By Katrina Dawn
Sandy Arts Guild has audiences in The Theatre at Mount Jordan laughing at sardines, linens, and phones in their production of the British farce Noises Off. Michael Frayn originally wrote a one-act titled Exits after watching a production of his show The Two of Us from the wings. He said, “It was funnier from behind than in front, and I thought that one day I must write a farce from behind.” At the request of Michael Codron, an associate of Frayn, the one act was expanded into the full-length show Noises Off. The title comes from the stage direction found in scripts indicating sounds coming from off stage. Noises Off premiered in 1982 at the Lyric Theatre, London. The Sandy Arts Guild describes Noises Off as a comedy looking at people in theatre. With extreme egos, forgetting lines, and personal relationships, each performance of the show-within-a-show, Nothing On, becomes a chaotic riot. Noises Off follows the run of Nothing On showing the opening night, a show in the middle of the tour, and one of the last performances. Throughout the run the cast gets closer and closer to wringing each other’s necks. Before Sandy’s production even began, I was amazed at the set design by Dwight Western. After browsing the program, my amazement increased in learning that Western also built the set: two stories with seven different doors, two windows with opening shutters, two different painted wallpaper patterns, and a suit of armor. Set dressings are done by Jackie Fredrickson, who is the one responsible for the armor. All of this is beautifully lit by Rick Marston. Even more impressive is the second act when the curtain opens on the entire set that is turned around to be seen from the back. Chad McBride pulls the whole thing together with his costume design. Each costume helped portray the characters in Noises Off as well as in Nothing On.
The relationships within the cast of Nothing On are a bit confusing and entangled, there’s no wonder Jason Wadsworth plays Lloyd Dallas (Nothing On’s director) with such a short temper, yet also charming and caring. While he may yell to be heard at rehearsal and stop the scene every few lines, Lloyd is willing to give the slightly washed up actor Selsdon Mowbray (Tony Porter), a role in Nothing On.I also can’t help but wonder what it must have been like for David Hansen (Noises Off director) to direct a director character.
Hats off to Corinne Adair (Brooke Ashton/Vicki). Adair spends most of the show in a black slip: a decently modest black slip, but still a slip. Within the Nothing On script various characters refer to her state of undress as her underwear. Adair’s character Brooke is one of the most entertaining. Even when things go horribly wrong, Brooke sticks exactly to the script, even if her costars start improvising. Part of this is due to Brooke’s inability to pay attention. If ever she isn’t being talked to directly, Adair has Brooke sit down in a comfortable place and kick her legs as one would expect a small child would do when they are bored.
Audience members can sympathize with Elizabeth Hanley’sPoppy Norton-Taylor, and Marc Reading’sTimothy (Tim) Allgood. Timothy and Poppy are the stage manager and assistant stage manager and must put up with the drama all the actors and director bring to the show. They also understudy for every role. Even with the limited interaction between the two stage managers, Hanley and Reading make the friendship between Tim and Poppy readable and real through their similarities in character choices. When they do interact Poppy and Tim are very kind to each other.
Porter’s portrayal of the alcoholic actor of the troupe, Selsdon Mowbray is memorable. Selsdon has the simple role of Burglar yet seems inept at hitting his cues or hearing his fellow actors. Porter often has Selsdon plow through his lines within Nothing On, even after Lloyd has called for a stop. To add to this humor is the cliché breaking of an elderly person being hard of hearing. In fact, Laura Bedore Lerwill,who plays the eldest character Dotty Otley/Mrs. Clacket has energy equal to, and sometimes greater than, her fellow castmates. Not that any of the cast are low energy. Joseph Kyle Rogan (Gary Lejeune/Roger) even falls down the set stairs “on stage” during the second act when the audience is viewing the production of Nothing On from backstage.
Lindsay Higbee (Belinda Blair/Flavia Brent) is all grace. Being the peacemaker among the cast, Higbee retains an air of calm and joy as long as possible for Belinda. Higbee is often the first to aid in any problem as well as come up with solutions. Audience members may see her as a mother figure. Such empathy is required of Belinda when the actor Fredrick Fellows (Sean Buckley) portraying Flavia’s husband, Phillip Brent, is prone to nosebleeds and fainting with any mention of violence or blood. Buckley brings his character to life in such a wonderful way. Fredrick is unsure of himself and often puts himself down and Buckley does this in a way that is relatable but doesn’t pull down the light air and fast pace of Noises Off.
Everyone should go down to the Theatre at Mount Jordan to see Sandy Arts Guild’s Noises Off at least once. The cast is so kind and connected. Wadsworth even came up after the show while we were talking to Hanley to make sure we knew that they were friends and he wasn’t actually mean to her. I would consider the play to be rated PG; while Vicki is in a modest slip and there is allusion to intimate relationships, the show is so fast-paced that nothing is ever near concerning visually. I had a blast and laughed much harder than I have in a while at Noises Off, and was so good I am tempted to take some of my other friends to go see it too.N
Sandy Arts Guild presents Noises Off by Michael Frayn.
The Theatre at Mount Jordan, 9351 S. Mountaineer Lane, Sandy, Ut 84070
February 14-16, 22-March 2, 2019, 7:30 PM
Tickets: $10
Contact: 801-568-2787
Sandy Arts Guild Facebook Page
Noises Off Facebook Event
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