Reviews – Noises Off

I have not seen a Studio Theatre production before, nor had I heard of Noises Off, so I was able to come into the evening completely open minded, which I really enjoy – I was not disappointed on either front!

Noises Off is a production that follows a theatre group from their dress rehearsal of ‘Nothing On’ right through to their final performance. It involves all the on and off-stage relationships you’d expect, plus a few extras!

Walking into the theatre, I was met with a very impressive two tier set, of the inside of a living room, where the play began. Act One revolved around the dress rehearsal, which wasn’t going terribly smoothly. The acting was so convincing at points I wasn’t sure if the cast had actually forgotten their lines or if it was part of the script – I later realised it was definitely part of the script and everyone was word perfect throughout. In this Act, you meet each of the characters and their personalities, learning their little nuances.

In Act Two, the entire set is backwards. We see all of the backstage drama, whilst the scenes that they had performed in Act One were going on behind the set – there wasn’t a moment that anyone was off stage, because off stage was still on stage! Some extremely creative props, set and movements from the Director, Lesley Bates, ensured that you never knew where to look, but every single one of the fantastic cast ensured that you never missed out on a brilliant show.

The final act, with the set back to normal, is their very last show on the tour, where vengeful relationships and exhaustion generally meant everything went wrong – I don’t think I spent more than a minute not laughing!

I would normally point out a star performer in my reviews, but I honestly could not decide because they were all so wonderful and stayed in character brilliantly throughout three very difficult Acts. However, my funniest performance award has to go to Jamie Pullen – I’m not sure many people could jump around as you had to in Act Two!

The lighting was simple but effective and sound effects were complimentary to the production. I would, however, have liked some ambience music before the show and during the intervals to set the scene and remove some of the awkward silences when no one was sure when the play was beginning or restarting.

The direction of this extremely difficult play was fantastic – I can only imagine how many hours of thought went into it before you even got a cast and set in front of you. My only criticism was the length of the intervals – it was a large set to move around, but with two similar scene changes, the intervals (particularly the second) were a little too long, meaning the play ran on for around 3 hours in total. A set time for the first, and then the second for only as long as it takes for the scene to change would have been my preference.

Lastly, I’m sorry to say that I can’t recommend anyone to go and see it, because it was sold out before the show even began! However, I would urge you to keep an eye on the Studio Theatre website for their upcoming shows – I will definitely be back.

https://sceneoneplus.com/noises-off/

I must have seen Michael Frayn’s enduringly hilarious play Noises Off more than a dozen times during my reviewing life, with TV stars, leading West End actors, the Number 3 touring professional companies that it sends up, and by amateurs. I have never seen a production so wonderfully inventive and brilliantly performed as that by Salisbury’s Studio Theatre at its Ashley Road venue this week.

It’s a massive challenge for an amateur company, requiring two very substantial sets as well as the essential doors, dozens of props and, of course, sardines. Director Lesley Bates had always wanted to tackle the play. At first Studio’s designer in chief Alistair Faulkner said it was an impossibility … then he had “a few ideas” … and the outcome is an astonishing revolving set robust enough to deal with endless dashes up and down stairs, both on and backstage, opening and closing doors, broken windows, disappearing props and all the general vicissitudes of producing a farce.

Nothing On is the play within a play and it starts at Weston-super-Mare in January, travels to Goole in February and ends at Stockton on Tees in April. We see it in Acts 1 and 3 from the audience perspective, and in Act 2 from backstage – it is a brilliant conceit which never loses its impact, and the Salisbury audience could choose to watch the hard-working backstage team as they turned the set round, all ready for the next onslaught.

As well as adding some fresh comedy moments to a play I thought held no surprises, Lesley Bates has assembled a dream cast, and one that avoids the usual professional allurement of casting one or two “main stars”. Every single one of the nine actors establishes a complete, recognisable and wonderfully compelling character. ASM Poppy (played by Emily Casselton) squeezes every possible comedy moment from her supporting role, and Studio stalwart Stew Taylor brings both exhaustion and a sprinter’s energy to the overworked stage manager.

Jamie Pullen has never been better than as the jealous, tongue tied and lusty Garry/Roger, and Sarah Derry takes on the usually dumb-blonde make-weight Brooke and injects her with supreme comic timing and real angst. George Goulding has the role of Lloyd Dallas, the opinionated, sarcastic and over-sexed director Lloyd Dallas, sometimes giving his notes from the heart of the Studio Theatre audience.

Joining the company from the Somerset /Dorset stages, Robert Brydges is the perfect Frederick/ Philip, with matinee idol looks, faltering self-esteem and a nose very given to bleeding in any crisis. He’s ideally matched by Rachel Fletcher’s Belinda/Flavia – often an under-written role but here given hilarious charm and purpose.

If the central role is that of Dotty Otley/Mrs Clackett, an archetypal confused housekeeper in the Mrs Overall mould, Joanna Daniel played it to marvellous effect, tied in knots, kittenishly flirtatious, angrily jealous (who will forget the weight of that fire axe?). And then there is Selsdon, the drunken old stager playing the burglar, and changing his voice for every word and motion. Paul Chalmers really is a joy.

The run has been sold out for weeks, but if you can possibly find a return ticket, don’t miss the chance. You won’t see a better Noises Off, anywhere.

https://www.theftr.co.uk/noises-off-studio-theatre-salisbury/