Classic BBC Comedy Comes To Llangollen This Week

Later this week Llangollen will play host to a stage adaptation of a TV classic, as the Twenty Club Amateur Players perform the play Fawlty Towers. Based on three episodes of the John Cleese comedy, the play, directed by Chrissie Ashworth, is sure to bring a smile to your face whether or not you’re familiar with the original. Indeed, assistant director Noreen Turner said “Every rehearsal has been hilarious, we’ve laughed our way through it.”

When asked why they’d chosen the challenge of tackling such a well-known programme, Noreen said “It’s a very popular show, one of the funniest TV series ever. We wanted to do something with a big cast and we were lucky enough to find just the right people to play the characters.” She also paid tribute to the hard work put in by Keith Hall and his helpers in building the excellent sets for the play.

The episodes being performed are A Touch of Class, The Hotel Inspectors, and perhaps the most famous Fawlty Towers episode of all, The Germans, which includes the classic “Don’t mention the war!” scene. When asked about the challenge of playing such a famous part, Ally Goodman, who stars as Basil Fawlty, said “It was daunting at first as I was originally going to audition for Manuel but when you’ve got a director who’s confident in you then it eases the pressure and thankfully Chrissie  has been fantastic. It’s very different to any role I’ve taken before as it’s pretty much a straight impersonation, so the preparation has involved lots of watching the original episodes on DVD. I’m playing John Cleese playing Basil Fawlty, not my own interpretation of the character. It’s an iconic role and I hope that the audience leaves thinking that I’ve done it justice.”

Wrexham.com were able to catch a sneak preview of a rehearsal last week and we’re sure that comedy fans will be delighted by the production. The production runs from Thursday November 8th until Saturday November 10th at 7:30pm, with a matinee on Saturday at 2:30 pm. Tickets are selling quickly but can be purchased from Hardy’s The Card Shop, Gwyn Davies Butchers or Courtyard Books in Llangollen, or by phoning 01978 860397. They’re priced at £6 for adults and £5 for concessions.

One of the oldest dramatic societies in North Wales, the club was founded in 1946 with twenty original members, which gave the club its name. The club presents two plays a year, in autumn and spring, with a mixture of comedy, drama and period productions. If you’re interested in being a part of a future production (on the stage or behind the scenes), get in touch via the website or Facebook.