Overview
Synopsis
Michael Frayn's Noises Off takes a fond look at the follies of theatre folk, whose susceptibility to out-of-control egos, memory loss, and passionate affairs turn every performance into a high-risk adventure. This play-within-a-play captures a touring theatre troupe’s production of Nothing On in three stages: dress rehearsal, the opening performance, and a performance towards the end of a debilitating run. Frayne gives us a window into the inner workings of theatre behind the scenes, progressing from flubbed lines and missed cues in the dress rehearsal to mounting friction between cast members in the final performance. Brimming with slapstick comedy, Noises Off is a delightful backstage farce, complete with slamming doors, falling trousers, and -- of course -- flying sardines!
Show Information
- Book
- Michael Frayn
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 3
- First Produced
- 1982
- Genres
- Comedy, Farce
- Settings
- Contemporary, Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- england, a provincial theatre, onstage, backstage
- Cast Size
- medium
- Licensor
- Samuel French
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Diverse Cast, Ensemble Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Adult, Young Adult, Elderly Characters, Medium Cast
Context
The farce-within-a-farce Noises Off debuted in London in 1982, at the Lyric Theatre, directed by Michael Blakemore and starring Patricia Routledge, Paul Eddington, and Nicky Henson. Immediately a popular hit, the production transferred to the West End, where it won the Olivier Award for Best Play and the London Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy, both in 1982. This production ran for five more years with five different casts, while Blakemore opened a second production opening on Broadway
to read the context for Noises Off and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
It appears to be a sunny afternoon in a beautiful and substantial country home (“16th-century posset mill, lovingly converted”), and Mrs. Clackett, a housekeeper of character, is juggling a plate of sardines and a phone call in which she explains that the owners of the house live in Spain, and that she is off work, but intends to put her feet up with a plate of sardines and watch some television.
After the call is over, however, some confusion over whether she should leave
to read the plot for Noises Off and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
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Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
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|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
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|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
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|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
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|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A group of musicians, actors, or dancers who perform together.
A type of comedy that uses exaggeration, often with clowning and ridiculous behaviors, in order to entertain.
A type of theatre which draws attention to the nature of theatre and performance, often through a "play within a play"
Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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