By Cari Lynn Pace
Noises Off is a door-slamming winner in Novato Theater Company’s jewel box of a theater. Director Carl Jordan gathered nine thoroughbred comedic actors and then coerced stage set magician Michael Walraven to design and build a magnificent two-story set. It actually rotates.
If you’ve wondered what goes on backstage during a production, here’s a crazy glimpse. A troupe of marginally skilled actors rehearse a vapid British play, preparing for a tour in the U.S. Their ineptitude is amusing; their lust for the spotlight hilarious. Offstage, the frustrated director Lloyd (Mike Pavone) rolls his eyes as he repeats directions again and again. The housekeeper, Dotty (Heather Shepardson), switches her English accent on and off as she tries to remember her lines and where to put a plateful of sardines.
“…what goes on during a production? Here’s a crazy glimpse…”
Two unannounced arrivals interrupt the housekeeper’s solitude. A tax estate agent (Diego Hardy) is a riot as he speaks in unfinished phrases: “ I mean . . . you know.” He has brought his sexy bimbo co-worker (Melody Payne) for a tryst. She’s all for it and preens in her stage spotlight, but she has trouble finding the right door to the bedroom. It’s a riot watching her try to figure it out.
Meanwhile, absentee tax-dodging owners (Jeffrey Biddle and Jane Harrington) return from their foreign hideout to sneak in a private celebratory night at their home. They admonish the housekeeper to deny she has seen them. “We were never here!” The Mrs. heads for the bedroom and the Mr. checks his mail in the study.
Neither door onstage is working properly, so the director calls for the stage handyman Tim (Sky Collins) to fix them. By the way, where is the actor playing the aging burglar? Wood Lockhart plays the perennially tipsy Selsdon, basking in faded memories of his Shakespearian roles. He requires his lines to be read to him by the director’s beleaguered assistant Poppy (Rachel Ka’iulani-Kennealy.) He mis-hears whatever he’s told, even when the entire cast shouts the line at him. The fun is just beginning!
In Act II, the stage rotates to reveal the backstage area behind the set. The ooohs and applause of the audience were well deserved. Designer/builder Walraven laughed “I wouldn’t have done this for anyone except Carl (Jordan.) He said he wouldn’t do this show unless I built a rotating stage for it. Carl told me he never expected that I would agree to do it.” How fortunate for NTC that he did!
Noises Off shows off the finely-timed chaos of comedy, with crazy personalities and wild action. Comedy can be the most demanding type of acting, and this cast nailed it. NTC’s President Marilyn Izdebski noted “The actors were encouraged to bring their own individualities to their roles, and they went over-the-top with fun.”
Noises Off is full of hilarious comic performances and more than a few surprising pratfalls. One friend commented “I laughed so much my jaw hurts.” From flying axes to slippery sardines, this is a show not to be missed.
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ASR Writer & Editor Cari Lynn Pace is a voting member of SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle and writes theatre and lifestyle reviews for the Marinscope Community Newspapers throughout Marin County. Contact: [email protected]
| Production | Noises Off! |
|---|---|
| Written by | Michael Frayn |
| Directed by | Carl Jordan |
| Producing Company | Novato Theater Company |
| Production Dates | Thru July 14th, 2024 |
| Production Address | Novato Theater Company 5420 Nave Drive, Novato 94949 |
| Website | NovatoTheaterCompany.org |
| Telephone | (415) 883-4498 |
| Tickets | $25 – $45 |
| Reviewer Score | Max in each category is 5/5 |
| Overall | 4.75/5.0 |
| Performance | 4.75/5.0 |
| Script | 4.5/5.0 |
| Stagecraft | 4.75/5.0 |
| Aisle Seat Review PICK? | YES |