With big names like Prunella Scales, Connie Booth, John Cleese, and Andrew Sachs backing the original Fawlty Towers television run, it’s hard not to walk into the New Theatre to watch its first night without a bit of doubt.

But I can assuredly say the play did not disappoint.

Fawlty Towers checked into the New Theatre Oxford with a gloriously chaotic stage adaptation that feels like a love letter to the original series.

READ MORE: University of Oxford launches trial of new vaccine for rare deadly virus

Danny Bayne and John Cleese (Image: Trevor Leighton)

Even if you know every episode by heart, this stage version serves up enough new flourishes and perfectly executed farce to make a return visit to Fawlty Towers feel irresistible.

Standing in for Danny Bayne, understudy Adam Elliot played the eternally exasperated Basil, capturing Cleese’s Fawlty’s wit and sarcasm but ensuring the live audience see and laugh at every moment.

Mia Austen, a heavy weight in West End theatre, played the razor-sharp Sybil Fawlty nailing everything down from her walk to her outrageous shrill of a laugh, with her typical phone call to avoid doing any work sending you right back to the original episodes.

Paul Nicholas plays the delightfully bumbling Major in Fawlty Towers: The Play, capturing the character’s absent-minded eccentricity with gentle humour and old-school charm. His performance mirrors the beloved TV original while adding a stage-friendly warmth that lands especially well with live audiences.

Joanne Clifton’s Polly is sharp, capable and quietly exasperated, grounding the hotel’s chaos with quick thinking and dry wit.

The ensemble timing is tight, the set cleverly evokes the shabby Torquay hotel, and the famous set pieces – from malfunctioning catering to catastrophic guest relations – are reimagined with inventive physical comedy.

READ MORE: Abolition of councils for ‘future generations’, city council says despite backlash

John Cleese (Image: Trevor Leighton)

Born out of a stay at the now-demolished Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay while filming Monty Python, John-Cleese based his Basil Fawlty on the hotel’s owner who he later called “he rudest man I’ve ever come across in my life”.

From critcising guests table etiquette, throwing their briefcases out of a window in case it “contained a bomb” and a view from Michael Palin that his guests were seen as a “colossal inconvenience” Cleese certainly didn’t have to dig deep for his rude Fawlty.

No comedy show has had quite the impact that Fawlty Towers does, with only two series consisting of twelve episodes overall it would be remiss to say an audience couldn’t even build a fan base of of it in the modern world.

Former Red Bull boss Christian Horner, who lives just outside of Banbury, made the announcement earlier this month ahead of the British Grand prix.

Mr Horner, who is married to Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, revealed he will publish a tell-all book on his 20 years at the top of the sport.

Under his leadership, Red Bull achieved six World Constructors’ Championships, eight World Drivers’ Championships, 124 Grand Prix wins, 107 pole positions, and 287 podium finishes.

Christian Horner (David Davies/PA) (Image: (David Davies/PA))

Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen have both become two of the greats in F1 under his reign.

His new book, Drive, will be published this October and alongside it he has announced he will be doing a tour.

“This autumn, I’ll be heading out on a UK book tour to celebrate the publication of my memoir, Drive,” he said.

“I’ll be reflecting on the defining moments of my career, the experiences from more than two decades in Formula One, and the highs and lows of leading a team at the very top of the sport.

“We’ll also have a live Q&A, giving you the chance to ask your own questions and hear some of the stories from behind the scenes.

“Every ticket includes a copy of Drive.

“Pre-sale is open now, with general sale from Friday 17 July at 10am via the venues and Ticketmaster.”

Venues include York, Glasgow, Nottingham, Bath and London.

But the venue choices have sparked a plea from many fans who want to see him in their part of the world.

One fan said on his Instagram page: “Would love to see a Belfast date on this.”

Another added: “Maastricht? Roermond? Please come to The Netherlands.”

A third added: “No Manchester?”

While a fourth added: “Australia Christian?”

Mr Horner has built up a fanbase across the world, having been to all corners of the globe with Formula 1.

Year 11 leavers gathered at Milton House Hotel for the celebration, arriving in style in vehicles ranging from classic and vintage motors to sports cars under the theme ‘A Night Under the Stars.’

Hannah Powell, assistant headteacher at Aureus School, said: “I feel that Prom is a rite of passage when you reach the end of Year 11, and is also an event that has been the topic of many conversations throughout the year.

“They have been a bubbly, conscientious group this year, and I hope their hard work pays off when they receive their exam results later in the summer.”

The evening featured a disco, drinks, and a buffet.