Robert Grove

Robert Grove is the longest serving member of the Cornley Drama Society. He was the lead actor in The Murder At Haversham Manor, and the Assistant Director of Peter Pan Goes Wrong.

Character
Robert is passionate about theatre, and thinks of himself as an expert in acting and dramaturgy. He tends to be over the top at times, and tries to hog the spotlight. Robert also has a rivalry with Chris Bean, as both are senior members of the company and likes to refer to himself as the lead actor of the society. Feeling that he's a good actor, he has written multiple acting books, and spent his part of the Cornley Drama Festival teaching an acting class.

He is less serious than Chris, enjoying the attention of the audience regardless of situation, but gets frustrated with other members of the company when they mess up, like his niece, Lucy. There are several running gags involving him getting stuck in things, such as doorways or on falling platforms. In "Summer Once Again", Robert leads a coup against Chris and takes over as the director of the play but the play keeps going wrong so Robert being a perfectionist keeps restarting the play again from the beginning.

No much is known about his personal life other than he has a unnamed sister about his age, who appears in "A Christmas Carol", and a niece, Lucy. In "The Spirit of Christmas", Robert has a bit of breakdown during the play after getting drunk and reveals that his wife/girlfriend Denise has left him and he's living in his car.

Chris Bean
Chris and Robert have known each other for a long time, and are friends. They have had rivalries in the past, especially during the events of A Christmas Carol. Chris made cutting remarks towards Robert and Robert attempted to grievously injure Chris, but they made up by the end (though Robert was somewhat annoyed that Chris had been seen snogging his sister). They are also the only characters that have canonically worked together outside the scope of the CDS.

Dennis Tyde
Robert gets annoyed at Dennis' antics a lot, and generally looks down on him. However, in the See it Safely Covid Safety video, it is stated that they live together.

Trevor Watson
Robert expects Trevor to do his job, which isn't always the case, and feed him his lines when he forgets. Trevor does neither, causing Robert to often be frustrated with him. However, Trevor seems to be uncomfortable with Chris insulting Robert during Dennis' birthday party, despite not saying anything about it.

Plays

 * Thomas Colleymore - The Murder At Haversham Manor
 * Mr. Starkey/The Shadow/Nana - Peter Pan (also Assistant Director)
 * Bugsworth/Scrooge/Tiny Tim/Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come/Pallbearer - A Christmas Carol
 * Mr Bumble - Oliver! (mentioned in Peter Pan)

The Goes Wrong Show

 * Santa - The Spirit of Christmas
 * Hitler - The Pilot (Not the Pilot)
 * Justice Shawcroft - A Trial to Watch
 * Albert Fortenoy - The Lodge
 * Papa (Mr Fennick) - Harper's Locket
 * Ronald Pines - 90 Degrees
 * Angel Gabriel - The Nativity
 * Roger - Summer Once Again
 * The (Ir)relevant Trumpeter - The Most Lamentable...
 * Warden/Timmy - There is No Escape
 * Himself/Sun Beetle - The Cornley Drama Festival Part 1
 * Himself/Dad/Archbishop of Canterbury - The Cornley Drama Festival Part 2

Directing

 * Jack and the Bean
 * Puss In Boots (or, Puss Who Was Occasionally in Boots, But Often Refused to Wear His Boots, and Pooed in Them
 * Summer once Again (CDS production)

Actors
The role of Robert Grove was originated by Henry Lewis.

Both The Play That Goes Wrong and Peter Pan Goes Wrong are live performances, and there are a number of actors that have played the role of Robert Grove throughout the years.

List of Actors

 * Henry Lewis
 * Portrayed by him in the original and Broadway cast of The Play That Goes Wrong and Peter Pan Goes Wrong (Both BBC and West End Productions), A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong (BBC), and the Goes Wrong Show.
 * David Kirkbride (West End)
 * Michael Thatcher (US Tour)
 * Kazeem Tosin-Amore (West End & UK Tour)
 * Len Cook
 * Preston Truman Boyd
 * Brent Bateman (Off-Broadway)
 * Luke Joslin



Trivia

 * Robert wrote the book: "Anything You Can Act, I Can Act Louder", "Anything You Can Act, I Can Act Even Louder", and "WHY!"
 * He has occasionally directed CDS productions, though Chris seems to direct most of them.
 * During an appearance on "Behind the Actors' Studio", Robert says that he was inspired to become an actor by his father, a doctor, and once wrote a book ("How to Act") for his uncle's printing house.
 * Robert is apparently 6 months older than Dennis, and 2 years younger than Chris, as stated in The Christmas That Goes Wrong.
 * He runs the Cornley Youth Theatre group.