The set fell down. There were awkward technical difficulties. The actors tripped, stumbled and repeatedly crashed into each other. All things considered, Brooks School’s winter play went perfectly!

The production, after all, was "The Play That Goes Wrong," a rough-and-tumble farce that Director of Theatre Meghan Hill said, “celebrates everything that shouldn’t happen onstage… and absolutely does.”

The comedy — which ran from February 26 through March 1 — featured a double cast and countless hysterical moments that had audiences in stitches every time a performer face planted while portraying one of the accident-prone actors trying to bring The Murder at Haversham Manor to life.

See an album of photos from the dress rehearsal.

“This talented ensemble of student actors and technicians has worked tirelessly to master the precise physical comedy, technical complexity and ensemble collaboration this show demands,” Hill said of the 14 who took the stage during the show’s run and the four who toiled behind the scenes on stage management, operating the light board plus designing and operating sound effects (including recorded gunfire).

Learn all about the acting and stage crew opportunities at Brooks.

“It was awesome,” Henry Osborne ’26 (above on left) said of playing the bumbling Robert/Thomas Colleymore. “This was my first time acting in such a physical role and it was definitely a new experience.”

In addition to learning his lines, he had to get used to forgetting his balance. “I fall so much in this play,” he said. “I just had to get used to my knees being bruised slightly. But it was fun. It goes away after a day. It’s fully worth it. Especially in the death scene. I love that part!”

Osbourne’s costar Giada Musto ’26, who plays Chris/Inspector Carter admitted she felt a bit more worried, especially when it came to falling off a balcony. “I'm short so that was a legitimately terrifying thing,” said the actress (above, middle). “But we made it through. Everything was fine. And honestly, just being up on the balcony was a nice way to prove to myself that I could do some of that physical stuff.”

Crash pads, safety lessons and “going through it slowly a million times” in practice helped Eloise Bertrand ’26, who plays Sandra/Florence Colleymore, get comfortable with being tossed around on stage. Not that she knew anything different: The Play That Goes Wrong was her first foray into acting.

“I felt like I'm never going to have the chance to be in a play at another at a point in my life again after this … and I’ve always wanted to try being in a show,” said Bertrand (below, left). “And it was literally the best decision I've ever made. It was so fun.”

Being an athlete helped her with the physical aspect of this acting challenge. “There were a couple times where me and Sloane [Hayden ’26, who plays Annie] were like, ‘Wait, why are we sweating more than in our lacrosse workouts? This is this is weird!’” she said.

And even though her character got literally knocked out in all of the antics, she insists that being part of the show “felt amazing.”

The mishaps were indeed all for show. “I love that it all came together so smoothly,” said Bertrand. “It was so fun!”

Learn more about theater at Brooks and past productions on our Firetrail Theatre page.