鈥淲hy aren鈥檛 there any good dinner-theatre places around?鈥�

A friend asked the question a couple weeks ago, and I remembered that operates in downtown Langley, where Reg and Erin Parks have produced plays for seven years. Before that, they started out in rural Whonnock, hence the company鈥檚 鈥渃ountry鈥� name.

Friday night (Feb. 10), I finally had a chance to take in a show at the part-time church venue on Glover Road, where dinner was served at 6:30 p.m. and the show started at 7:30.

We were excited to see 鈥淭he Play That Goes Wrong,鈥� a 鈥減lay within a play鈥� comedy that鈥檚 been a decade-long hit in London for Mischief Theatre Company. The Monty Python-ish farce follows the Cornley Drama Society鈥檚 doomed production of the very serious, 1920s-set whodunit 鈥淢urder at Haversham Manor.鈥� As the title suggests, things go wrong 鈥� very wrong.

Props malfunction and disappear, sets fall apart, actors are knocked unconscious, lines are butchered and mayhem ensues as the actors struggle to go on with the disastrous show.

The script is similar to the Mischief company鈥檚 staged last fall by the Arts Club at its Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage in Vancouver. That play is hilarious, and so is 鈥淭he Play That Goes Wrong.鈥�

STORY CONTINUES BELOW PROMO VIDEO

性视界传媒-based actors Timothy Marron (as Chris, the bewildered director of 鈥淢urder at Haversham Manor鈥�) and Aaron Wheeler (Jonathan, caught in a love triangle) are two stars of the current show at Theatre in The Country, along with six others (Mallory Hema, Luca Herring, Kelly Wersta, Amber McMunn, Gary Wolfowicz, Scott Thomas Anderson).

Director Simon Challenger says there鈥檚 a reason such comedies are so successful.

鈥淭hey make us laugh by allowing us, just for a minute, to see ourselves in similar predicaments as the performers on stage in front of us,鈥� Challenger notes in the program. 鈥淲hile most of won鈥檛 ever find ourselves in the same situation as our actors (I sincerely hope you don鈥檛), we鈥檝e all experienced times where, despite our best efforts, things went off the rails in epic fashion.鈥�

The play is 鈥渁 modern theatre success story,鈥� confirms Reg Parks, artistic director, 鈥渁nd we are lucky to get the license to produce this show, even as it is still running in London and New York.鈥�

He鈥檚 right about 鈥淭he Play That Goes Wrong,鈥� which runs until Feb. 25 at Theatre in the Country鈥檚 space, shared by Langley Vineyard Church. The show can be enjoyed with Over the Top Catering鈥檚 tasty dinner buffet (roast beef, chicken, all the fixings), or on its own. It鈥檚 best to book a table or seat facing the stage, as the stageside ones at the west end of the room aren鈥檛 ideal for viewing (at least for the current show鈥檚 stage setup).

Laughs are guaranteed with this comedy, which kicks off a diverse 2023 season for Theatre in the Country, followed by 鈥淪teel Magnolias鈥� (in April), 鈥淭he Sound of Music鈥� (June), 鈥淪hawshank Redemption鈥� (October) and 鈥淎 Christmas Carol鈥� (November and December).

For tickets and info, or call 604-259-9737.

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
Like us on Follow us on and follow Tom on