Theatre Tuscaloosa will perform their first rendition of “Noises Off” since 1992 at the Bean-Brown Theatre starting tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m., with six additional shows until their final performance on Feb. 26, at 2 p.m.
“Noises Off,” a play written by Michael Frayn in which nothing can go right, presents the audience with a parody of a play within a play. And often, the pandemonium reflects the mayhem required behind the scenes.
Director of the production Tina Turley said she first acted in a production of “Noises Off” 25 years ago. Describing it as a “smart farce,” she said she enjoyed the wit and precision of its writing and the purity of its visual comedy.
“It’s always fun to tell the joke at the party, and that’s what this is,” said Turley. “It’s nonstop comedy, and when comedy works, there’s nothing like it.”
However, “Noises Off” presents more difficulties than a typical staged comedy. Relying upon quick movements and the frequent repetition of lines demanding sharp synchronization, Turley said that she spent six weeks of working on it, starting in January. She rehearsed six days a week, something she said she would usually reserve for a play with dance numbers and rigorous choreography.
“It’s not just about character work, it’s about precision,” Turley said. “It’s about a door slamming as another actor arrives or others’ discussions running in synch with another actors pantomimes and movements.”
With such complexity, members of the cast said that the confusion of the actors they portray isn’t always fabricated.
“So many of the issues that are in the ‘play’ are true to the difficulties you experience actually putting it on,” said Gary Wise, portraying director Lloyd Dallas.
Elliot Moon, playing Tim Allgood said, “Sometimes you just think, ‘Man, these sardines are annoying’,” referencing a constantly traveling and multiplying can of sardines that puzzles both the characters and the actors they portray.
“But that urgency transfers very well to the stage,” Wise said. “The audience can feel that, I think.”
Though daunting, the cast said they agreed that “Noises Off” is a show in which any actor would want to be cast. However, before the actors could take the stage, other considerations had to be made.
Written in 1982 by an English playwright and set in an English 16thcentury posset mill, Turley said the play can be less welcoming to an American audience. Turley said that she blended the contemporary, “Americanized” script with the beloved original script she performed in order to create an accessible, authentic production.
Actors wear period-appropriate clothing on a set similar to the original and present their practiced British accents to their Southern audience.
University of Alabama graduate student and new actor Will Nevin will play the stuttering actor Garry Lejeune, who in turn plays the mischievous real estate agent Roger.
Nevin said that he fell in love with the play after reading it in high school and eyed the December casting call for the Tuscaloosa production since the summer.
“It’s smart and just so funny,” said Nevin. “This really is the kind of play that will make you want to be an actor.”
Nevin and his fellow actors said that despite its speed, the play relies on a pure sense of physical comedy, distinct characters and awkward situations akin to a modern sitcom.
“It’s a good, old-fashioned hilarious play,” said Nevin. “Come sit here for a few hours and watch us make monkeys of ourselves. You’ll have a good time.”
