Kalen Edean as Chris and Hannah Hayley as Sandra in Loxen Entertainment's "The Play That Goes Wrong." (Photo courtesy of Loxen Entertainment)
Carefully choreographed chaos should keep you in stitches as you experience Loxen Entertainment’s hilarious professional live production of the smash comic hit, “The Play That Goes Wrong.”
The hilarity continues through Sunday, Sept. 22 at Loxen’s new home, The Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. Miami New Drama is the Colony’s resident company.
“The Play That Goes Wrong,” by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields is equal parts Monty Python and Sherlock Holmes, and has been a long-time hit in New York and London, delighting audiences and critics on both sides of the pond.
Ryan Crout as Robert, Kalen Edean as Chris, and Noah Noria as Annie in Loxen Entertainment's "The Play That Goes Wrong." (Photo courtesy of Loxen Entertainment)
Now, South Florida audiences get their turn to laugh nearly continuously for about two hours. And in a world full of division, upsetting news, and seemingly endless uncertainty, doesn’t the prospect of near nonstop laughter for 120 minutes or so (including an intermission) sound appealing?
Benjamin Leon VI, Loxen Productions’ Founder and CEO, performs with seven other talented young actors on the Colony’s stage. Specifically, along with Leon, Kalen Edean, Ryan Crout, Giorgio Volpe, Hannah Hayley, Noah Noria, Samuel Krogh, and Corey Vega comprise the cast.
Director Gonzalo Rodriguez guides the performers with an appropriately over-the-top, highly physical approach. In addition to Rodriguez, we must credit Frank Montoto. He staged the stunts and fighting sequences, making it all look real while keeping the performers safe.
Ryan Crout as Robert, Noah Noria as Annie, and Kalen Edean as Chris in Loxen Entertainment's "The Play That Goes Wrong." (Photo courtesy of Loxen Entertainment)
Certainly, there’s nothing in this comedy that will exercise your mind. In addition, the piece lacks any real semblance of a traditional plot, and the playwrights draw the characters noodle thin. Further, as one expects from a farce, the comedy is largely physical, amounting to slapstick. But “The Play That Goes Wrong” also includes humorous lines. And you should expect the unexpected.
The piece, a play within a play, centers on the fictional amateurish group, the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society. This inept group is staging a production of “The Murder at Haversham Manor,” a 1920s murder mystery play similar to Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap.”
The action of “The Murder at Haversham Manor” takes place on the evening of Charles and Florence’s engagement party during the winter of 1922. A murder occurs and Inspector Carter arrives to figure out “Whodunnit.”
Benjamin Leon IV as Max in Loxen Entertainment's "The Play That Goes Wrong." (Photo courtesy of Loxen Entertainment)
Unfortunately for the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, as usual, everything seems to go wrong. In particular, performers forget their lines, trip, kick, spit out liquor, fight, crawl, scream, and stumble. Meanwhile, scenery comes tumbling down, doors won’t open, and a fire may be raging nearby.
While there is at least one killer on the loose, that is not the only thing that will keep you in suspense. In addition, you’ll likely wonder whether the ineptitude of these characters will injure or kill them before the human killer or killers can.
Well, we are happy to report that all cast members made it off the stage safely following the reviewed performance.
Without a doubt, precision is one of the keys to actors appearing inept and remaining safe at the same time. Also, timing, sincerity and spontaneity are keys to making audiences laugh.
Fortunately, the performers, for the most part, do not appear to anticipate lines, actions, or stunts. Rather, they perform in the moment and play their parts appropriately in an over-the-top manner, but with sincerity. And they juggle portraying at least two characters (at least one in “The Play That Goes Wrong” and at least one in the play within a play, “The Murder at Haversham Manor.”)
Kalen Edean as Chris in Loxen Entertainment's "The Play That Goes Wrong." (Photo courtesy of Loxen Entertainment)
Among other things, you’ll marvel at how Leon, who portrays Max, Cecil, and Arthur, mentions different actions while miming them at the same time. He does so smoothly and quickly, without missing a beat. It’s also impressive how he manages to balance part of a telephone on his leg.
Other performers who stand out include Edean, who portrays the inspector with determination. Edean, who resembles a young Robin Williams from afar, also portrays Chris Bean, the hard-working head of the Cornley Drama Society. Bean may be incompetent, like the others, but as Edean portrays him, you never doubt his devotion to the fictional amateur drama group.
Meanwhile, Crout portrays three-year Cornley Drama Society member Robert Grove, who plays Thomas Colleymore, an old school friend of murder victim Charles Haversham. Crout imbues his characters with appropriate intensity and commands the stage, but is also believable in his portrayals.
The actors perform on Pedro Balmaseda and Jorge Noa’s appealing and detailed set design of Haversham Manor. The realistic-looking set is spacious enough for the performers to freely move and includes period detail. The set also appears to be sturdy. That is important because its apparent sturdiness gives us no indication of what will happen at the end of the play.
Vega designed the period costumes. They tend to be upscale, which offers us information about the characters’ class status.
Also, behind the scenes, Ernesto Pinto illuminates the stage with mostly realistic lighting, which befits this realistic play. Also, at appropriate times, Pinto bathes the stage with red lighting. That hue intensifies the action and suggests passion and blood. Fittingly, dark and dramatic music accompanies the red lighting.
Loxen has scored successes with their past productions, mostly of musical comedies. But with its season-opening production of “The Play That Goes Wrong,” the company proves that it can handle a challenging straight play as well with skill. But for the rest of the season, Loxen returns to musical theater. Specifically, Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” runs from Dec. 13-22 and the 1920s musical comedy “The Drowsy Chaperone” takes the stage from Feb. 28-March 9.
Kalen Edean as Chris and Giorgio Volpe as Dennis in Loxen Entertainment's "The Play That Goes Wrong." (Photo courtesy of Loxen Entertainment)
If You Go
- Who: Loxen Entertainment, Inc.
- What: “The Play That Goes Wrong”.
- When: 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Through Sept. 22.
- Where: The Colony Theatre, 1040 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach.
- Tickets: $81.50 includes $6.50 service charge; $69.50 includes $6.50 service charge and $46.50 includes $6.50.
- Information: Go to https://miaminewdrama.org or www.loxen.org.
