Written by Michael Frayn, co-produced by Queensland Theatre and Melbourne Theatre Company, and directed by Sam Strong, Noises Off was originally a one-act play that morphed into a lengthy modern farce.  Since its 1982 debut, Frayn has continually tweaked and revised his script, bringing us to today’s nearly 3-hour (including interval) version.  In February 1982 at Her Majesty’s Theatre I saw my first professional play, Noises Off, therefore I was interested to see if  this version was as funny as I remembered it being as a fifteen  year old.  My plus one, Beau Wright, has not attended a lot of theatre and this was his first time viewing the play.

 

Act I opened in the living room of Philip Brent’s 16^th Century modernised country home. After a few minutes, we realise we are watching a technical/dress rehearsal of ‘Nothing On’, a badly written British farce about to embark on a provincial UK tour.  It is apparent this cast of b-grade actors are not ready to open the following day. 

 

Director and womaniser Lloyd Dallas (Simon Burke) is at the end of his rope, and grand dame Dotty Otley as well-meaning housekeeper Mrs Clackett (Louise Siversen) can’t remember her blocking.  Cockney Garry Lejeune as opportunistic Estate Agent Roger Tramplemain (Ray Chong Nee) continually voices opinions without actually articulating words and the beautiful naïve Brooke Ashton as Tax Auditor Vicki (Libby Munro) loses her contact lenses and can’t adjust to script changes.  Recently separated Freddie Fellowes as writer Philip Brent and The Sheik (Hugh Parker) holds up proceedings with stupid questions about character motivation, whilst the more optimistic and professional Belinda Blair as cultured Flavia Brent (Nicki Wendt) tries desperately to hold the cast together.  Ageing alcoholic Selsdon Mowbray as the Burglar (Steven Tandy) is half-deaf and fully addled, so can’t remember his entrances or lines.  Sleep deprived jack-of-all-trades Stage Manager Tim Allgood (James Saunders) and the overly sensitive, long suffering Assistant Stage Manager Poppy Norton-Taylor (Emily Goddard) vainly trying to appease a Director expecting far more than his low-rate cast and crew are able to give.

 

You know how it is when a friend wants you to watch a beloved movie or TV show of theirs, but you talked over it in the first 20 minutes?  They pressed rewind and glaringly said, “You really need to listen and watch this bit or it won’t make sense later”.  Well, that is very true of Act I.  The ingredients for disaster are set up quite specifically so it’s advantageous to give Act I your full attention.  It will make Act III’s fully baked recipe much funnier.

 

Act II opened on the same living room set turned 180 degrees backward, and thanks to a fantastic set and revolve (think giant turntable) designed by Richard Roberts, we are privy to the full set from all sides. It is a month later and we’re watching a matinee run from Tim and Poppy’s backstage domain. Selsdon appears to be hiding whiskey both onstage and off, there are dramas in the dressing rooms, bleeding noses, love triangles, miss-given flowers, sardines galore, punch-ups and axe fights, misplaced props, two of the cast aren’t speaking to each other, and there’s a huge revelation from one of the actors.  It’s like the Jenga game moment when the tower is slightly swaying - you’re petrified about the next few moves, but secretly excited to see which piece brings the entire silly thing crashing down.

 

By Act III, ‘Nothing On’ has become an unrecognisable, adlibbed wild beast, and its cast don’t care who sees its fangs or smells its stinky breath.  Opening on an end-of-tour evening performance, presented at the Municipal Theatre, Stockton-on-Tees, we are back to viewing from the front again.  From the first moment, we can tell that the actors are totally over the play and each other, but the pay-off for the audience is hilarious and loveable chaos. 

 

An ensemble actor shouldn’t “stand out” as such, so any mentions here will be subjective.  We both appreciated Steven Tandy for his measured performance that could easily have fallen into vaudeville. Beau loved Simon Burke’s Lloyd, and I adored James Saunders spot on facial expressions.  According to Beau, Noises Off is perfect for those new to theatre as it never takes itself seriously, you get your money’s worth at 3 hours including interval, and he was entertained.  Don’t be put off by the length, the physical comedy and laughs are constant and time flies.  Was it as funny as I remembered?  Probably not, but that’s more to do with nostalgia for my first show, and the fact I adored Stuart Wagstaff.

 

Get along before it closes Sunday 25th June. 

 

Attended by Lisa Bingham and Beau Wright