The Play That Goes Wrong

By Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer & Henry Shields  

Directed by David Skeen; assistant director Bob Franklin

Performances: September 6-14, 2024

Welcome to opening night of the Cornley University Drama Society’s newest production, The Murder at Haversham Manor, where things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. This 1920s whodunit has everything you never wanted in a show—an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines). Nevertheless, the accident-prone thespians battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences! Part Monty Python, part Sherlock Holmes, this Olivier Award–winning comedy is a global phenomenon that’s guaranteed to leave you aching with laughter!

The Director

Since his first show with this theatre in 1972, Dave Skeen has been disappointing our audiences for over half a century. During that time, he has managed to bungle everything from lighting and sound design to acting and directing. Thankfully, he has never been in charge of costume design, primarily because of a lack of interest in the actors performing threadbare. When the subject of a director for “The Play That Goes Wrong” came up, the board with one voice said: “A play where things go wrong? Let’s give Dave a call!” The rest is history.