A modern classic comedy of the English stage is coming to Langham Court Theatre to delight Victoria audiences with its madcap farce.
Noises Off, written by English playwright Michael Frayn in 1982, is a three-act play where each of the acts is actually the performance of the first act of a fictional sex farce play, called Nothing On. The Langham production portrays three different stages of the show-within-a-show’s development: rehearsal, an early matinee performance and near the end of a 10-week run.
“We witness firsthand all the anxiety of a dress rehearsal, the backstage chaos during a performance and the ultimate disaster of a play that goes terribly wrong,” says director Don Keith. “It is a farce that tells the story of an absurd event portrayed through crude buffoonery, horseplay and larger than life characters. It is the actor’s nightmare. It is the ultimate comedy.”
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The play was an enormous hit when it premiered in London, opening to ecstatic reviews and going on to a five-year run in the West End. Since its premiere, the play has become something of a staple for professional and community theatre. It was also turned into a movie in 1992, starring Carol Burnett and Michael Caine, and under the direction of Peter Bogdanovich.
Keith, who also handled the set design for the Langham play, guides actors Jan Streader, Alan Penty, Andrew Wietzel, Tess Kotchonoski, Tess Wiens, Jeff Kerrie, Kristen Pickup, Jon Hunwick and Toshik Bukowiecki.
Noises Off runs from Wednesday, June 5 to Saturday, June 22. For more information and tickets visit langhamtheatre.ca or call the box office at 250-384-2142 to reserve seats.
editor@mondaymag.com
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