The Faulty Towers Dining Experience in London's West End made its debut in 2012, the year of the city's Olympic hosting. Indeed, 14 years on, this dining experience remains overtly Olympian in the most unorthodox manner!
The immersive Dining Experience represents the epitome of hilarity from the 1970s British sitcom, Fawlty Towers, with dark and dastardly delivery throughout! Whilst, there were only 12 episodes produced of Fawlty Towers, it was very much a case of a dozen doses of uncontrollable laughter amongst all viewers! Witty, Wacky, Wisdomless!
The evening's events kick off in the bar at the President Hotel in Russell Square. The service provided when ordering beverages is oh so Fawlty, and gossip soon descends amongst attendees as to whether the slow and sloppy processing of orders was the beginning of the perfectly imperfect experience.
Shortly thereafter, the cast enter the bar. In steps the trio of talents, who play the roles of the original cast in Fawlty Towers (John Cleese playing Basil, Prunella Scales playing Sybil and Andrew Sachs playing Manuel). Basil and Sybil are husband and wife who own the Hotel and hire the consistently clumsy waiter, Manuel, from Barcelona. Basil begins by directing diners to their assigned tables, and suffice to say, in true Basil style, nobody is spared his facetious remarks in being hurried along to their seats!
The first dish of the evening is Tomato and Basil (no pun intended) soup served with a bread roll. However, if you cannot catch, you won't be able to consume the latter! This is Manuel's interpretation of 'serving' items to the diners. Similarly, when asked to 'collect the glasses', Manuel deciphers the instructions as to deprive the visually impaired with their most vital of aids!
Furthermore, soup comes with unusual matter in this dinner sitting. Unfortunately, Sybil is left with an insurmountable task in preventing Basil and Manuel from further calamities. Manuel's continuous repetition of the phrase of 'Yes Mr Fawlty' is anything but positive affirmation.
Whilst the kitchen tend to the melee resulting from returned dishes, Sybil attempts to diffuse the situation with left field banter, by redefining musical chairs as 'swinging' chairs, citing many an opportunity for tables to engage with those who have mutual interests...
If you are lucky (or unlucky) enough to be from a region of interest in the eyes of the cast, your presence will be noted. Indeed, diners will turn their attention towards you, so here is your opportunity to revel in the glory of being the chosen one!
Those of you who recall Basil's elation turning into emptiness in the sitcom, will have the opportunity to witness this play out again. Basil requests Manuel to place a bet on a horse race - which turns out to be a winning bet, only for a storied £50 note to find its way into the hands of Madam Sybil - at which point it becomes a case of inadvertently reimbursing a guest's missing money...
The main course was a generous portion of chicken (or some might say a wannabe version of Nandos), followed by a cheesecake (the least suspicious looking item).
In summary, the Faulty Towers Dining Experience is a delightful demonstration of roles and responsibilities becoming ragged at all levels! To immerse yourself with immediate effect, click here