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Stars explained: * A production of no real merit
with failings in all areas. ** A production showing evidence of not
enough time or effort, or even talent, and which never breathes any real
life into the piece – or a show lumbered with a terrible script. *** A
good enjoyable show which might have some small flaws but has largely
achieved what it set out to do.**** An excellent show which shows a
great deal of work and stage craft with no noticeable or major
flaws.***** A four star show which has found that extra bit of magic
which lifts theatre to another plane. |
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Noises off Highbury Theatre Centre **** A play about sardines and doors. A favourite with amdram companies because if things go wrong the audience think it is part of the play. Noises Off was written in 1982 by artistic polymath Michael Frayn, a journalist, philosopher, and novelist as well as playwright. It was inspired in 1970, when Frayn was watching from the wings a performance of his own The Two of Us - “It was funnier from behind than in front, and I thought that one day I must write a farce from behind.” And so, the seeds were sown for this brilliant back-to-front farce about a dysfunctional touring company on the last leg of its tour – or simply on its last legs. Subject to periodic revision by Frayn, the play explores the battle between the forces of order and disorder, and our search for happiness in our lives. Metaphors dance tantalisingly before our eyes. A tax evader, caught with his trousers round his ankles watches his second home descend into anarchy, while all around seem obsessed with sardines. Director Alison Cahill has assembled a very strong cast. Unusually for a farce it does not mainly comprise conventional warring couples. It does however have a lot of doors, and windows, a harbinger of things to come. There are doors that stick when they should open, doors that swing open when they ought to be closed, doors viewed from the back, and doors viewed from the front. Denise Phillips is a delight as housekeeper Dotty, a surreal fusion of Hilda Ogden and Mrs Brown, who is preoccupied with sardines as the world revolves around her. Teresa Berry provides the glamour as Brooke. A late addition to the role, she cleverly eschews the blonde bimbo trope, instead presenting an acerbic tax inspector who is good with figures in more ways than one.
As well as the accident-prone cast, the stage management team add to the confusion, putting out front-of-house calls that the performance will commence in one minute, three minutes, two minutes and finally three minutes again prompting the wonderful lament: “there’s a lot of OAPs out there who haven’t got long to go.” Beth Morrissey is wonderful as the perennially exasperated stage manager Poppy. There’s a satisfying depth to the cast, epitomised by Ron Parker as Selsdon Mowbay, the old stager whose secret hoards of whisky keep having to be removed from just about everywhere as he continually breaks in through a window at varying stages of the plot, planned, and unplanned. The pivotal second act is handled adroitly, with skill, timing and energy, after the slower paced, scene setting, first act. Inventive, funny and incessant, I, along with the rest of the audience, roared with laughter, who couldn’t laugh when failed lothario Lloyd (Sean Mulkeen) sits on a cactus? Costuming is understated (apart from Brooke!) but satisfying. Malcolm Robertshaw and his team take on the huge task of producing a front of house, and back of house, set, and win. Producing a play which depends upon things going wrong is more difficult than it may at first appear. Director Cahill delivers and embellishes proceedings with numerous nice touches, such as director Lloyd appearing from within the audience as the play commences. Anyone who has been involved with an amateur theatre production will wince at how sharply the script is written. A hugely enjoyable evening. Noises off can be heard, and seen, until 21st March. Gary Longden 18-03-26 |
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