At the end of last year, Jigsaw Harrow’s group 3 students were lucky enough to go to the final night of the UK tour of The Play that Goes Wrong. They visited the beautiful Aylesbury Waterside Theatre to watch their former Jigsaw drama teacher, Tom Babbage, in action.

Jigsaw Harrow Manager, Hayley, tells us more –

Our lovely drama teacher Tom, went on tour in July 2021 with The Play that Goes Wrong, a show that he has also previously starred in in the West End. Our group 3 students were really keen to go and watch him in it, and when I saw that the tour was finishing in Aylesbury in the Winter, I decided to organise a trip to go. Watching live theatre is something that we really missed during lockdown, and so we were all very excited.

We were not disappointed! Before the curtain even went up there were actors amongst the audience setting the scene and making us laugh. From then on, we were kept on our toes from start to finish! It is a hilarious play, full of non-stop action, comedy, physical theatre, and the most unbelievable events that made us all laugh out loud throughout. The cast were superb, and we were so proud of Tom who performed with so much energy that we were tired just from watching him!

Tom – flying through the air!

We all had such a fantastic evening, and after not being able to go to the theatre for such a long time it made me think about the many benefits you can gain from watching live theatre.

Our students learnt so much from watching the play – it was a masterclass in how to use your body and voice to show different characters, to show emotions, to make people laugh and ultimately tell a story. It was also fantastic escapism; it is a classic “whodunnit” story, and for two hours we were transported into a crazy world of trying to discover who killed Charles Haversham! We all forgot about our worries and just laughed.

The students weren’t thinking about an essay that needed handing in or a test they needed to revise for. It also brought us together as a group, which after such a long time in our separate homes, was really special. To see this lovely bunch of friends chatting on the train journey, sharing their experience of the show, and enjoying each other’s company was fantastic.

The Play that Goes Wrong is currently playing in the West End at the Duchess Theatre and is also set to go on tour again in April. The recommended age is 8+ and it would be a great treat for any young actor to go and see it.

Jigsaw Arts Harrow