Looking for some farcical fun, we stretched our funny bones and headed to York Theatre Royal to see Michael Frayn’s Noises Off
Written in 1982, the plot features a cast of actors rehearsing and eventually staging Nothing On. With rehearsal time – and patience – running out, this comedy of errors unfolds not once, not twice, but thrice. That’s right, this is a three-act production with two intervals to allow for set changes. And as the pace intensifies, so do inter-cast relationships, jealousies and bitter rivalries.
We first meet the housekeeper, and I’m absolutely Dotty about Liza Goddard’s performance as…Dotty and Mrs Clackett. I lost track of how many times she said sardines, and how many plates went on and off, but it’s a great running (swimming?) joke. A stellar performance all round, and a delight to watch.
Lucy Robinson’s Belinda Blair/Flavia Brent is the epitome of an ever-positive theatre luvvie, who loves the spotlight as much herself. Her chemistry with on-stage husband Frederick Fellows/Philip Brent (Simon Coates) is perfect. Insecure, Brent questions the book – and his abilities – often, much to the frustrations of director Lloyd Dallas (Simon Shepherd) Simon plays the director with a real believability, and we share in his unenviable task of keeping order.
Lisa Ambalavanar plays Brooke, playing Vicki, and she nails the role of eager-to-please overacting bimbo. Brooke brings added fun to proceedings by ploughing on when all around her is falling apart.
Understudy Mark Middleton plays Garry Lejeune as Roger Tramplemain, and excels at comic timing and knockabout fun. In the third act especially, his physical comedy is wonderfully executed and gets gasps from this audience on every thud. His increasing exasperation reminds me of a young Basil Fawlty.
Nikhita Lesler (Poppy Norton-Taylor) and Daniel Rainford (Tim Allgood) are the stage managers, desperately trying to get the actors to their places, and the show up on time. A sequence where they both keep calling front of house announcements over each other is especially fun. My wife, a trained Stage Manager herself, relished their backstage burdens!
Matthew Kelly appears as the ever-inebriated Selsdon Mowbray. Cue missed entrances as a bumbling burglar, and an unwavering search for a wandering whiskey bottle. I remember Kelly vividly from You Bet and Stars in their Eyes, but he now has extensive theatre credits under his belt. His experience shows, and he wrings every comic ounce out of the role.
We have seen a lot of mishap theatre, from The Play That Goes Wrong and Magic Goes Wrong to Le Nevent Bete’s Dracula: The Bloody Truth. In truth, we’ve seen so much that it feels a little less fresh and original to us these days. That’s no fault of this play, and of course Noises Off pre-dates all of these. If you’re new to the ‘goes wrong’ genre though, you’re in for plenty of unexpected surprises!
Special mention must go to associate movement and fight director Claire Llwelleyn from RC-Annie LTD, as the show is akin to a well-choreographed dance piece. Mark Middleton keeps this in check on tour too, as fight captain. Choreography, especially in the near-silent backstage second act, is undeniably tight and hits every comic beat.
Noises Off is delightfully slick, a riotous romp that builds and builds. There is a real joy in wondering how things will unravel, even for a third time. Director Lindsay Posner keeps the show pacy, and directing a play with in a play must be a tall order. When the curtain finally came down, this Wednesday night audience made plenty of Noise.
MAGIC RATING
VALUE FOR MONEY
OVERALL
Noises Off runs at York Theatre Royal until November 4th, before continuing it’s UK tour. Book tickets at www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/noises-off/
Disclaimer: Tickets were kindly provided for this performance, however all opinions are honest and are our own.
Review Wizard 