Fringe: Faulty Towers Dining Experience *****

The Principal, George Street (Venue 119)

It’s been part of the Fringe for a decade, and Faulty Towers Dining Experience is still pulling them in.

And it still feels incredibly fresh too.

That’s a tribute to both the enduring appeal of the classic sitcom, and the company’s reputation for putting on a fantastic, two hour show.

They reprise the spirit of the legendary Torquay hotelier, his bossy wife and his wonderful but hopeless waiter Manuel in this magnificent interactive dining experience which is part scripted, but mainly played off the cuff with the sharpest comic timing, generating endless laughs throughout.

All you have to do is go with the flow, and enjoy the mayhem that erupts around you before, and during, your meal.

The trio of Jonathon Saunders (Basil), Imogen Miller Porter (Sybil) and James Heatlie (Manuel) have their roles nailed perfectly, they work incredibly hard throughout the two hours.

They give you enough time to enjoy your meal while keeping the entertainment, and the laughter, flowing – the set pieces are sharp and superbly executed, the ‘misunderstandings’ between Manuel and his employers are played out perfectly and sit at the heart of the show, while their audience interaction is wonderful.

And they make it work seamlessly.

This is glorious entertainment of the highest calibre from start to finish; a fantastic show that has universal appeal – our fellow diners included parties from the USA, Asia, Australia and Cape Town and they all loved it.

Now settled in its new home in George Street, Faulty Towers’ Dining Experience cannot be faulted in anyway.

Faulty Towers,

Principal, George Street.

Until August 28.

Ticket info at Ed Fringe