Review: NOISES OFF at Soulpepper Theatre

Taking the title from theatrical stage directions, Soulpepper's Noises Off is a refreshing recreation of the well-known farce, entertaining the audience through perfectly executed slapstick and exaggerated situations.

Each of the three acts of Noises Off contains a performance of the play-within-a-play called Nothing On. The first act shows the fictional company and their director working through the dress rehearsal. The minute Dotty Otley/Mrs. Clackett, played by Brenda Robins, takes the stage, the audience is immediately transported into the realm of the play. She embodies every characteristic of Mrs. Clackett from her posture and movement to the curl of her lips and pronunciation of "Spain". Robins brilliantly sets the stage, and our expectations, for the remainder of the production.

Throughout the first act, the cast of Nothing On is hopelessly unprepared for opening night, missing cues, questioning each character's motive and continually forgetting the plate of sardines. Much of the comedy stems from the actors' fears, desires, feuds and insecurities. As the scene progresses, tension runs high and director Lloyd Dallas' frustration builds naturally. Breaking the fourth wall by standing in the balcony, Lloyd's character provides the immersive experience necessary to feel part of the production and thoroughly enjoy the play.

Act Two of Noises Off begins with a matinee performance of Nothing On several weeks later. The set, beautifully designed to revolve 180 degrees, allows the audience to experience Nothing On from backstage while emphasizing the deteriorating relationships. The chaos offstage was, arguably, the most exhilarating scene of the play, requiring split-second precision from the actors. In fact, the concept of Noises Off came to playwright Michael Frayn as he watched a performance of a farce from the wings and said, "It was funnier from behind than in front."

The entire cast worked cohesively to execute such elaborate and demanding choreography, all the while looking effortless and natural. From the swing of the ax to throwing around the bottle of whiskey, Act Two was full of excitement and awe.

The final act takes us to the final performance of the ten-week run of Nothing On, now a catastrophe as personal friction has continued to increase. Act Three is a reminder that each slight change onstage affects the production as a whole. With each mistake from the actors of Nothing On came a more comical and impressive slapstick - tripping into a door, slipping on sardines or falling down the stairs - riling a louder laugh from the audience.

But Act Three also shows the amount of talent in the entire cast of Noises Off. In order for every joke to land and each transition to run smoothly requires precision onstage. There are moments throughout the play, like the fight between Garry Lejeune (Matthew Edison) and Freddy Fellows (Christopher Morris), which would have been unsuccessfully and dangerous had one of them missed their cue. And Garry's line "the sardines! They've gone!" gets a bigger laugh the third time when Dotty accidentally leaves the sardines on the table. Each character's flaws off-stage undermines the on-stage performance and as such every member of the cast adds to the whole of the play to create an immersive and entertaining experience for the audience.

NOISES OFF is currently playing at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts through October 22. Visit soulpepper.ca for more information.

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