you see a mousetrap, I see free cheese and a fucking challenge

For each of my major fandoms, I do a short writeup talking about how it fits into my fandom history. A fandom qualifies as 'major' if I've written five fics for it, or ten thousand words across at least three fics.

I don't think the latest addition is going to be a surprise to anyone.


The Goes Wrong Show

I can pinpoint exactly when The Goes Wrong Show first happened to me. It was the sixth of December, 2025; I was thirty-seven. I was at my parents' house to see some relatives who were visiting.

My fifteen-year-old cousin, H, had removed himself from the socialisation and was watching a Minecraft video on the television in the sitting room. I asked if I could read in the room while he watched television; I thought that'd be a nice, low-pressure way for us to hang out. He switched from Minecraft videos to an episode of The Goes Wrong Show: "You'd probably like this more."

I've been aware of the existence of The Play That Goes Wrong for a long time; it's hard not to be if you're a Londoner! If you've lived in London at any point in the last decade, or if a visit has ever brought you to the West End, chances are that you've seen posters for it at Tube stations. I remember the evocative name caught my eye when it first started showing up.

My friend RD had seen The Play That Goes Wrong years ago and said it was hilarious, so it had stuck in my mind as something that was probably good fun, even if I had no actual plans to see it. I'd never heard of The Goes Wrong Show, but I realised instantly, from the style of the logo, that it was related to The Play That Goes Wrong, so I was interested to see what it was like!

The episode H put on was 'The Lodge'. As I had anticipated, it showed actors putting on a play - in this case a ghost story - and that play going wrong in every possible way. My main initial impressions:

a) this is very silly
b) this is pretty fun
c) there's a lot of genuinely impressive effort and skill on display; this is an actual stage play being filmed in front of a live audience, and it must take such precise timing to make things 'go wrong' correctly
d) who is that man?????

The man in question was the creepy owner of the haunted lodge. He was compelling! He was hot! He was loud and weird and ridiculous! At one point he got knocked out by a vase falling on his head, and somehow that only made him more attractive to me; it was such a well-done piece of physical comedy.

At one point H's mother, S, came into the room and saw we were watching The Goes Wrong Show. 'Oh, it's Robert,' she commented, when the man I was so fascinated by happened to be on screen.

S explained that the character of Robert had also been in Peter Pan Goes Wrong, which she had seen on stage. I'd originally assumed that the concept of this show was just 'a play goes wrong' without any kind of story behind it, and I was surprised and interested to discover that the 'actors' involved were actually consistent characters across the different plays.

'He's very good,' I said, enraptured.

After 'The Lodge' had finished, we also watched the episode '90 Degrees', at S's request. It had less screentime for Robert, alas, but it was an absolutely extraordinary technical achievement, improved even further by the fact that S's mother had now joined us and was absolutely losing it laughing.

So I'd now seen two episodes of The Goes Wrong Show! I'd enjoyed them, but I didn't carry on with the show straight away. Shamefully, what drove me to watch more wasn't actually the comedy; it was the fact that I found myself idly thinking about Robert while I walked down the street. I just wanted to see more of that bizarre handsome weirdo.

The show is on BBC iPlayer, and I couldn't watch it at home because we don't have a television licence, so I tried out another episode when I next visited my parents. And then another. And another, and another. And then I ordered every Goes Wrong DVD I could get my hands on, and then I started buying theatre tickets, and that's how we've ended up here. I'm so sorry.

Favourite character: who could it beeeeeeee (it's Robert, of course it's Robert, why do I have such a weakness for a large man with a loud and aggressive persona) (shut the FUCK up, Freud, I don't want to hear your opinion)
Favourite pairing: Robert/Chris. Their dynamic is just so fascinatingly weird. They're friends! They're enemies! They're bizarrely obsessed with each other! Robert has slept with Chris's mother! Chris has kissed Robert's sister! Robert has repeatedly attempted to incapacitate Chris in an effort to steal a role from him! Robert wrote Chris a role specifically designed to humiliate him, but also included a scene in which his own character and Chris's connect and find common ground! What's wrong with them?? I have no idea, but it's great.
Number of words written: 9,763 on my main AO3 account, plus about 3,000 words' worth of fills for the Three-Sentence Ficathon.

Snippet: I've finished most of the things I've started for the Goes Wrong series, but here's a silly little snippet that probably won't go anywhere.

( The Goes Wrong Show unfinished snippet, Chris and Annie, 2026. )

AO3 may be down, but never fear; I've brought a third batch of threesentenceficathon fills!

Are they for fandoms you're in? W... well, no. They're still almost exclusively for the Goes Wrong Show, with one short and spoilery Silent Hill 2 fill. But they are fanfiction nonetheless.


( Silent Hill 2, James, 40 words, prompt: 'I love you. I'm sorry.' )

( Assorted ficlets for the Goes Wrong Show, mainly Chris and Robert, 1,400 words total. )


I was doing so well at keeping to three sentences to begin with! But here we are now.

The threesentenceficathon continues, now in its second prompt post! Here's a second batch of my fills.

In this roundup: a Clair Obscur ficlet! See, I can still think about things that aren't the Goes Wrong Show.

And also six Goes Wrong Show ficlets.


( Clair Obscur, Maelle/Verso, 60 words, prompt: keeping secrets. )

( Assorted ficlets for the Goes Wrong Show, mainly Chris and Robert, 850 words total. )


I get so excited whenever anyone comments on my Goes Wrong fills to say they don't know the canon but enjoyed the characters. I'm like some sort of mad evangelist for Robert Grove.

The annual Three-Sentence Ficathon is underway; you can find the prompt post here! This is my favourite fandom event of the year; it's always a blast.

Of course, this time, I've been neck-deep in a specific fandom when the ficathon has rolled around. I apologise to everyone for turning every prompt into an excuse to write for the Goes Wrong Show.

I've got a few ficlets from elsewhere I haven't yet posted here, so I'll share those before launching into the ficathon:


( Final Fantasy XIII, Lightning/Snow, 330 words, prompt: missing Serah. )

( Taskmaster, s20 cast, 120 words, prompt: pirate AU. )

( Danganronpa, Komaeda/Kokichi, 350 words. )

( Deltarune, Kris and Noelle, 500 words, prompt: the Snowgrave porch visit. )

( Hundred Line/Danganronpa, Yugamu/Komaeda, 150 words, NB sexual surgery. )


And now for the actual threesentenceficathon fills!


( Assorted ficlets for the Goes Wrong Show, Robert and Chris, 450 words total. )


Most of these are actually three sentences, for a change! We'll see whether that lasts.

I've just returned from seeing Christmas Carol Goes Wrong at the Apollo Theatre, because I have reached full-on 'buying theatre tickets' levels of unwell about the Goes Wrong Show and its associated productions.

I caught a candid glimpse of Dennis's actor Jonathan Sayer just after I entered the theatre, as I headed towards the loos, and it felt deeply surreal.

A note I made before heading out to see the play: There's always the chance I'll get an understudy, of course, but, if he's present, I'm not sure how I'll cope with being in the same room as Robert's actor Henry Lewis, who is so hot it makes me genuinely nervous.

He was, in fact, there! As tall and loud and handsome as I could desire; I had a good view of him from my place at the side of the stalls. Although I do have a bone to pick with whoever decided to trap Robert in an enormous present box for most of the second act (quite possibly Lewis himself), which was very funny but did unfortunately obscure his excellent face.

Come to think of it, the 'if he's present' in my initial note accidentally ended up being an incredible pun.

Dennis, Jonathan, Trevor and Robert (♥) were played by their actors from the Goes Wrong Show; Chris, Annie, Sandra and Max were not. Everyone did a great job, but I have to give special mention to Daniel Fraser, who was absolutely perfect in the role of Chris. It's not easy to play a character when your entire audience is used to seeing another actor in that role! But I thought Fraser was magnificent.

Assorted notes beneath the cut!


( Notes on the stage production of Christmas Carol Goes Wrong. )


The curtain that fell at the interval was an enormous replica of Robert Grove's CV (page 1 of 148). He lists 'Dog Ownership' as one of his skills, and his roles include 'audience member' for Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, the role of Robert Grove in 'Anecdote', directed by Robert Grove (venue: restaurant), every character in The Wind in the Willows (venue: 'shouted in street'), and Dracula in Immersive Dracula (venue: 'audience member's house (forced entry)'). In a production of Romeo and Juliet, he played both Romeo and Juliet. I'll be honest: I would watch the hell out of that.

He's perfect. If I were directing a play, I would cast him in every role, and I think he'd agree that this would be the correct decision.