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.
This week the Faultys will be out and about in central London on Wednesday from 6-8pm and Thursday & Friday from 1-3pm on the hunt for a new chef! Look out for them along The Strand, Embankment, Southbank, Trafalgar Square and Hungerford Bridge and grab a flyer off them for £5 discounts to London shows, redeemable on our website throughout June.
Tweet your pictures to @thefaultytowers – we love a cheeky snap!
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.
The sun’s shining on London and our pop-up promos are back! Limited tickets just £35 for selected dates in June!
Click the links below to get your £35 tickets now:
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.
Thanks for helping Manuel out! He needs all the help he can get.
@thefaultytowers Manuel using my daughter @pandasonlithium head as a water pourer aid! pic.twitter.com/cRySsYVEub
— Andrea Adams (@ahhceo) May 15, 2013
A very proud moment for the Faulty Team is tweet of the week this week. Thanks Donna (aka. Sybil) for this great photo of the three of you with Sir. Terry last week.
If you’d like to be tweet of the week, tweet your photos to @thefaultytowers – we love to see them!
Basil was suitably impressed & Sybil loved his turtleneck! #BBCRadioWeekendWogan #SirTerrry! @thefaultytowers pic.twitter.com/rupNjDIQYC
— Donna Gray (@Donzigray) May 5, 2013
We’re also a big fan of this tweet and can’t wait to come to Bedford!
@thefaultytowers Your Bedfringe show has sold out. 🙂
— Bedfringe (@bedfringe) May 4, 2013
The Faulty’s had a stroll in the sun yesterday, with Basil trying to teach Manuel to hand out flyers, I think he got the hang of it in the end.
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
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:
Last week we got our UK cast together to take part in some Dining Experience publicity shots. After a busy and productive session at Idezign Studio in Tottenham we are now excitedly finalising our favourite fabulous photos of Basil, Sybil and Manuel. It was lucky that we managed to get all our performers together in one place, as they’re so often touring all around the UK and worldwide and it was great fun to all catch up with each other.
Here’s a sneak peak behind the scenes with just a few of our actors and the photographer, Emma Rodzik. We’ve also added a whole album to our Facebook page for those of you that are feeling particularly nosey!
Jack Baldwin as Basil
Paul O’Neill as Basil
Donna Gray as Sybil
Terence Frisch as Manuel
Keep your eyes peeled at our venues and on our Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for the final photos!
If you happen to be looking for a photo studio space to hire, check out Idezign Studio’s website and Twitter.
Check out Emma Rodzik’s art photography on her Flickr.
