IF it can go wrong, it will go wrong at Lighthouse next week. But don’t worry, that’s all part of the plan. The Play That Goes Wrong, the West End’s multi-award winning box office hit, arrives in Poole for a six night run on Monday.

For the uninitiated, the play introduces The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society who are attempting to put on a 1920s murder mystery. But nothing goes to plan, as the accident prone thespians battle on against all the odds to get to their final curtain call. We spoke to one of the co-writers Jonathan Sayer ahead of the opening night to find out more...

Where did you get the idea for The Play That Goes Wrong?

There are three writers so there are a few different answers. I suppose we have all worked in theatre and have experiences of things going awry in shows we have been in. Some of my favourite moments watching theatre has been where things have gone dreadfully wrong and the actors are forced to deal with the mistake and try to keep the show on track.

How did you create the script?

The three of us were living together at the time in a pretty run down flat. We were all working in bars and call centres and restaurants and, in the evenings, we’d come home and we’d write until the early hours.

We all made a pact together a long time ago that if something isn’t funny we’d just say it isn’t funny. I think writing comedy is like plumbing – if a guy comes round to fix your taps and they’re still leaking, you say it’s still leaking. He won’t be upset, it’s just a practical thing and I think you’ve got to try and approach this work in the same way. It’s subjective and you’ve got to have personal distance. As long as you’re always scrutinising in a positive way, that’s only going to make the work better.

To book, visit lighthousepoole.co.uk