Feel like fine dining out to a funny Fringe show in style? Well forget it, if you are going to Faulty Towers, the Dining Experience. This is dining out in absolute chaos, which begins even before you are seated and there is every chance you will be picked on at some stage of the evening. For me it was Sybil, noting my meal was Gluten Free with “You part of one of those protest groups to free all Glutens?” The Dining Experience has been appearing at the Adelaide Fringe since 2008, and speaking to the promoter after the event, it was because of Adelaide that they took the show to the Edinburgh Festival, returning there each year since. As Basil reads out your name, you are invited to enter the dining room where Manuel is to take you to your seats. Naturally it is not that easy and he throws abuse at you or leads you astray. The table setting is all wrong and show hasn’t even started yet. Manuel, distributing bread rolls from a large bowl, was hilarious. Then of course some people are “missed” for the first course. Nothing goes right for poor Basil, as his wife, Sybil abuses and picks on him all evening. The show is based around the 1970’s TV series of Faulty Towers. While elements from the TV series appear during the evening, this show has been especially written for The Dining Experience. The three characters are experts at adlibbing, as they approach people and then “use” them in the act. Don’t be afraid though, it is all done in reasonably good taste. Even in the intermission, the characters stay in the room, talking in character to the patrons. The meal was a set three course-menu and was first-rate. As I said, I am coeliac (gluten free), and as long as you pre-warn them before the day, they cater excellently for your meal. Just be prepared for a few comments though. Also, the staff working at The Terrace Hotel, preparing and serving the meal were excellent, as they too were not immune from comments from the actors. If you have ever wanted to be part of a TV series, this maybe as close as you will ever get. A fun filled evening with great humour and food. Feast on this, just don’t mention the war!