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'Noises Off' brings it on
Sidesplitting 'Noises Off' has audiences rolling in the aislesDate published: 1/4/2007 WASHINGTON--For sheer laugh-out-loud fun, "Noises Off" is hard to beat. Of course, you've got to be amused by silliness. A taste for slapstick humor is a must. Those looking for witty, sophisticated repartee will have to go elsewhere. After all, this is farce. Michael Frayn's encapsulated pandemonium is a favorite with theater companies wherever English is spoken. The travails of a group of second-rate actors as they troll the boondocks for an audience for their second-rate comedy still create hilarity nearly 25 years after the play first appeared. The first act, the final rehearsal for this company's touring production of a bedroom farce, takes awhile to establish the base from which all future zaniness springs. Act II spirits the audience backstage to see what's really happening during an actual performance, and Act III brings us back out front to witness the total collapse of the proceedings. Along the way, liaisons are formed and dissolved, hearts are broken and mayhem ensues. The characters are wonderful. There's Lloyd Dallas, the harried director, who is trying to keep the ingenue from bolting while juggling an affair with the assistant stage manager. There's Garry Lejeune, the totally inarticulate actor whose affair with the star actress ends in his murderous attacks on a fellow actor he suspects of trying to lure her away. There's Selsdon Mowbray, for whom a bottle of whiskey presents a grave threat to his ability to come in on cue, and Belinda Blair, the gossipy actress who foments a good deal of the trouble on the set. As with any farce, where split-second timing is essential, the director has a huge impact on "Noises Off." Arena Stage has imported British director Jonathan Munby, part of the triumvirate that did such a great job with "The Canterbury Tales" at the Kennedy Center last spring. Munby obviously knows his farce, for there's never a grain of sand in the gears of this slick slide to disaster. He has been blessed with a fine cast, several of whom are Washington favorites. Robert Prosky is adorable as the vaguely muddled Selsdon, and Helen Carey does a great job as Dotty Otley, the star character actress. Lynnda Ferguson, the gossipy Belinda, and Susan Lynskey, the mousy assistant stage manager, also have appeared on Washington stages in the past. The whole ensemble meshes perfectly. Attention also needs to be paid to Alexander Dodge's clever revolving set, showing us both back and front of the stage. Property master Chuck Fox deserves kudos for keeping track of all those plates of sardines. Fans of farce will find "Noises Off" tailor-made to their tastes. A laff riot, as they say. To reach LUCIA ANDERSON:
Date published: 1/4/2007
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