Noises Off
My thoughts on Noises Off or… an evening in Sardinia
It’s hard to imagine that anyone could attend Michael Frayn’s Noises Off and not enjoy the inspired nonsense of this play within a play. Slamming doors, prat falls, missed cues, missing props, backstage romances, and inflated show biz egos are but a few of the elements Frayn lampoons in his frenetic farce.
My hat is off to Director Neale Whitmore and Assistant Director Robin Clayton as staging Noises Off with its never-ending movement and split-second timing is probably tantamount to planning D-Day. Actors are literally all over the clever two story and two-sided set designed by Rodney Dobbs, making countless trips up and down the stairs and opening and closing doors constantly. It’s almost breathtaking just to watch the “mechanics” of this show. Josh Hensley serves as both the Lighting and Sound Designer and the costumes are courtesy of Dallas Costume Shoppe.
The trust the actors must have in each other to make this show work is remarkable. It all depends on everyone being where they need to be at the right moment. “Dying is easy. Comedy is hard,” so the saying goes. And in the case of Noises Off, it is actually hard physical work as well. However, the seasoned group of actors Director Whitmore has assembled make the madcap goings on look like second nature.
One of the pleasures of Noises Off is watching the chaos build from act to act as the characters grow more and more confused and exasperated and ultimately dissolve into total chaos as they try to get through the last performance of Nothing On, the play within the play.
I marveled at the comic timing and energy of this phenomenal cast. These masters of comedy include Sherry Etzel, Jason DeArmond, Bryan Brooks, Sydney Hamil, Ellie Williams, Aaron Gallagher, Kristin Sutton Ford, David Helms, and Paul Niles. This is ensemble acting at its finest.
Theatre Frisco’s Noises Off is a must see for anyone who enjoys fast paced farce. It’s a riotously funny evening of theater. It is appropriate for everyone, except perhaps sardine lovers.
