FAWLTY Towers famously only ever had 12 episodes made.
But, 50 years on, its impact as an iconic television show lives on to this day - so much so it can now be seen on stage.
Its latest adaptation is at the Cliffs Pavilion this week and I was unsure on what to expect.
The worry was it might not live up to the high standard of the original showings and might be just a pale imitation.
To begin with, I feared that might be true too.
But it was not long before I was laughing and chuckling away with everyone around me.
Believe it or not, I am slightly too young to have seen Fawlty Towers first time around.
However, it is simply impossible to have avoided the repeats down the years and to be unaware of many of the show’s humorous moments and storylines.
Virtually all of them are displayed during this adaptation in which the characters are played to perfection.
A huge shout out must go to Danny Bayne for his portrayal of Basil, the main character of the show of course.
Taking on such a well-known role could be somewhat daunting.
But Danny has the mannerisms perfected down to a tee, along with the silly walk!
Mia Austen also shines as Sybil and Joanne Clifton as Polly.
Personally, I always found Manuel the funniest of the characters in the television show and there were many humorous moments from him this time around too.
Hemi Yeroham brings a smile to the face with his bemused facial expressions and struggles to understand or speak any kind of English, he is from Barcelona after all!
Paul Nicholas is also absolutely brilliant as the major and provides plenty of laughs along the way too.
All in all, this was a very entertaining and enjoyable show.
Rather than tarnishing the show’s reputation it actually keeps it alive and adds something extra along the way too.
It is an nostalgic treat and would even be enjoyed by those who missed out on the TV show first time around.
>Fawlty Towers The Play is on at the Cliffs Pavilion until Saturday.
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