The 12 episodes of Fawlty Towers, which was first broadcast 50 years ago, are revered by millions.
The cast led by co-writers John Cleese and Connie Booth, ably assisted by the Andrew Sachs and the late Prunella Scales, have become synonymous with the roles they brought to life.
How could you possibly imagine anyone else playing these iconic characters?
The cast of Fawlty Towers - The Play shrug aside this potentially overbearing history and deliver a thoroughly entertaining and engaging evening of classic wordplay, physical comedy and farce.
The stage show, penned by Cleese, is a veritable greatest hits of Fawlty Towers featuring all the key characters you would expect to see.
They are led by the exceptional Danny Bayne as down-trodden and world weary Basil Fawlty.
His undoubted physical similarity to Cleese helps, but he still manages to deliver a stand-out performance of pithy one-liners, energetic physicality and brilliant comic timing.
Bayne holds the show together, as you would expect, but he is ably supported by Mia Austen as his caustic wife Sybil, Hemi Yeroham as hapless Spanish waiter Manuel and Joanne Clifton as Polly the chambermaid.
Paul Nicholas - who has been in the business for half a century - is an excellent Major, and Jemma Churchill is superb as Mrs Richards.
The ensemble that supports these principle cast members weave in and out of the famed Torquay hotel reception and dining area with aplomb.
The plot will be familiar to anyone with any knowledge of the original television show, but the theatre version does not suffer as a result. If anything, it adds to the comedy as the audience gets ready for the big moments they know and love.
And, of course, you get to meet the hotel inspectors and the Germans.
Ah yes, the Germans, I nearly got to the end of this review without mentioning the war, but I’ve mentioned it once and I think I’ve got away with it.
Fawlty Towers - The Play gives you exactly what you would expect - classic comedy delivered by a sparkling new cast.
Fawlty Towers - The Play is performed at the Derngate daily at 7.30pm until Saturday, November 22. There are matinee shows at 2.30pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.
More information and booking details can be found on the theatre’s website at www.royalandderngate.co.uk/fawlty-towers.