The Play That Goes Wrong

The Play That Goes Wrong at Spencer Theatre At Kansas City Repertory Theatre

Amateur theater can be nerve-racking enough without the scenery attacking you. When the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society tackles a 1920s whodunit called The Murder at Haversham Manor, everything that can collapse, topple or vanish does exactly that—and the troupe soldiers on regardless.

The Play That Goes Wrong lands at Kansas City Repertory Theatre's Spencer Theatre under Stuart Carden's direction, delivering comedy built on relentless physical chaos. Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, this production watches furniture betray its users, sets refuse to cooperate, and a murder victim who won't lie still long enough to stay dead. Each mishap arrives with perfect timing, turning technical disaster into laugh-out-loud spectacle.

What makes the evening doubly satisfying is the chance to follow two stories at once. There's the murder mystery the Cornley players are desperately trying to present, and there's the escalating catastrophe of their actual performance. You get a whodunit frame and the farce tearing it apart in real time, watching determined amateurs scramble to salvage their show even as doors jam, props disappear and lines evaporate from memory.

The pleasure here is watching people refuse to quit when everything around them refuses to work. These aren't seasoned professionals—they're enthusiastic underdogs clinging to hope while their production crumbles. That combination of heart and havoc makes for a Kansas City theatrical experience where the wreckage is entirely intentional and entirely delightful.

Grab your ticket to The Play That Goes Wrong at the Spencer Theatre.