“Laughter Is the Best Medicine”: John Cleese on Farce, Legacy and Bringing Fawlty Towers to Wales

When Fawlty Towers – The Play arrives at the Wales Millennium Centre from 23–27 June 2026, it brings with it not only one of Britain’s most iconic sitcoms, but also the unmistakable comic philosophy of its creator. Fifty years after Basil Fawlty first terrorised the guests of a fictional Torquay hotel, John Cleese remains both amused and faintly bewildered by the show’s enduring grip on audiences.

Two sold‑out West End seasons and a mammoth UK & Ireland tour have already proved that the appetite for Fawlty Towers is far from nostalgic curiosity. The laughter is loud, the affection is real, and the farce — well, the farce is eternal.

When we sit down with Cleese to talk about the show’s Welsh dates, he is in buoyant form.

Interview

Us: John, the stage production has been a runaway success — West End, rave reviews, and now an 11‑month tour. Did you have any sense it would land quite so explosively?

John Cleese: I was more confident about it than almost anything I’ve ever done. I remember reading the finished script and thinking, this is really funny. And the English do love farce. Think Ben Travers, Brian Rix, Ray Cooney. Look at Noises Off or One Man, Two Guvnors. Farce is universal.

Even so, the reaction has been extraordinary.

JC: Oh, I couldn’t have predicted the rapture. On the first night at the Apollo, they were literally rocking with laughter. And I still meet people who know every line. I sat next to two women in their thirties who could quote every sketch — all written before they were born. That’s a great compliment.

Why do you think Fawlty Towers has embedded itself so deeply in the public consciousness?

JC: I think it’s partly the characters. Basil is “rude but inefficient”, which is a combination people recognise. Sybil is the long‑suffering realist. Manuel is the optimist who never quite understands what’s going on. And people love laughing. They come home, put on an episode, and the world doesn’t seem quite so bleak. That’s my reward.

You’ve chosen three classic episodes for the stage version — The Hotel Inspector, The Germans, and Communication Problems. What made those the ones?

JC: They’re the tightest farces. They have the best misunderstandings, the best explosions, the best rhythm. And they work beautifully when stitched together. I’ve added a new finale to give it a proper theatrical ending.

The cast has become a talking point too — Danny Bayne as Basil, Mia Austen as Sybil, Joanne Clifton as Polly, Paul Nicholas as The Major…

JC: They’re wonderful. Danny has the physicality, Mia has the bite, Joanne holds the whole thing together — just like Polly always did — and Paul is peerless. And Hemi Yeroham as Manuel is terrific. It’s a very strong company.

You’ve been busy beyond the play as well — a new book, a possible reboot, a musical…

JC: Yes, I’ve just finished Fawlty Towers: Fawlts And All, which was exhausting but fun. Camilla and I are working on a reboot set in a Caribbean motel — she’ll play Basil’s illegitimate daughter. And we’re developing a stage musical of A Fish Called Wanda. I like keeping busy.

And there’s a new film script?

JC: Lookalikes. Originally it was about people on Sunset Boulevard pretending to be famous stars. Then someone had the brilliant idea of getting real superstars to play the lookalikes. Arnold Schwarzenegger has the script at the moment.

You’ve spoken before about turning down honours. Does that still stand?

JC: Oh yes. I don’t need that sort of validation. My reward is knowing I’ve made people laugh. That’s enough.

And finally — what can Welsh audiences expect when the show arrives in Cardiff?

JC: A very funny evening. Some of the best punchlines ever written. And a lot of laughter. There’s nothing to beat it.

A Comedy Classic Returns to Wales

Cleese’s stage adaptation, directed by Caroline Jay Ranger, brings together three of the most beloved episodes of the original BBC sitcom, complete with a newly written finale. The production has been hailed as “as good as comedy gets” and “an indisputably funny evening”, with audiences laughing from the moment Basil walks on stage.

For Welsh theatregoers, the Wales Millennium Centre run offers a rare chance to see a piece of British comedy history reimagined with theatrical flair — and to experience the communal joy of farce performed live.

Fawlty Towers – The Play

Wales Millennium Centre, 23–27 June 2026 Part of the UK & Ireland tour running until 1 August 2026 Tickets: FawltyTowersTour.co.uk