Noises Off

“Noises Off” is easily one of the most fun shows I have ever seen or read. It is one of the most break-neck, laugh-out-loud farces that his ever been put on. While the show’s subject matter is light and the characters aren't particularly complex, it makes up for this in clever dialogue, brilliant gags and some rather ingenious technical design.

The play focuses on a production of a fictional show entitled “Nothing’s On” as the cast and crew crumble throughout its ten-week run. The set is designed to be reversible so the audience sees part of the show from backstage. While the show isn't designed to be particularly heavy or deep it does present a humorously accurate caricature of the theatrical community.

The biggest challenges of the show are the difficulties of a rotating set as well as the rather difficult slapstick comedy. A farce is only as good as its actors. With the right actors, “Noises Off” can knock the audience dead, with the wrong actors it can easily descend into the same sort of cacophony as its play within a play. The physicality of the piece is both its greatest strength and its biggest liability.