Michael Fayne’s uproarious 80s comedy returns to London in a new production currently celebrating its second West End. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if this disaster theatre-themed comedy literally brought the house down.
It’s often said in this industry that if you don’t want to suffer, you’d better not work in the theatre… or read my reviews, for that matter. Yet, there’s still a few that like it rough and no matter how hard, they keep crawling back for more and more… Why do I feel I’m forgetting myself? Let’s focus. If you want to make someone laugh, you need to make someone else suffer. Those are the rules if you want to give your audience a nice night of fun – or if you want to give anyone some other kind of fun at night. Careful…
Whatever the case, no one can deny that, when it comes to hell onstage, Noises Off is the demonic crown of thespian nightmare – though probably a dream to those giving life to them. The ingredients are spicy enough to make the broth bubble off the cauldron – occasionally, in a similar messy case of fact meeting fiction (with some of the jokes getting a bit musty), but in general, preserving the piquant zest (and aftertaste) that makes the public roar.
We all know the story (don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone): a troupe of actors struggling to put together a faulty comedy, resulting in the true comedy being the ordeal they’re living behind the curtain. A compelling premise meets an almost equally compelling delivery, packed with quite a few amusing situations featuring some slight doses of well-timed punchlines and overwhelming load (oh, stop it!) of visual humour.
Structured as a 3-act play (though performed in two), its fast-moving rhythm is mildly hindered by the fact that the second part only seems to slow down the pacing. Despite providing some input to both character and plotline development, most of its content is based on unnecessary slapstick that, however droll it may feel on its own, doesn’t fully click with its counterparts’ style – all in all giving the vibe of not really contributing to the piece’s evolution and story arc.
Nonetheless, this is a minor flaw that, apart from the rest of its writing, is successfully camouflaged by an extremely dedicated (and indubitably talented) cast. Showing off a refreshingly natural instinct for farce, the whole company exudes incredible rapport and understanding of the material, portraying their characters with electrifying flair and smartness within the play’s camp approach. Among them, Matthew Horne earns the biggest mention, thanks to his tirelessly vibrant rendition – dutifully supported by both Tamzin Outhwaite and Felicity Kendall’s charming and truly irresistible performances.
A tale of chaos, confusion and doom, Noises Off triumphantly pushes its fictional curse away by landing once again as one of the prime offers for an evening of laughter, joy and trouble-free entertainment in the West End. Feel-good humour and silly fun cram the stage in this maliciously gratifying display of spoof and prank. No need to ask for the clowns be sent in. From the very first moment, you’ll know they’re here.
All pictures credit to Nobby Clarke.
Noises Off plays at London’s Haymarket Theatre until 16 December. Tickets are available on the following link.