Mischief

Mischief Theatre is a British theatre company that was founded in 2008 by a group of students from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in West London, and directed by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields. The group originally began by doing improvised comedy shows, but by 2012 they expanded into comedic theatrical performances that includes choreographed routines, jokes, and stunts. The company is primarily known for their comedic performances as the fictional theatre company, The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, enacting amateur performances that go wrong. Works by the company includes the award-winning 2012 stage play The Play That Goes Wrong and the BBC television series The Goes Wrong Show. Several of the stage performances by the company have been shown in the West End of London, and also in theatres across the United Kingdom, North America, and Europe. History Mischief Theatre was formed in 2008 by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields, while the three were studying in a drama foundation course at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. The founders selected the company's members, most from those attending the same course, including Dave Hearn, Nancy Zamit, Bryony Corrigan, and Niall Ransome. The company conducted its first performance, Let's See What Happens, at The Questors Studio Theatre in July 2008, which they later performed at The Edinburgh Festival the following month. In 2012, Lewis, Sayer, and Shields devised the script for The Play That Goes Wrong, originally titled The Murder Before Christmas, a comedic play based on the real-life situations regarding accidents and problems that can occur in stage productions. With the play, the company branched into choreographed performances, including stunts and jokes. The play premiered in London later that year, then went on to multiple UK tours and was featured at the 2015 Royal Variety Performance show. Lewis, Sayer, and Shields continued to devise new shows for Mischief Theatre, either based on improvisational comedy or scripted performances, including Lights! Camera! Improvise!, Late Night Impro Fight, and Mischief Movie Night.