Sheffield Lyceum – until Saturday 11th April 2026
Reviewed by Claire Moore
5*****
Fawlty Towers is one of those TV shows that sits firmly in the “they don’t make them like that anymore” category — so I couldn’t help wondering whether it would really work on stage 50 years down the line. Safe to say, it absolutely does.
Adapted by the original Basil Fawlty himself, John Cleese, and directed by Caroline Jay Ranger, the play cleverly brings together three classic episodes — The Hotel Inspectors, Communication Problems and The Germans — into one seamless storyline.
The nostalgia kicks in as soon as you walk in and see the full set on stage. Liz Ascroft’s detailed design includes the reception, dining room and even an upstairs bedroom, and once that familiar music starts to play, it really does feel like stepping back in time.
The whole cast do a brilliant job of capturing the quirks and mannerisms of the original characters, and the relationships between them feel just right. Add in the excellent costumes, hair and make-up, and it genuinely feels like you’ve stepped straight back into the TV show.
John Cleese is a very hard act to live up to, but Danny Bayne is outstanding as Basil Fawlty. His comic timing is spot on, with outbursts that sit perfectly on that fine line between funny and completely over the top — and that’s not an easy balance to get right.
Understudy Emily Winter was equally excellent as Sybil Fawlty, and the dynamic between the two worked perfectly. And of course, Manuel — played brilliantly by Hemi Yeroham. You know the jokes are coming, you even know what the jokes are, but they’re delivered so well it still has the whole audience laughing.
Paul Nicholas deserves a mention as the bumbling Major, and the moose scene is pure comedy gold.
You really get the sense that the cast are having the best time up there, and that just makes it all the more enjoyable to watch.
The Lyceum had that lovely, slightly giddy buzz — people of all ages ready to relive an old favourite or discover it for the first time. And honestly, with everything going on in the world right now, sitting in the Lyceum with a few hundred others all laughing together felt like exactly what we needed. I know I wasn’t the only one who left smiling.