A Utah Theater Review by Becca Gunyan
Noises Off is a hilarious look at life on the stage and behind the scenes. From the moment I sat down and began thumbing through the program, I knew I was in for an amusing night. How do I explain the plot of Noises Off? It’s basically a play, within a play, within a play…? However you look at it, the play showcases the comedy and drama that goes on to produce a play.
The comedy starts with the entrance of Poppy, the shy, awkward stage manager who apologetically asks the audience to turn off their cell phones, because, like, they didn’t exist in the 80’s and they might throw off the cast. Julianna Blake owned the role, making me believe that if I met her in real life, I’d see some of the goofy mannerisms she exhibited in the play.
As the play began, Luone Ingram took the stage as Dotty/ Mrs. Clackett. She ran through a few lines, only to be interrupted by the director Lloyd (Patrick Newman), who expressed his frustration with Dotty’s forgetfulness. I realized that the audience was watching the final rehearsal of the “cast” getting ready to perform Nothing On.
I immediately found myself drawn into the story. I just recently finished being in a play that had more than one rough final rehearsal. I found myself rooting for the characters to pull their act together, so to speak. Poor Dotty had to be reprimanded several times through the “rehearsal”. Apparently dealing with phone calls, a television, a newspaper, and a plate of sardines was a bit much too handle. Luone Ingram never broke character, even as the play took a turn for the chaotic. She was an absentminded diva, who didn’t seem to understand how her actions were disturbing the rest of the cast members.
Poor Lloyd had his hands full as the other cast members began to enter through a varying number of doors. Brooke/Vickie, played by Allie-Rae Treharne, couldn’t pay attention to what he was saying for more than 37 seconds, seeming to be distracted by everything. She was by far my favorite character to watc, because she committed so fully to her role. Allie-Rae always filled the space with fun mannerisms. My only complaint would be that occasionally she stole the attention away from the less bubbly characters.
Her counterpart for most of the play was Gary/Roger, played by Riley Workman. Riley had the most physical comedy in the show, with some daring falls that had me cringing in my seat. I was sure he’d have a concussion by the end of the show.
Hailey Nebeker and William McCalister played the anniversary couple, Belinda/Flavia and Freddie/Phillip. At first I found it difficult to relate to Hailey. She was fairly calm and reserved through all of act one. While most of the other characters had issues, Hailey seemed pulled together. Her character didn’t really get to shine until Act Two. William, on the other hand, was every director’s nightmare, needing constant reassurance that he was actually blocked right.
The first act was a little slow to watch, because I was expecting laugh out loud comedy the entire play. Perhaps the shining moments of the play were Tim, the stagehand played by John Jackson, and Selsdon/Burglar, played by Joel Applegate. Tim didn’t appear on the stage much at the beginning, but he was a perfect stereotype of the techies I love working with. He was always eager to get the job done. By contrast, Selsdon was a bumbling drunkard who couldn’t hear well. I enjoyed watching Joel in such a silly role since I have seen him perform in much more serious roles in the past. His diversity as an actor is apparent.
Things didn’t pick up the pace until Act Two. Lloyd helped the cast limp through a final rehearsal, and then audience watched as the cast turned the entire set around to prepare for the next scene. This is when things got really chaotic. We watched the drama unfold behind the scenes, with arguments, misunderstandings, divas, and more laughs than I imagined. I was actually sad when the play ended, and wished that it could have lasted longer.
The set lent itself to the 80’s feel with the bright orange phone, as well as a boxy tv. Most noticeable was the number of doors and staircases inside the house, which gave the stage a lot of movement opportunities in the small theater.
The costumes were also a flash back to the 80’s, with big hair styles and “bangs to Heaven”. There were more than a few characters who bore their skivvies for the audience to see.
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This is definitely a play I’d recommend to my friends. There is a fair amount of innuendo, as well as a scantily clad actress, so the content may not be appropriate for young children. With that said, I am a fairly conservative person, and I was not offended by the material of the play, or the way it was directed.
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