News

Sydney – Tuesday 12 November 2024. Audiences old and new will be rolling in the aisles when the Tony and Olivier award-winning fan favourite The Play That Goes Wrong arrives at the Opera House and tours Australia from winter 2025.

It’s a classic whodunnit story. At least that’s what The Cornley Drama Society attempts to stage. There has been a murder at a country manor and an inspector is on the case to find the culprit. But when these accident-prone thespians take on this 1920s murder mystery, everything that can go wrong… does. The actors and crew battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences. Who murdered Charles Haversham? You’ll have to see for yourself.

The longest running comedy on the West End, The Play That Goes Wrong is showing no signs of slowing down and will celebrate its 10th anniversary with the Australian tour. Premiering in 2012 with only four paying customers, the show has now been seen by over four million people and has been performed in every continent – except Antarctica (where producers fear a frosty reception).

The Play That Goes Wrong is co-written by Mischief company members Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields and is directed by Mark Bell with set designs by Nigel Hook, costumes by Roberto Surace, lighting by Ric Mountjoy, original music by Rob Falconer and sound design by Andy Johnson. The Australian season will be directed by Associate Director Amy Milburn.

Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Performance, Ebony Bott says: “Impeccably crafted and internationally acclaimed, The Play That Goes Wrong is a marker of top-tier comedy. Theatre of this ilk is incredibly challenging to do well but Mischief make it look effortless, creating a production that is beloved around the world. We can’t wait for Opera House audiences to be bowled over with laughter at the mishaps and mayhem this show will bring to our stages.”

Associate Director of the West End and Australian productions, Amy Milburn says: “The Cornley Drama Society playing the Sydney Opera House – well that’s a hilarious thought! It’s a cliche but laughter really does bring people together in such an immediate way. The timeless humour in The Play That Goes Wrong has sparked so much joy over the last decade, audiences in 49 countries can testify that it’s a guaranteed good time. We’re thrilled to bring the show and that experience back to Australia, at the country’s most iconic venue no less.”

Presented in agreement with Mischief Worldwide Ltd, co-producers GMG Productions and Stoddart Entertainment Group will bring this wonderfully disastrous tour to life with chaos to abound across Australia. The Play that Goes Wrong will appear at the Sydney Opera House from 19 June – 3 August 2025, at HOTA, Gold Coast, from 6 – 10 August 2025, the Empire Theatre, Toowoomba, from 12 – 15 August 2025, the Civic Theatre, Newcastle from 19 – 31 August 2025 and the Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne, from 3 – 21 September 2025.