WEST VALLEY CITY – After a brief closure scare last year, the 2025 season at West Valley Arts comes out of the gate better than ever with The Play That Goes Wrong by Henry Lewis, Henry Shields and Jonathan Sayer. Having seen this riotous production a couple years ago at the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, I was intrigued to see how WVA would stage such a production in the round. Curtis masterfully does the script justice and utilizes the unique space with great creativity. Her director’s note calls the show “a love letter to the theatre, and the show takes all the crazy things we love about live theatre and turns them up to an eleven.
The show is a play within a play, a murder mystery, where just about everything that can go wrong in a live production does go wrong—in all the right ways—from set pieces breaking and falling, missing props, missed lines, missed entrances, early entrances, injuries and all manner of technical difficulties. One word of advice though—don’t get too caught up in trying to understand the plot of the murder mystery, as that isn’t the point—just enjoy the ride.
As is tradition at WVA, there is a display in the front part of the lobby, and the lobby is hilariously decorated with the low budget production posters of the fictional company putting on the play (within the play). So arrive early, or linger after to enjoy those posters.
I was excited to enter the theatre and get a look at the set, which is creatively integrated with the odd semi-round space at WVA. The upstairs office is cleverly built into the larger east “vom” (entry space for cast), and the west side of the stage gets a look at the “backstage” area of the set. I sat on the west side for opening and was concerned when I entered by the window curtain, albeit sheer, that was hung in front of this section. I was loathe to consider I might be watching the entire show through gauze. Fortunately, the curtain’s placement was an intentional malfunction of the set at the top of the show, and the cast creatively worked around its absence the rest of the evening.
Dan Radford as Max and Britty Marie as Sandra in West Valley Arts’ “The Play that Goes Wrong”. Show closes March 1. Photo credit: Vanessa Olson
There are occasionally some sight line issues, however; I couldn’t see the trap door at all, nor the fire when it erupted in a bucket of coal near the fireplace, nor anyone who collapsed just inside the southwest door (which happens surprisingly often), but in exchange, I could see more of the “backstage” elements, which was very fun and not typical for this show, where audience usually only gets well-timed peaks at the back stage chaos. From my vantage point, I saw anyone entering from the window, crawling below the window, throwing snow through the window, and as a bonus, this side of the audience is treated with some of the things that might typically be found behind the scenes, like actor headshots and scenic diagrams pinned to the wall, scrawled directions and more. I do recommend getting seats farther back—especially if you sit on the west side, as you will get a better view.
As is often the case with theatre in the round, the show looks very different depending on where you sit, and this is even more true for The Play That Goes Wrong. Sit in the wrong (or right) row and you might have actors crawling over your laps to make their entrance. I’m considering returning another evening to get a different view.
As the audience makes their way to their seats, Chris (played by Adam Packard), the director of the play within the play, begins to make the rounds, chatting up the audience, while stage hands scamper about the stage, fixing things that are already breaking, moving stage dressings and props, and in one case, inviting an audience member on stage to do some sweeping. All this preamble quickly prepares the audience for the chaos about to ensue.
Lighting by Savannah Garlick is fun with gimmicks of the misplaced spotlight and the abrupt red wash every time a murder is mentioned. The lighting design coupled with sound design by Grace Heinz is crisp, is well-done, and contributes to the comedy.
The stand out in the talented cast is Dan Radford as Max (as Cecil). In a show packed with physical comedy, Radford excels. From his first entrance (full prat fall) to his bloody death, and resurrection as the gardener, Radford knows how to milk the audience for laughs. His comic timing is impeccable and his physicality is astounding. Jillian Joy as Annie, the stage hand turned understudy, is also comically adept. Her character progression from the techie trying to stay out of the limelight to reluctant understudy turned diva is delightful to watch. Armando Serrano Huerta as Trevor, the sound tech/stage manager (also turned understudy) gives a stellar performance. From the set pre-show dressing placement tug-o-war with the director, the disinterested pre-show announcement, the spiteful sound cues from his booth, to the climax in the overzealous acceptance of the ingenue role thrust upon him, he hilariously embodies the weary and jaded technician.
Armando Serrano Huerta as Trevor in West Valley Arts’ “The Play that Goes Wrong”. Photo credit: Vanessa Olson
The set is its own character in the play, and plays its part well. The creaky, hand-cranked elevator is show-stopping. Literally. The amount of time dedicated to elevator humor is quite large, and worth every moment—from the first time we experience the cantankerous contraption, to the moment Radford mimics the elevator in a pantomimed exit later in the show. The costumes by Alicia Kendrick are very fun and apropos, especially Trevor’s hip bag with every tech required gadget, down to a role of spike tape at the ready. The silk lingerie short-set complete with bare wig cap sported by Sandra (Britty Marie) in the second act (after Annie steals her costume and her role) is a very funny bit.
Kristi Curtis’s direction is impeccable. The timing and pacing are quick and chaotic, but she takes her time, and then some, in all the right places to milk the comedy to perfection. The script is expertly written, but it takes a skilled director to execute it well, and Curtis does just that. She is also a skilled choreographer and fight director—the Max/Chris fight scene is particularly entertaining as the breakage and loss of weaponry devolves into pantomime and vocal sound effects.
West Valley Arts had a challenging 2024, but the community fought to keep the theatre alive. Everything I have seen at WVA has been excellent, and this production is keeping up with that tradition. I have not laughed so hard in a very long time. This show is well worth seeing.
