Casting has been announced for the tour of John Cleese’s Fawlty Towers – The Play, which will be in Milton Keynes in April.
Danny Bayne will star as Basil Fawlty, Mia Austen as Sybil, Hemi Yeroham reprising his role as Manuel, Joanne Clifton as Polly, Paul Nicholas is reprising his role as The Major and Jemma Churchill is Mrs Richards.
Nearly 50 years since Fawlty Towers was first broadcast on BBC Two, comedy legend John Cleese, who originally co-wrote the infamous comedy with Connie Booth, has chosen three of his favourite original TV episodes - ‘The Hotel Inspector’ and ‘The Germans’ from series one and ‘Communication Problems’ from series two - and adapted them into a two-hour play, complete with a new finale.
“I’m thrilled with the top-class group of comedy actors that we've assembled for the UK tour of Fawlty Towers - The Play. September also marks exactly 50 years since the first ever TV episode was broadcast on the BBC," John said, "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."
Following a tip off that hotel inspectors may be visiting and eager to impress, Basil attempts to ingratiate himself with guests that he suspects are there to critique the establishment.
The situation is further plagued by a party of Germans, the deaf and dotty guest-from-hell, Mrs Richards, whose infuriating complaints prevent him from hiding a gambling win from his ever vigilant and bossy wife, Sybil. Together they run their hotel with a little help from the unflappable Polly, and very little help at all from Manuel, the trainee waiter from Barcelona who is the butt of Fawlty’s frustration.
Set in a fictional hotel in the seaside town of Torquay, only 12 half hour episodes of the original BBC comedy were ever made. Based on a real-life hotel owner, Donald Sinclair. John Cleese came up with the idea for the character Basil Fawlty when he stayed at Sinclair’s Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay and became fascinated with his incredibly rude behaviour.
The iconic TV show won many awards and plaudits including two BAFTAS for Best Situation Comedy and in 2000 it was voted the best British programme of all time in a British Film Institute poll.
The show will run at Milton Keynes Theatre between April 28 and May 2, 2026.
Tickets are now on sale at www.FawltyTowersTour.co.uk
Mia Austen and Danny Bayne. Credit Hugo Glendinning
