Theatre Royal Haymarket, London – until 16th December 2023
Reviewed by Phil Brown
5 *****
Michael Frayn’s ageless “Noises Off” is now 41 years old but remains as bright and original as newly minted coin . Apparently, it is regularly revived by both professional theatre and am-dram companies, and that’s because it’s possibly the closest thing to a theatrical slam dunk there is. A virtual guarantee of bums on seats. The fiendishly intricate interplay still leaves plenty of scope for mishaps, but in the hands of a seasoned director and cast, it is a scintillating display of acting skill, precision timing and clever comedy. The 2011 staging at the Old Vic was my first memorable encounter with “Noises Off” with Lindsay Posner as director, and he brilliantly reprises that role for the superbly orchestrated chaos of this production.
Michael Frayn’s concept of a farce about a farce may have occurred to others, but you fancy only he has the goods and the patience to actually realise it so perfectly. “Noises Off” takes us through the life cycle of a farce suggestively entitled “Nothing On” from Act 1 – during rehearsals at the Grand Theatre, Weston-Super-Mare, through Act 2 – back stage during a matinee performance in the Theatre Royal Ashton-under-Lyne to Act 3 – towards the end of the tour, on stage at the Old Fish Market Theatre, Lowestoft where the performance of “Nothing On” finally unravels into disarray.
Act 1 is set in the supposedly empty house of Belinda (played by Tamzin Outhwaite) and Frederick (Jonathan Coy, a veteran of the 2011 production) who are tax exiles It is quite slow to start, with what seemed an overlong opening scene with aged housekeeper Dotty (Felicity Kendall) channelling Mrs Overall whilst wrestling with a plate of sardines and what is now an old fashioned, wired house phone. This is the opportunity for director Lloyd Dallas (Alexander Hanson) to establish his directorial presence from alongside the stalls, as well as hint at the frustrations to come. The pace and energy pick up when estate agent Garry (Matthew Horne) arrives with lover Brooke (Sash Frost) in tow, looking to use the empty house for some afternoon delight. Then, as per the rules of farce, the owners, Belinda and Frederick show up. And naturally, the supposedly empty house attracts the attention of a burglar, Selsdon (James Fleet).
Act 1 sees the cast struggle with confusion – is it a technical or a dress rehearsal? – and director Lloyd’s mounting exasperation. It also reveals the quirks of the players – Lloyd’s manipulativeness and weakness for/exploitation of the opposite sex, Dotty’s difficulty in combining speech with action, Garry’s inarticulate substitute of “you know what I mean” for saying exactly what he means, Brooke’s tendency to lose a contact lens at key moments, Frederick’s liability to nosebleed at moments of stress and Selsdon’s liking for a tipple. And in the best tradition of farce, there is considerable door traffic as the assembled occupants manage to mostly avoid each other.
Act 2 is where the comedic sparks really fly. It’s a non-stop riot of laughter as we view the performance of “Nothing On” from backstage. This is also where technician Tim (Oscar Batterham) and stage manager Poppy (Pepter Lunkuse) come into their.own and tensions and jealousies between cast members become fractious. Director Lloyd unexpectedly shows up for a surreptitious liaison with Brooke and sends Tim out to get flowers and drink. These props are used for hilarious long running verbal and visual humour, as Poppy and others imagine the flowers are for them and cast members take turns to hide the drink from Selsdon. The sequence of delightfully uncoordinated audience announcements made by Tim and Poppy is sublime. With director Lloyd propelled into full Basil Fawlty mode, the performance of “Nothing On” resembles pure slapstick.
Act 3 enters the realms of the surreal as relationships, the set and stage timing all fatally disintegrate and the cast resorts to ad-libbing their way through the turmoil before eventually abandoning the plot and descending into incoherent improv shouting “doors and sardines”….
This brilliantly produced and superbly acted show is an absolute masterpiece of comedy. Although it is a pretty star studded cast individually, each performer plays their part in making the full ensemble the real star of the show. They succeed in bringing Frayn’s play to exhilarating fruition with a wonderful exhibition of stagecraft. The audience loved it and Michael Frayn was even coaxed onto stage to soak up the extended raucous applause. This is a must-see show.
