London West End play enters document books on longest operating present listing
A trip to the West End isn’t just for Les Miserables anymore, punters from all over the world have been loving a chaos-filled slapstick farce that is now in the record books
Watch out Mousetrap a new play is hot on your tail(Image: In Pictures via Getty Images)
Never mind Phantom, Les Mis or even The Mousetrap, a surprise theatrical production is now among the longest running shows in London’s West End.
The Society of London Theatre recently confirmed that MISCHIEF’s Olivier and Tony Award-winning smash-hit production of The Play That Goes Wrong, which is currently in its 12th year at The Duchess Theatre in London’s West End, has officially entered their longest running show list for the very first time – at the 20th position.
It is also the 4th longest running play in West End History, behind The Mousetrap, The Woman in Black and No Sex Please, We’re British.
A chaos-filled slapstick farce where everything that can possibly go wrong DOES go wrong on opening night, The Play That Goes Wrong opened at the Duchess Theatre in September 2014 and shows no signs of slowing down.
The 13th London cast of the play
Its success is a testament to the hard work and determination of a group of drama school graduates who became friends, set up a company under the name MISCHIEF and created an extraordinary body of work over the past decade.
Producer Kenny Wax said: “When we first opened The Play That Goes Wrong in the West End in 2014, none of us could have imagined the extraordinary journey that lay ahead.
“To see MISCHIEF grow from a group of brilliantly talented young performers into a global theatrical phenomenon, breaking records, winning awards and entertaining millions of people around the world, has been an incredible privilege.
“The figures are remarkable, but what makes me proudest is the creativity, ambition and sheer hard work behind every achievement — and the fact that, after all these years, MISCHIEF is still finding new ways to surprise audiences and make them laugh. The story so far has been extraordinary, and I’m excited to see what comes next.”
Slapstick ahoy in the West End
In December 2027 The Play that Goes Wrong will celebrate running for 15 years, since it was first performed to just 4 paying customers in the Old Red Lion, a theatre above a pub in London.
The Play that Goes Wrong has been seen by more than 5 million people worldwide, and performed in over 52 countries. It welcomed its 2 millionth customer at the Duchess Theatre earlier this year, and has been performed on every continent except Antarctica.
Performing in the show at The Duchess Theatre in London are: Ruby Ablett as Annie, Matthew Spencer as Chris, Raphael Bushay as Robert, Luke Wilson as Jonathan, Lucinda Turner as Sandra, Alex Bird as Dennis, Joshua Lendon as Max and Kieron Michael as Trevor.
Visit www.theplaythatgoeswrong.com to be part of a piece of theatre history.
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