Faulty Towers The Dining Experience

It's Faulty not Fawlty

Regularly nominated as one of the greatest comedies of all time, Fawlty Towers holds a special place in many of our hearts.  The “Faulty Towers” dining experience is an unofficial tribute that captures the spirit and nostalgia of the original.

We sat on tables of 10, slightly crammed in but had that wedding vibe. Unbelievably one of the people on our table had never seen Fawlty Towers and was a little bewildered by many of the goings on! Even before we entered the dining room, Basil (played pitch perfect by Lawerance Watling) was showing his superior contempt of us, mocking our dress sense and hurrying us along while Manuel (Leigh Kelly) was failing to pass around some nuts.

The two-hour dinner show recognises, and honours treasured situations and lines from the original series unfolding throughout the night in a fairly tangential manner. Whether it’s that German walk, drunk chef, fire drill, winning at the bookies, Manuel’s “Hamster” they are all here, with plenty of laughs of recognition and whoops of delight.

With the original being nearly 50 years old, this tribute really taps into the essence in a nostalgic way that’s “just about” acceptable for today’s audience and everyone in the know had a great time. Whether its Sybil talking on an “old fashioned” dial up telephone, Manual standing on our table doing a flamenco or Basil pulling out some knickers from under the table (you had to be there!)

There were many laugh out loud moments. The slapstick knockabout comedy is very well acted and performed with verbal jokes, visual gags, classic lines from the show and plentiful ad libs and interactions with the audience. Sybil readjusting her make up using a bald man’s head as a mirror had him and his partner in absolute hysterics. One of my favourites was Basil picking on one poor diner who looked slightly “German” regularly throughout the night.

Top marks must go to Sybil played by Nerine Skinner who captured Sybil and her mannerisms perfectly. Her iconic laugh was never bettered. Being a brilliant comedian, she was able to ad lib and interact hysterically with the audience throughout.

The food was not so great, but maybe that’s in keeping with the whole experience, reminding me of old school dinners, and the long queues for the bar meant there was little chance of getting another drink once you sit down.  But if you came just for the “dining experience” this is the wrong event for you.

Talking to some of the audience after the show everyone had a great time and got what they wanted out of the experience.

It’s an ideal gift for the right person.

A nostalgic riot! ★★★★☆ ½ (4 ½ stars)

Show: The Faulty Towers Dining Experience

Run Time: approx. 2 Hours

Venue: The President Hotel

Address: 56-60 GUILFORD STREET LONDON WC1N 1DB