If your dream dinner night includes a mad shouty man hovering over you, a Spanish waiter dancing wildly on your table throwing bread on plates and a middle-aged woman whose had a bit too much to drink talking at you — then this is the dining experience for you!

Faulty Towers The Dining Experience is a must-see show for those, like myself, who grew up on the famous 70s British comedy series. Incorporating the best scenes from the TV show, audiences are immersed in the chaotic world of Basil, Sybil and Manuel, as you see the real-time chaos where everything that can go wrong, goes wrong.

The dining experience is part of a long-running international interactive theatre show, originally staged in Brisbane in 1997 by Australian writer Alison Pollard-Mansergh, and now performs in 43 countries worldwide, according to the BBC in 2016.

The 2026 Adelaide Fringe company features James Colbourn-Keogh as Basil, Gemma Galley as Sybil, and Alex Forero as Manuel, who each brilliantly immersed themselves into the characters to the point you think they are real John Cleese, Prunella Scales and Andrew Sachs. Forero’s Manuel easily captures his chaotic energy while winning the hearts of the audience. 

Throughout the interactive show, audiences are involved in many aspects, from serving bread to unsuspecting guests, supporting fire drills (in this case being chased out of the building by Basil) and many more experiences worth seeing yourself! The improvisational skills of the cast in between acts were impressive and made you, as a member of the audience, feel generally immersed.

The experience includes a three-course meal emblematic of the food served in hotels in the 1970s. This includes minestrone soup (with bread) for starters, roasted chicken breast with spiced couscous for mains, and to finish, rich chocolate mousse with fresh berries.

If this sounds like the perfect experience for you, then make sure to circle Faulty Towers The Dining Experience on your list of must-see Fringe shows!