There may be plays in the theater canon that are longer, more complex and more dramatically draining, but there’s probably no stage comedy that demands more from its ensemble cast than “Noises Off.”
The enduringly popular 1982 British farce by Michael Frayn is a high-wire marathon of slapstick comedy, pratfalls, sight gags, running jokes and naughty pantomime that must be accomplished with split-second timing on a two-story, revolving set designed with multiple often-slamming doors and frequently disappearing and malfunctioning props.
So, what could go wrong? Well, everything. And that’s the joy of “Noises Off,” which opened in a hilarious new production Friday at The Old Globe. Director Gordon Greenberg has marshalled an excellent cast of fearless and multitalented actors for this 2-1/2-hour play-within-a-play that sparkles and surprises at every turn.
A scene from the Old Globe’s production of “Noises Off.” (Rich Soublet II)
“Noises Off” is an affectionate sendup of live theater and the highly eccentric people who make it. It’s about a troubled theater production named “Nothing On” that the audience sees first in its final, chaotic day of rehearsals, then a month into the tour (seen entirely from a backstage perspective) where the actors are at war behind the scenes, and finally near the end of the tour when the cast, crew, scenery and props are all falling apart.
The play’s title, “Noises Off,” refers to offstage voices and sound cues that theater audiences are meant to hear. This production’s funniest moments, including the final curtain drop, are seeing and hearing things the “Nothing On” actors are trying hard to keep hidden.
Tony Award-winning actor Jefferson Mays leads the cast Frederick, a sensitive actor always searching for his character’s motivation. Mays is a gifted clown who can do more with his subtly quivering lips and misty doe-like eyes than most actors can with their whole bodies, but he takes more choreographed falls in this show than almost anyone (often with his pants around his ankles).
Linda Mugleston is endearing as the deer-in-the-headlights Dotty, the aging actress who can no longer remember her lines. As nearsighted ingenue Brooke, Michelle Veintimilla is an expert at physical comedy, particularly when she “swims” down a staircase in search of her missing contact lens. As pompous actor Garry, Nehal Joshi aces the tough task of making his character’s halting, inarticulate speech sound authentic. Bryonha Marie brings warmth and heart to the role of actress Belinda. And James Waterston emits vain insincerity as Lloyd, the play’s womanizing director with a god complex.
Also very good are Orville Mendoza as the drunkard actor Selsdon, Matthew Patrick Davis as the production’s nervous jack-of-all-trades Tim and Abby Leigh Huffstetler as incompetent stage manager Poppy.
Scenic designer Todd Rosenthal designed the surprise-filled set, Izumi Inaba designed the 1970s-inspired costumes, Amanda Zieve designed lighting and Connor Wang designed the all-important sound. Stunt coordinator Jacob Grigolia-Rosenbaum also deserves praise for the challenge of making the play’s many kicks, fights, collisions and staircase tumbles look realistic.
On opening night, the capacity audience at the Old Globe’s 580-seat Shiley Stage leapt to their feet and cheered at the conclusion of “Noises Off.”
There are still a few small kinks to work out as the the cast gets more performances under their collective belt. There were some slow spots in the play with comic bits that didn’t quite pay off. But “Noises Off” is a play that rewards patience. The first act sets up the ingenious second act and the third act rewards with its many funny callbacks to act one.
Frayn has written multiple dramatic plays, books on philosophy and prize-winning novels, but he’ll always be best known for “Noises Off,” his love letter to the art of theater. And Globe audiences this summer are sure to love it right back.
‘Noises Off’
When: 7 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. Through Aug. 10
Where: Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage, Old Globe Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego
Tickets: $54-$143
Phone: 619-234-5623
Online: theoldglobe.org