On a Monday evening on what you thought would be a slow night for the Adelaide Fringe, there was a sold out audience awaiting entrance into The Terrace Hotel dining room to experience Faulty Towers.
A huge buzz in the air as patrons purchased their drinks before enjoying a three course meal and a show.
The nice welcomes stops as soon as you’re pawned off to Basil and Manuel – being seated and instructed in between short-tempered remarks and mishaps lost-in-translation (from Basil and Manuel, respectively). Personally, my welcome was being called The Lordship with VIP service throughout the evening.
It is this true-to-form embodiment of character that really outshines all else. In so accurately capturing the essence of Basil, Sybil and Manuel, the cast creates a dynamic that mimics the chemistry you’d see on-screen. Throughout the 2-hour evening, you’re an extra in their episode, and as laugh-out-loud antics unfold – involving yourself, your food, your surroundings – you almost forget that this is for your entertainment, the line between reality and fiction blur to truly immerse yourself. Basil commands the room with his booming voice, and while Manuel cowers with confusion, you’re genuinely conflicted between humour and sympathy. Then, there’s the sense of justice when Sybil puts Basil in his place and the nuances from years of marriage become evidently clear.
If you have seen this show before, and this was the case for me, the show has considerable new content to last year. I found there to be much more interaction with the audience, and found myself with much more belly laughs this year.
With a starting price of $95 per person, it does sit at the pricier end of the Fringe Show scale, but for a delicious dinner and immersive experience, you won’t find better value much elsewhere.
Tickets can be purchased here:
https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/faulty-towers-the-dining-experience-af2026#buy-tix
Cast details:
Basil Faulty is played by James Colbourn-Keogh
Sybil Faulty is played by Gemma Drummond
Manuel is played by Alex Forero Melo
No Comments