PERFORMANCE TIMES : TUESDAY – SATURDAY : 7:30PM // WEDNESDAY , THURSDAY & SATURDAY : 2:30PM in PREVIEW ...
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
JOHN CLEESE ’ S FAWLTY TOWERS – THE PLAY
PRESENTED BY PHIL MCINTYRE LIVE
CHURCHILL THEATRE , BROMLEY : 30 SEPTEMBER - 4 OCTOBER 2025 ORCHARD THEATRE , DARTFORD : 7 - 11 JULY 2026
PERFORMANCE TIMES : TUESDAY – SATURDAY : 7:30PM // WEDNESDAY , THURSDAY & SATURDAY : 2:30PM in PREVIEW ...
Currently playing to sold-out audiences at London ’ s Apollo Theatre Shaftesbury Avenue , John Cleese ’ s Fawlty Towers – The Play has announced a major theatre tour for 2025 and 2026 with two opportunities for Kentish audiences to enjoy the show .
Based on three of the original BBC TV episodes of the ‘ greatest British sitcom of all time ’ ( Radio Times ), Fawlty Towers – The Play has been adapted for the stage by original co-creator John Cleese into a two-hour play , complete with a new finale .
“ Comedy masterpiece makes a seamless transition to the stage .”
THE ARTS DESK
Commenting on the show , John Cleese said : “ When we came up with the idea of bringing Fawlty Towers to the stage , I never thought it would get the reception that it has ...”. With 23 December marking 50 years to the day since he recorded the pilot at the BBC Television Centre , he continued : “... I ’ m delighted that the audiences we ’ ve had in the West End still think it ’ s as funny as ever . The announcement of the tour means many more people will now have the chance to laugh themselves helpless .”
Fawlty Towers was first broadcast on BBC Two on 19 September 1975 . The iconic TV show went on to win many awards and plaudits including two BAFTAs for Best Situation Comedy , and in 2000 it was voted the best British programme of all time in a British Film Institute poll . Set in a fictional hotel in the seaside town of Torquay , just 12 30-minute episodes of the iconic comedy were made .
Following a tip off that hotel inspectors may be visiting and eager to impress , Basil attempts to ingratiate himself with guests that he suspects are there to critique the establishment . The situation is further plagued by a party of Germans and the deaf and dotty guest-fromhell , Mrs Richards , whose infuriating complaints prevent him from hiding a gambling win from his ever vigilant and bossy wife , Sybil . Together they run their hotel with a little help from the
“ Some of the best punchlines ever written .”
LONDON THEATRE
“ From the moment Basil walks on stage , the audience start laughing .”
THE DAILY MAIL
unflappable Polly , and very little help at all from Manuel , the trainee waiter from Barcelona who is the butt of Fawlty ’ s frustration .
The sitcom is based on a real-life hotel owner , Donald Sinclair . John Cleese came up with the idea for the character Basil Fawlty when he stayed at Sinclair ’ s Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay and became fascinated with his incredibly rude behaviour .
Following the hugely successful West End run – which has seen the show extend twice – ‘ the funniest show in town ’ ( Daily Express ) will embark on a 10-month tour across the UK and Ireland from 30 September 2025 to July 2026 . Tickets are on sale now .
fawltytowerstour . co . uk FawltyTowersWestEnd
26 • www . insidekent . co . uk