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Noises Off
“The show must go on!” is the motto of the
cast of Nothing On, but “Break a leg!” is much more apt. “Noises
Off” is a play about the traveling production of the British play
Nothing On. The audience even receives two playbills, the first one
lists the cast and their roles in the play and the second one lists the
actors’ roles in the second play.
Confused? Good! Confusion and sardines are
the keystone of this slapstick farce.
In the first act, the cast of Nothing
On is having a final rehearsal before opening night. They’re
rehearsing a scene in which a cheeky charwoman, Mrs. Clackett, finishes
her chores and settles down to enjoy a plate of sardines and a show on
the telly. Then a bevy of intruders interrupt starting with a
hot-to-trot house agent and his afternoon fling, the tax-evading
homeowners, and a semi-retired burglar.
Besides the dilemma of what to do with the
plate of sardines, emotions of the actors are brewing, bubbling, and
boiling over with not one, but two love triangles. Add a gossiping
goody-two shoes and a hard-of-hearing drunk and soon the sardines aren’t
the only things to stink on stage. The traveling troupe tries valiantly
to keep the show going but by the time it reaches its final stop, the
interpersonal conflicts reach a crescendo that no amount of
professionalism can cover up.
The cast of Nothing On might be
lacking in professionalism but the cast of “Noises Off” is stellar. It’s
difficult to review actors who are playing actors who are bad actors,
but I’ll try.
As far as bad actors go, Brooke Ashton
(Lauren Hartman) is the worst, I mean that Brooke is bad, not Lauren who
plays her. Hartman is very good at being very bad. Diane Kinsley (Dotty
Otley) is fantastic as the star with prop problems and man troubles.
Mark Strandburg (Garry Lejuene) and Phil Ballard (Frederick Fellowes)
both show dexterity as comedic actors and stunt men.
Daniel Blankenship shines as the
egocentric, sarcastic director. He had the truest British accent. Jason
Lettice (Tim) and Leigh Pitrowski (Poppy) are fabulous as the
subservient, shy, flustered and flabbergasted stage crew.
The whole cast works together to perform
perfectly timed pratfalls and prop tosses with the precision of the
Harlem Globetrotters.
The stage looks flimsy and cheap and has
doors that won’t open or close on cue, but that’s because it’s the stage
for Nothing On. It’s just another prop to demonstrate the low
budget of the traveling show. The first act is a little slow as it sets
up the later scenes. Then the stage takes center stage when it rotates
around and we get a backstage view for Act II. That’s when the giggles
of the first act grow into guffaws in the second.
While I wouldn’t recommend Nothing On
to any audience, even a matinee for old-age pensioners, I can heartily
recommend “Noises Off” for a riotous evening of entertainment. It was
spot on.
What: Noises Off
Where: Macon Little Theatre, 4220 Forsyth
Road 471-PLAY
When: Feb. 13th – Feb. 22nd
How Much: $16 adults, $14 seniors 60 and
older, $11 youth ages 5-12
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