‘The show is unadulterated, fully committed nonsense. We’re being idiots...’

It’s sheer slapstick silliness: in one episode, the props box for the Christmas tree and the Christmas dinner get mixed up so the turkey ends up as the star. The Airplane-style asides to camera, knockabout sets and camera equipment coming into shot can take some getting used to but once The Goes Wrong Show wins you over, you’re in.

‘When the show first came out there was a slight criticism that it wasn’t about anything, that it was just escapism,’ says Sayer. ‘But as the years have gone on that’s become its strength, I think. It’s unifying, which is nice in the current climate. It’s just unadulterated, fully committed nonsense. We’re being idiots who people can point and laugh at, and that’s something that appeals.’

The Goes Wrong team have actually done one-off television shows before (Peter Pan Goes Wrong and A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong) but for this first series they were desperate to replicate the connection they create with theatregoers – which is why it was deliberately filmed in front of a live audience, who are clearly shown to people viewing at home at the beginning of each episode.

‘I’ve never believed in the idea that when you do a comedy show, people are judging you, ready to hate it and wanting more than anything to be impressed,’ says Sayer. ‘Surely they really want it to be the best experience? A lot of work goes into these episodes, so we’re as confident as we can be that they’re funny, but in a way it’s easy to make people laugh. We’re playing a company of idiots, after all.’

Idiots but clever too. Although it started in a pub in 2012 with sets that fell down and just a handful of props, The Play That Goes Wrong has been on an upward curve since thanks to its simplicity, showing at London’s Duchess Theatre from 2014 and winning an Olivier for Best New Comedy 2015 in the process.

‘It’s someone trying to tell a story but everyone else making it very hard for them to tell that story,’ says Sayer.

If season one is a success, they’d like to make season two – and they have plans for a movie too.

‘We have an Arctic expedition idea,’ smirks Shields. ‘There’d be a one-off performance for them to do at the South Pole… they’re trying to rehearse as they’re knocked around on a fishing trawler, one of them might get eaten by a shark…’

You get the sense this is exactly how they write, bouncing increasingly ridiculous ideas off each other. Which is probably how Henry Lewis ended up spending most of the episode I saw in a ‘dry suit’ as water from the conservatory roof cascaded over him again and again, take after take.

‘So did water get into the suit?’ asks Shields in a tone approximating concern.

‘Oh yeah, the dry suit isn’t dry at all,’ confirms Lewis. ‘My underwear is just always drenched.’

The other two shriek with laughter at his unintentional innuendo.

‘Make sure you leave that in! In fact – make it the headline!’

The Goes Wrong Show is on BBC1 over the Christmas period