DeVingo directs another play that “goes wrong”
By Cam LoPiccolo, Staff writer
May 5, 2023
Norwood High senior Joey DeVingo is set to direct his newest play,“The Fantasy Epic (that goes wrong)” debuting in the middle of June. This is his second bout as a director for an NHS production.
“The Fantasy Epic (that goes wrong)” is loosely based on various episodes of the BBC’s “The Goes Wrong Show” which featured the Mischief Theatre Company and directors Henry Lewis, Henry Shields, and Jonathan Sayer.
DeVingo knew he wanted to base his play off of works from the show but when he realized there would be complications with set design he decided to adapt jokes that the show used into his own.
“If I could take my favorite jokes from all the specials that they made, and compile them into a script that works it would be fun,” said DeVingo.
DeVingo wrote an entirely new play in order to tie in all the jokes he wanted to include.
The first draft of his new play was written as a hero’s journey, but DeVingo had second thoughts.
“I originally wrote it as a…simple hero’s journey, and then I went back and wrote how Mischief would act it out, by adding all of the “mess up” into it, " said DeVingo.
Many of the cast members from DeVingo’s first play, “A Play That Goes Wrong” are returning to play similar roles to the ones they had in that play. This allows them to have a preexisting feel for how their characters are supposed to act but also allows them to make their own adaptations towards their characters early on in the development of the play.
Cast member Jake DeShiro described DeVingo as a great director.
“Joey definitely has a vision and he is a very funny guy so I trust him,” said DeShiro.
With the guidance of drama teacher Mr. Quinn, and the faith and trust of an experienced and award-winning cast of Norwood students, DeVingo’s creative mind was given free rein in constructing his next work from the ground up, and creating something that all are sure to enjoy.