The Bribie Island contingent of d9560 Passport Club would like to thank our wonderfully supportive local community for making our ‘Faulty Towers the Dining Experience’ such a successful event.
The sell-out performance was held at the Bribie Island RSL on Wednesday 9 December 2020. Faulty Towers – the world’s longest running and most successful tribute show to the BBC’s iconic sitcom ‘Fawlty Towers’ – was thoroughly enjoyed by all attendees. The event was organised as a World’s Greatest Meal and we have raised $3,000 for Rotary’s End Polio campaign. The night started quietly with Sybil meeting guests and getting them to use hand sanitiser before Basil and Manuel showed them to their tables. Sybil’s greetings and laugh raised a number of smiles and giggles as did the antics of Basil and Manuel.
During the show, many of the classic Fawlty scenes were performed. Most of the scenarios involved audience participation and those singled out for special attention took on their roles with great enthusiasm. By the end of the night the smiles and giggles had turned into loud sidesplitting laughter.
Manuel ‘served up’ the bread rolls like a young John Newcombe, while Basil did his best to cause utter mayhem all about him. Sybil was her usual calm, efficient self with her melodic laughter ringing out across the auditorium. All in attendance played along with the show – turning it at times into a pantomime – much to Basil’s utter disgust.
Lots of ‘Ooohs and Aaahs’, and ‘poor Manuel’, rang out as Basil admonished Manuel for his failings – of which he had quite a few. This had Basil in a ‘rage’ and he turned on the audience/ diners telling them that ‘this was NOT a pantomime!’ ‘Oh yes it is’ the audience chorused back – too much laughter.
Michael, my husband was called a ‘pervert’ because Manuel found a pair of ladies knickers under the table next to where he was sitting. Basil then put the knickers on his head and did his famous ‘Nazi March’ which evoked many guffaws.
The Siebenhausen’s at Table 10 received Basil’s attention as the ‘Germans’ for the night – ‘Certainly I’ll just get you your hors d’oeuvres which must be obeyed at all times without a question. Sorry, sorry sorry’. Top marks to Bill Peacock and Peter Sheehan for all the organising they did. Thanks to Samantha Thornton and the staff at the RSL; to Di Wells of Anna’s Fashion Boutique for a lending us props for the performers Dressing Room; to performers Andy, Gemma and Cameron and managers Rajna Barry and Claire Housden, from Interactive Theatre International; to our wonderful supportive community and our back up helpers Michael Matthews, Elaine Lutton, Julie Robbins, Patch Roycroft and Tom Dutton.
Watch this space for details of our July 2021 performance of ‘Confetti & Chaos’ which is a classic take on a wedding reception gone widely wrong. The audience become the wedding guests who get caught up in the crossfire.