly when the cleaners throw them in the bin!!  We had the kitchen staff from B’est Resaurant, Edinburgh ‘dumpster diving’ the other day to get one set of teeth back!!  Thankfully they found them and they’re now sparkling and hygienic once again. Happily, we sourced a few new sets too… All donations gratefully received!

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