Culture Theatre

The Faulty Towers Dining Experience

The Faulty Towers Dining Experience | Theatre review

A hoot of a show that blends dining with an immersive theatre performance, The Faulty Towers Dining Experience is a treat for all fans of the 70s sitcom Fawlty Towers. While the food is comparatively mediocre and space is sparse, with ten people seated at each table, the actual performance itself is hilarious and guarantees a fantastic evening out.

There isn’t an official link to the sitcom, but the premise is the same – Basil is a rude, choleric egomaniac who tries to run what he considers a reasonable hotel; his wife, Sybil, is much more competent and tends to boss him around; and Manuel, the waiter, is rather pathetic, but ultimately likeable. The audience is made up of guests in the restaurant, who get to enjoy a three-course meal while watching the trio’s nonsense unfold.

The sketches only loosely follow a through-line; apart from various gags that are maintained throughout the evening, they appear fairly randomly and are in each case broadly based off of the plotlines from the sitcom – and so the guests are taken through a fire drill, a pet rat is lost in the restaurant, and Basil attempts to make some cash by betting on a horse.

The greatest strength of the act is undoubtedly the three performers who imitate the characters immortalised by John Cleese, Prunella Scales and Andrew Sachs excellently. The way they talk, the mannerisms, everything is practised to perfection – especially impressive considering much of the humour is based on improvising with the audience.

The food itself is nothing special. While the soup and the dessert are nice, the main course is fairly bland, so it’s not exactly a fine dining experience. But this does match the general tone of the show, and considering one is largely here for the comedy, that’s most certainly forgivable.

As such, The Faulty Towers Dining Experience deserves a recommendation. With outstanding quick-witted comedy and some wonderful acting, it’s a fantastic outing that’s a guaranteed laugh – especially for fans of the original.

Michael Higgs
Photo: Rosie Powell

The Faulty Towers Dining Experience is at Theatre from 9th January until 21st December 2025. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Watch the trailer for The Faulty Towers Dining Experience here:

More in Theatre

Evita at London Palladium

Antonia Georgiou

Underbelly Boulevard Soho announces Fringe Fix programme for post-Edinburgh season

The editorial unit

Connections Festival 2025 at the National Theatre

Ruweyda Sheik-Ali

Gala de Danza at Central Hall Westminster

Madison Sotos

This Bitter Earth at Soho Theatre

Thomas Messner

The Ministry of Lesbian Affairs at Kiln Theatre

Benedetta Mancusi

Cruel Britannia: After Frankenstein at The Glitch

Jim Compton-Hall

Medea at the Coronet Theatre

Constance Ayrton

Lovestuck at Theatre Royal Stratford East

Sophie Humphrey