Noises Off (1982)

Saw. ( )

Saw. ( )

A comical and Brilliant play about a play. If you say the movie Inseption and didnt understand then Noises Off may not be the Book for you. I only wish I could see this show on broadway becuase it is a truely humorous and entertaining story. ( )

"Noises Off" is a brilliant farce written by the award-winning playwright Michael Frayn, who is perhaps best known for his drama "Copenhagen," which dramatizes the 1941 meeting between Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg. First staged in the 1980s, "Noises Off" has appeared on Broadway twice and is frequently performed by local theaters.

A play in three acts, "Noises Off" is both a sendup of the classic English farce and a backstage comedy. The first act consists of a technical rehearsal for the play "Nothing On," which is preparing for a British tour. The second act takes place backstage during a performance of "Nothing On." The third act occurs during the disastrous final performance.

The "play within a play" is a mixture of mistaken identities, rapid entrances and exits of various characters through a variety of on stage doors, and ridiculous subplot involving the tray of sardines. In itself, it is occasionally funny, but mostly serves as the elaborate set up for Frayn's true farce involving the director, actors, and crew. These characters are a mix of traits: alcoholism, bruised egos, pseudo-psychology, and quirky artists. The multiple overlapping romances heighten the conflict and misunderstandings.

Although funniest when seen on stage, the zaniness and madcap quality comes through even reading the printed script. Too often, modern plays and movies are described as "classic," even when they are merely good. However, "Noises Off" fully deserves to be described as a classic farce. ( )

This is great fun. Catches some of what happens in theater productions. ( )