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I tend to steer well clear of productions in which soap actors, whose star has slightly waned, have a go at treading the boards - you need only think of Beppe DiMarco in Chicago, or Tiffany in My Fair Lady (though thankfully we haven't yet seen Grant as Hamlet) to see why. Bringing such prejudice to Noises Off, however, was a serious misjudgement. This was a classy outfit, with actors completely on top of their roles despite their pedigrees in Eastenders, Dr Who and The Darling Buds of May. Michael Frayn is one of Britain's leading comic playwrights, and here he is at his very best. Working with a well-established play-within-a-play format, Frayn manages to weave together countless levels of farce and irony in what must be hailed as an astonishing feat of imagination. The first act, necessarily, runs slower than the others - as the final rehearsal for Nothing On (the inner play) lays the plot groundwork for all that follows. The second act, though, is a tour de force of acting and staging. For this we are backstage in the same production and, as the actors play out their stage roles at the back of the stage, we witness what goes on whilst they're off-stage. Cue endless comic quasi-sexual positions, much throwing of things at people, and frequent running off with trousers down to deliver a line. What shines through is how well drilled the (real) actors are - speedy physical gags are set-up with fantastic precision, and the stage positively buzzes with their energy. The ensemble playing is so excellent that it's invidious to identify one star, but Sylvester McCoy did seem to get the most laughs. If you're hitting those pre-Easter blues, then, this play must be well recommended. Don't expect great insights on life, or even immediate laughs. Hang in there for the second act, though, and you can be sure of the odd embarrassing cackle or hearty belly laugh. Don't go just to see the soap stars - go to see that some of them actually do have talent! Greg Sanderson, 18.02.03 |
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