‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ review: The Dio delivers controlled chaos at its finest

Courtesy of Michele Anliker photography

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Part of the allure of reviewing live theatre is seeing the same show staged at different venues—not necessarily to compare them, but to observe how the production evolves. Sometimes these versions are in conversation with each other, even complementing one another. So when I heard The Dio was mounting “The Play That Goes Wrong,” a show I’ve seen twice before, my curiosity peaked. This is a notoriously physical comedy where props, set design, gadgets, and every moving part of a well-oiled production must, by design, go completely off the rails. Ironically, in The Dio’s latest version, everything goes right—and that’s very much a compliment.

Because in this show, when everything goes “right,” it means you’re leaving the theater in stitches. For the uninitiated, “The Play That Goes Wrong” follows the Cornley Drama Society (proud purveyors of past productions like “James and the Peach” and “Cat”) as they attempt to stage the Agatha Christie-adjacent mystery “The Murder at Haversham Manor.” Things go off the rails almost immediately.

It’s a brilliant framework—essentially an actor’s worst nightmare brought to life. Imagine stepping onstage to find your co-star unconscious, or missing a cue, or walking through a door that’s fallen off its hinges. It’s also a dream playground for performers, and The Dio has no shortage of top-tier talent ready to lean into the chaos. In a theater landscape where “less is more,” the genius of Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields’ script is that it throws out the rulebook. It invites actors to fumble through lines, break character, and risk (apparent) bodily harm in the name of comedy. And while the actors are never truly in danger, the illusion that they might be is half the fun.

The eight-person ensemble rises to the occasion. Henry Ballesteros is sweet and hapless as Trevor, the overwhelmed light and sound board operator who’s distraught over losing his “Wicked” CD. Dylan Benson is clearly having a blast in multiple roles, regularly breaking the fourth wall with well-timed glances to the audience that had me howling. Michael Cicirelli gets a ton of mileage out of playing the “dead” body at the center of the mystery. Kori Fay is a riot as the butler who can’t seem to remember their lines. And Brendan Martin uncovers fresh layers of hilarity as Inspector Carter, whose absurd sequence involving a ledger may have been the comedic highlight of the night.

Elsewhere, Ash Moran, making their Dio “play” debut, shines as Annie, the stage manager who’s forced into the spotlight after an onstage emergency. Their comedic timing is impeccable. Maddie Ringvelski is a force, at one point literally throwing her body into the action for a laugh—and fully earning it. And Antonio Vettraino nearly steals the show as a persnickety aristocrat with a recurring scotch bit that had the audience, and myself, in near shambles.

If I have any qualms, they’re with the play’s conceit rather than this production. “The Play That Goes Wrong” demands a massive suspension of disbelief. If you were actually attending a play where the cast was fist-fighting, the stage manager kept interrupting scenes, and chunks of scenery were collapsing, the show would be shut down. The cops would be called. But of course, it’s all absurdist fun, and the exaggerated chaos is part of the charm.

None of the madness would land without Matthew Tomich’s meticulously designed set, which must run with breakneck precision. Director Steve DeBruyne, always a reliable hand with slapstick and physical comedy, clearly drew inspiration from the Three Stooges—and it shows. Eileen Obradovich deserves a standing ovation for creating the endless array of props this production demands. Special shoutouts go to Norma Polk for costume design and to Jen Pan and Joe Wright for their work as fight and intimacy coordinators.

The Dio enhances the experience by immersing the audience right from the start. A hilarious “director’s note” from the head of the Cornley Drama Society sits at each table, and the actors mingle in character while dinner is being served. It adds another layer to the comedy, especially when you realize that, for example, Brendan Martin plays both Inspector Carter and Chris, the egotistical creative director of the Drama Society. The audience gets to watch both how Chris envisions “The Murder at Haversham Manor,” and how he melts down as his show goes completely off the rails.

It all adds up to a raucous, gut-busting night at the theater. “The Play That Goes Wrong” was never meant to live in the emotional pathos of a Neil Simon farce. But when it’s staged with the precision, commitment, and chaos it demands, it leaves a lasting impression. As I overheard someone say in the bathroom after the show: “My stomach hurts from laughing so much.” I think everyone in the audience, myself included, would agree.

THE DIO’s production of THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG continues through May 25th. Tickets are extremely limited and most shows are sold out. All tickets include a three course dinner with non-alcoholic beverage. They can be found here.