CURRENTLY playing to sold-out houses at London’s Apollo Theatre Shaftesbury Avenue, John Cleese’s Fawlty Towers – The Play announced a major theatre tour for 2025 and 2026, including visiting the Hall for Cornwall in Truro.

Following the hugely successful West End run – which has seen the show extend twice - the show will embark on the 10-month tour across the UK on September 30 2025 through to July 2026.

Based on three of the original BBC TV episodes of one of the greatest British sitcoms of all time, Fawlty Towers – The Play has been adapted for the stage by original co-creator John Cleese into a two-hour play, complete with a new finale. Casting will be announced in due course.

John Cleese said: “When we came up with the idea of bringing Fawlty Towers to the stage, I never thought it would get the reception that it has.

“On 23 December it will be 50 years to the day since we recorded the pilot at BBC Television Centre and I’m delighted that the audiences we’ve had in the West End still think it’s as funny as ever. The announcement of the tour means many more people will now have the chance to laugh themselves helpless.”

John Cleese
John Cleese (Picture: Dave J Hogan/Hogan Media )

Following a tip off that hotel inspectors may be visiting and eager to impress, Basil attempts to ingratiate himself with guests that he suspects are there to critique the establishment.

The situation is further plagued by a party of Germans, the deaf and dotty guest-from-hell, Mrs Richards, whose infuriating complaints prevent him from hiding a gambling win from his ever vigilant and bossy wife, Sybil. Together they run their hotel with a little help from the unflappable Polly, and very little help at all from Manuel, the trainee waiter from Barcelona who is the butt of Fawlty’s frustration.

Fawlty Towers was first broadcast on BBC Two on 19 September 1975. The iconic TV show went on to win many awards and plaudits including two Bafta’s for Best Situation Comedy and in 2000 it was voted the best British programme of all time in a British Film Institute poll. Set in a fictional hotel in the seaside town of Torquay, just 12 half hour episodes of the iconic comedy were made.

Tickets for the Truro shows, which will take place between April 21 to 25, will be available to purchase on Monday, January 20.