Noises Off (2004)

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Poster by Will Howard

by Michael Frayn

Directed & Designed by Will Howard

Performances: Tue 7th to Sat 11th December 2004, Bell Theatre


Introduction

"That's what it's all about. Doors and sardines. Getting on - getting off. Getting the sardines on - getting the sardines off. That's farce. That's the Theatre. Thats life..." says ‘Nothing On' Director Lloyd Dallas lays all his studies of world drama at our disposal...

'Nothing On'?? isn't this thing called 'Noises Off?

'Noises off' is essentially a farce about a farce - not one play, but two. It follows an ill-fated professional tour of a 'bedroom' farce 'Nothing On' and the backstage farce that develops during its final dress rehearsal and tour.

Set in the living room of a country house with innumerable doors leading off it, 'Nothing On' is as fast a-paced farce with as many mistaken identities, sheiks, sheets, dropped trousers and sardines as anyone could wish for.

Peopled with the usual suspects one would expect - 'Noises off' opens on the dress rehearsal in Weston-Super-Mare, with things not going quite to plan. Through all the obstacles and stop-starts, true professionals that they are (including the desperate director, weedy ASM and almost comatose Stage Manager), the cast somehow manage to make their way through the first act to a well earned tea break. We then witness the same act some weeks later, where the relationships between the actors are disintegrating. They exit from the farce onstage to enter the even worse nightmare going on backstage…the audience watching 'Nothing On' really wouldn't know, but behind the scenes they are all trying to kill each other. However - the audience watching 'Noises Off' can see quite clearly as they watch the action from backstage. Finally the show reaches Stockton-on-Tees, where things have become so bad, that the personal disagreements are no longer confined to backstage, undermining 'Nothing On' completely, as we see the whole thing unravel and watch the farce degenerate into a farce....

Cast

Crew

Reviews

Some review quotes go here


Gallery

Reminiscences and Anecdotes

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See Also

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References

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External Links