The Mischief Theatre Company has a flourishing stage and TV franchise, with a second Christmas special on the way. The trio discuss how difficult it is making mistakes go right
“There’s nothing political about these shows, nothing really edgy in there.” Far from a criticism, Henry Shields, the co-founder of the Mischief Theatre Company that is behind the Goes Wrong Show franchise, is expounding on how a theatre company set up in 2008 by a group of drama school friends has gone on to produce sell-out runs in the West End and on Broadway, as well as a hit BBC TV show and a forthcoming second Christmas special.
Taking their cues from a particularly British style of 60s slapstick comedy made popular by the likes of Monty Python, Fawlty Towers and Morecambe and Wise, the Mischief shows are centred around the conceit of things going wrong on stage: actors bringing in the wrong props, failing to open doors or simply falling over. It is a misleadingly simple premise and one that has won them a legion of fans.