News: John Cleese's Fawlty Towers Brings Half a Century of Comedy Chaos to the North East

 

John Cleese's Fawlty Towers Brings Half a Century of Comedy Chaos to the North East

The beloved sitcom makes its stage debut across the region as the iconic show celebrates 50 years since its first broadcast

Nearly five decades after Basil Fawlty first terrorised guests and tormented Manuel on BBC Two, John Cleese's stage adaptation of the "greatest British sitcom of all time" (Radio Times) is heading to the North East for what promises to be an evening of sustained laughter and perfectly timed catastrophe.

Following a hugely successful West End run that garnered rave reviews, Fawlty Towers – The Play embarks on a 10-month UK and Ireland tour, visiting Sunderland Empire from Tuesday 3 to Saturday 7 February 2026, before continuing to Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday 30 June to Saturday 4 July 2026.

The tour coincides with a significant milestone: September 2025 marks exactly 50 years since that first episode aired on 19 September 1975. What began as just 12 half-hour episodes—inspired by John Cleese's encounter with the notoriously rude hotelier Donald Sinclair at the Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay—went on to win two BAFTAs for Best Situation Comedy and was voted the best British programme of all time in a 2000 British Film Institute poll.

"I'm thrilled with the top-class group of comedy actors that we've assembled for the UK tour of Fawlty Towers - The Play," Cleese said. "September 2025 also marks exactly 50 years since the first ever TV episode was broadcast on the BBC. I never thought that all these years later the stage show would get the reception that it has. But here we are, still making theatres rock with laughter."

A Seamless Transition to Stage

Cleese, who originally co-wrote the series with Connie Booth, has selected three favourite episodes—'The Hotel Inspector' and 'The Germans' from series one, and 'Communication Problems' from series two—and woven them into a two-hour play complete with a new finale.

The critical response has vindicated his approach. This "comedy masterpiece makes a seamless transition to the stage" (The Arts Desk), delivering "an indisputably funny evening" (Daily Telegraph). As the Daily Mail observed, "from the moment Basil walks on stage, the audience start laughing" whilst watching "some of the best punchlines ever written" (London Theatre). Broadway World summed it up succinctly: "If you loved the original TV series, you will adore this show."

The Cast

The touring production is directed by originating West End director Caroline Jay Ranger and features Danny Bayne as the manic, snobbish and perpetually frustrated Basil Fawlty. Mia Austen takes on the role of his ever-vigilant and bossy wife Sybil, while Hemi Yeroham reprises his West End role as Manuel, the trainee waiter from Barcelona who bears the brunt of Basil's rage.

Paul Nicholas 

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Joanne Clifton plays the unflappable Polly, with Paul Nicholas reprising his role as The Major, and Jemma Churchill as the deaf and dotty Mrs Richards—the guest-from-hell whose infuriating complaints become a masterclass in comic frustration.

L-R: Danny Bayne, John Cleese.

The production also features the beloved supporting characters from the original series: Greg Haiste as Mr Hutchinson/Wilhelm, Emily Winter as Miss Tibbs, Dawn Buckland as Miss Gatsby, John Hasler as Mr Thurston/Günter, Adam Elliott as Mr Walt, and Neil Stewart as Taxi Driver/Mr Firkins/Mr Kerr/Mr Sharp, with Josie Brightwell as Johanna and Liz.

Completing the company are Ashleigh Harvey as Debbie, Ben Jacobson as Ken, Matthew Gordon as Mr Dale, and Raymond Rose as Philip.

Controlled Chaos

The plot follows Basil's increasingly desperate attempts to impress what he believes are visiting hotel inspectors, while simultaneously dealing with a party of German guests and trying to hide a gambling win from Sybil. Mrs Richards' relentless complaints and Manuel's linguistic misunderstandings add further layers to the mounting chaos, all playing out in the fictional Torquay hotel that has become one of British comedy's most memorable locations.

It's a premise that allowed Cleese and Booth to explore the British class system, xenophobia, and social embarrassment through the lens of farce, creating comedy that has proven remarkably durable. The fact that only 12 episodes were ever made has, if anything, enhanced the show's legendary status—each episode burnished to perfection, each line delivery iconic.

The stage adaptation promises to capture that same precision timing and escalating absurdity that made the original so distinctive. For those who grew up with the series, it's a chance to revisit cherished comic moments in a new format; for younger audiences unfamiliar with Basil's particular brand of chaos, it's an introduction to comedy writing at its finest.

As the Daily Express declared, this is "the funniest show in town"—and both Sunderland and Newcastle audiences will have the opportunity to discover why theatres across the country have been, as Cleese puts it, rocking with laughter.

Photos: Trevor Leighton

Tickets:

Fawlty Towers – The Play plays Sunderland Empire Tuesday 3 – Saturday 7 February 2026 (evenings at 7:30pm, matinees Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 2:30pm). Tickets available at ATGTickets.com/Sunderland.

The production then visits Newcastle Theatre Royal Tuesday 30 June – Saturday 4 July 2026. Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.