May 12, 2026: The Keegan Theatre is pleased to announce the cast and artistic team of its Season 29 finale, the globally acclaimed comedy THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG! First performed in a tiny pub theater in London in 2012, the Olivier Award-winning fan favorite has since conquered the West End, Broadway, and stages around the world — and now takes the Keegan stage to bring uproarious laughter to DC June 6-July 12.
“Presenting this unabashed embrace of comedy feels particularly important in these times,” remarks production director Michael Innocenti. “The premise of this play is deceptively simple: an amateur theatre company attempts to perform a 1920s murder mystery, and everything that can go wrong does. What unfolds is a masterwork of physical comedy, precise timing, and theatrical chaos that leaves audiences helpless with laughter. Comedy requires everything to go right in order to revel in everything going wrong. The experience of rehearsing with this cast and collaborating with our designers is a joy itself; it feels like wrapping a gift that we’ll give to audiences — who deserve a night of pure laughter!”
About the play: The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society is presenting its newest production, THE MURDER AT HAVERSHAM MANOR, but things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. This 1920s whodunit has everything you never wanted in a show — an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines). Nevertheless, the accident-prone thespians battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences! Part Monty Python, part Sherlock Holmes, this Olivier Award–winning comedy is a global phenomenon that’s guaranteed to leave you aching with laughter!
The cast of THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG features Darren Badley (Trevor), Rebecca Ballinger (Dennis), Jimmy Bartlebaugh (Max), Jared H. Graham (Jonathan), Leah Packer (Sandra), Matthew Pauli (Chris), Jackson Saunders (Robert), and Martina Schabron (Annie), with Adian Chapman, Sam Fromkin, Anthony Graf, and Karen E Kelleher serving as production understudies.
In addition to Director Michael Innocenti, the creative team includes Sierra Young (Fight & Intimacy Director), Gabrielle Busch (Assistant Director), Elizabeth Morton (Costume Designer), Hailey LaRoe (Lighting Designer), Brandon Cook (Sound Designer), Jason Dearing (Properties & Set Dressing Designer), Josh Sticklin (Scenic Designer & Technical Director), Zach Campion (Dialect Coach), Alexis J. Hartwick (Production Manager), Emilie Knudsen (Stage Manager), Audrey Tombaugh (Properties Assistant), Aliza Horowitz (Costume Assistant), and Benjamin Broderick-Sokol, Eileen Jones, and Marley Hollen (Assistant Stage Managers).
THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG runs June 6-July 12, 2026 with performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3:00 pm, and select Mondays and Wednesdays at 7:30 pm.
Special events scheduled throughout the run include:
- Sunday, June 14: Matinee Child Care is available onsite for just $20 with sibling discounts, provided by Keegan PLAY-RAH-KA Teaching Artists. (Limited capacity, advance registration required.)
- Sunday, June 14: “Meet the Artists” Talkback immediately following the matinee performance. Free and open to all patrons!
- Wednesday, June 17: Student Night, which includes discounted tickets to the show for current students with valid student ID — use promo code 29PLAY — plus an opportunity to socialize with Keegan staff and leadership.
- Friday, June 26: Young Professionals Happy Hour, which includes discounted tickets to the show and 1 complimentary drink coupon for patrons under 30 years old.
