Enjoyed by millions of people worldwide since it premiered thirty years ago and hailed as one of the greatest comedies ever written, this award-winning backstage farce serves up a riotous double bill – a play within a play.
Hurtling along at breakneck speed it follows the backstage antics of a touring theatre company as they stumble their way through troubled rehearsals, a dreadful first night, and a disastrous final performance.
In Noises Off, Frayn plays on the concept of a play within a play, in this case a dreadful sex-farce titled Nothing On. Act One is set at the final dress rehearsal, with the cast still fumbling with entrances and exits, missed cues, misspoken lines, and bothersome props, most notably several plates of sardines. Act Two portrays a matinee performance one month later. In this act, the play is seen from backstage, revealing the deteriorating personal relationships among the cast. In Act Three, we see a performance near the end of the ten-week run, when personal friction has continued to increase. The actors attempt to cover up a series of mishaps but only manage to make things much, much worse.
Starring David Stahl as Lloyd, Bernadette Nason as Dotty, David Stokey* as Garry, Huck Huckaby as Frederick, Kimberly Barrow as Brooke, Hildreth England as Belinda, Tom Parker as Selsdon, Zach Thompson as Tim, and Jessica Hughes as Poppy.
*Brian Coughlin will perform the role of Garry May 17 – 19.
Noises Off is produced in Austin Playhouse's temporary space at Highland Mall. The South Entrance (by the IBC bank) is closest to the theatre. Proceed down the escalator and turn right. Austin Playhouse will be on your right by the water feature. Detailed directions are available on our website: http://austinplayhouse.com/season/tempfac.html
