Noises Off 1992 Reflection- Karan Mehta
The play starts off with a rehearsal of a play, Nothing on. This play is one of the most famous, “play within a play”. Therefore, the characters needed to adapt to complicated roles.
Another major aspect of Noises Off is the use of Farce. Lloyd Dallas, the director of the play, Nothing On said, “That’s what its all about. Doors and sardines. Getting on- Getting off. Getting the sardines’ on- getting the sardines off. That’s the theatre. That’s life”. That’s what farce brings to the play and the humor it produces. The play is more than slamming doors, back- stage and rehearsal mayhems. The effect farce created, brings greatness to this play. Farce is a kind of comedy that inspires hilarity mixed with panic and cruelty in its audience through an increasingly rapid series of confusing moments, physical disasters and sexual overtones. One thing noticed was the quick entrances and exits in the play. This was built around slapstick comedy, which included people falling around, or accidently getting hit. The quick entrances and exits gave the opportunity to characters to make certain adjustment to their costumes. It normally resulted in men or women loosing their pants or walking around the set in their underwear. Other effects of farce that were seen were themes of mistaken identity, martial infidelity and class division. Other impacts of farce were that we could see more of stock characters including the crafty servant, the old man and the bimbo in the play.
In Noises off, it was important to notice how the dress rehearsal or ‘dress’ is the final run- through of a production. Dress rehearsals are normally conducted with professionalism, with full costume, lights, make- up and uninterrupted. The first act feels more like a tech rehearsal with all the stopping, starting and drama in between instead of a dress rehearsal. I feel Peter McKintosh, the designer for Noises Off was very organic in his approach to the play. With Noises off, he didn’t draw the ‘real’ people but he decided that he would draw the characters in Nothing On, because it was a play within a play, therefore the actors in Nothing On would be wearing costumes.
This play reflects the real problems, any theater company faces while preparing and coordinating backstage and rehearsing. It also shows, how the whole play comes together with the help of the director, stage manager and design team.
In Act two, I feel the Ballet was a highlight. For many of the scenes in the play, the cast had to rehearse very hard. However, the play was very appealing as each character was recognizable for the audience . Noises Off also gave me a great perspective into what goes into bringing the cast together and working together with the design artists and stage director and manager.
Michael Caine played a very central role in the play and in the rehearsals for Nothing On. Complicating matters are the personal problems and backstage relationships with petty squabbling and intruded upon any professionalism in the play.
I think the essence of Noises Off is that everybody tries to plough ahead with Nothing On come what may and I think that’s a metaphor for life really.