What Did Broadway Critics Think of The Play That Goes Wrong? | Playbill

The Verdict What Did Broadway Critics Think of The Play That Goes Wrong? The Broadway transfer of the Olivier Award-winning comedy about an amateur murder mystery that goes hopelessly awry opened April 2.
Jonathan Sayer, Greg Tannahill, Henry Lewis, Dave Hearn, and Charlie Russell Jeremy Daniel

The Play That Goes Wrong, which transferred to New York following an acclaimed U.K. debut, officially opened on Broadway April 2 after beginning previews March 9 at the Lyceum Theatre. It won the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy in 2015.

The backstage farce follows an amateur theatre troupe as they struggle to get through a run of their murder mystery without succumbing to the disasters surrounding them: falling set pieces, sticking doors, missed cues, and anything covered under Murphy’s Law.

J. J. Abrams, best known as the director of blockbuster films such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, makes his Broadway producing debut alongside Tony Award winner Kevin McCollum, Kenny Wax, Stage Presence Ltd., and Catherine Schreiber.

Read reviews below:

amNY (Matt Windman)

Chicago Tribune (Chris Jones)

Daily Beast (Tim Teeman)

DC Theatre Scene (Jonathan Mandell)

Deadline (Jeremy Gerard)

Hollywood Reporter (Frank Scheck)

Huffington Post (Steven Suskin)

Newsday (Linda Winer)

New York Daily News (Joe Dziemianowicz)

New York Times (Ben Brantley)

The Stage (Mark Shenton)

Time Out NY (Adam Feldman)

Variety (Frank Rizzo)

Vulture (Jesse Green)

The Wrap (Thom Geier)

Mischief Theatre’s The Play That Goes Wrong Meets the Press

Read: WHY DID SCI-FI MASTERMIND J.J. ABRAMS PICK THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG FOR HIS BROADWAY DEBUT?

The Play That Goes Wrong began in a pub as a U.K. fringe production, and stars the original West End cast: Matthew Cavendish, Bryony Corrigan, Rob Falconer, Dave Hearn, Henry Lewis, Charlie Russell, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields, Greg Tannahill, and Nancy Zamit.

Co-written by Mischief Theatre company members Lewis, Sayer, and Shields, The Play That Goes Wrong is directed by Mark Bell and features set design by Nigel Hook, lighting design by Ric Mountjoy, sound design by Andy Johnson, and costume design by Roberto Surace.

For tickets and more information, visit BroadwayGoesWrong.com.

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