LANCASTER, Pa. — The latest production at the Fulton Theatre intentionally reveals that sometimes, it might be best if the show didn't go on.
Part Sherlock Holmes, part slapstick farce, "The Play That Goes Wrong" gives everything from a corpse that can't play dead, an accident-prone cast and crew and everything in between. All battle the odds to make it to the final curtain.
"We're having a blast with a whodunit that's side-splittingly funny," Chuck Ragsdale, an actor in the show, said. "It's just a treat."
"The physical comedy of this show, it's just super thrilling," said Lara Hayhurst, the actress portraying the "leading lady" in the play within a play.
Davon Williams, who plays Trevor, stopped by the FOX43 studio to talk more about the play—and he couldn't agree with Hayhurst more about the show's physical comedy.
"You got two levels, the stage itself shifts, I think there's 50 different compartments and settings," Williams said.
"It's an incredible pulley system, so anyone looking to get an A on their science project, they should probably come see this one and see how it works," he joked.
Even if you've already passed all your science classes, Williams says you should still come to see the show—and be prepared to laugh.
"What's really fun about it is we all know the saying, 'the show must go on, the show must go on,'" the actor said. "So what does that mean and how far can something like that go? That's essentially what we're playing and making fun of."
The actor said that sometimes, it can be hard for even the professionals on stage to not burst out laughing.
"There's times I'm watching people and I'm like, 'focus, focus, do not ruin this moment,'" Williams said. "It's a gut-busting time."
Full of hints at detective fiction, the show is also fresh from Broadway, giving the Fulton Theatre another title snatched from the New York stage in the last decade.
"It's new and exciting," said E. Faye Butler, portraying a crew member in the play. "Laugh out loud... have fun and be yourself."
"The Play That Goes Wrong" opened Thursday, Jan. 19 with performances through Feb. 12. For more information, visit the Fulton Theatre's website.