An impressive and well-constructed play that goes wrong, ‘Noises Off’ is entertaining audiences far and wide.
The co-production between Queensland Theatre and Melbourne Theatre Company saw absolute chaos reign on stage – but its all part of the act. Deemed a play within a play, ‘Noises Off’ is mechanically marvellous.
Doors are constantly opening and closing, cues are perfectly synced and laughs are a plenty with precise comic timing.
Also to love is the staging of a 360-degree rotating set, which delivers a twisted insight into the back-stage processes of a production.
Director, Sam Strong, has delivered a challenging and intricate masterpiece of movement. As the actors in the show slowly deteriorate from the exhaustion of ‘touring a play’, humour becomes rampant and mayhem ensues. It cannot be stressed enough that timing is everything when it comes to this show.
It’s incredibly easy for actors to play these stereotypical characters over the top and a simple mishap could lead to actual problems within this ferocious farce.
Ensemble work is vital and boy did the cast work effortlessly as a collective. It would feel unfair to comment on individual performances, as each actor delivered in their role. Without just one of the cast, the play wouldn’t be at the high standard it was performed at.
It’s acting at its finest, as performers seamlessly switch between their characters and the roles they’re playing in the onstage circus ‘Nothing On’.
The realness of action makes every crazy plot twist extremely believable. For audience members, ‘Noises Off’ could either hit or miss the mark. There are a lot of in-jokes that make the production extremely relatable for thespians alone – forgetting lines, the divas and prima-donnas of a show and the tiresome tech nights that go into the early hours of the morning. For your average Joe who may not be privy to this type of behaviour, ‘Noises Off’ can be hard to follow.
So prepare yourself for one hell of a show. Quite literally, the scale and genius of ‘Noises Off’ makes it a rollercoaster ride from the get go.
Strap yourself in and prepare to be overwhelmed by the eccentrics of theatre.
