Farce, Part 2: Noises Off

Noises Off by Michael Frayn is, in my opinion, the best farce ever written. For those unacquainted, Noises Off is a play-within-a-play, revolving around a troupe of actors that's rehearsing a truly terrible sex farce called Nothing On. As an audience, we are treated to three versions of the first act of Nothing On, each time with diminishing returns. The first act is shaky, the second dangerous, and the third a fiasco. It's not easy to make failure look successful, but the structure of Frayn's play is so spectacular that he makes it look like a walk in the park. It's not.

Noises Off is almost impossible to screw up, so long as you remain entirely faithful to the stage directions that Frayn has so meticulously conceived. Reading the script is an interesting experience, as there are nearly as many stage directions as there are lines of dialogue. One of the first pieces of advice I ever received as a director was to black out all of the stage directions and come up with my own ideas, which I usually agree is good advice. However, I strongly believe Noises Off is an exception to this rule, and I would never come near Frayn's script with a marker. I believe any director who chooses to deviate from his stage directions is making a pompous mistake. There is simply no improving upon what's on the page. If even one stage direction is changed, it will come back to haunt the actors pages later, when that direction turned out to be the set-up for a later comedic bit.

A typical set for Noises Off. If the director is smart, they will deviate very little from this layout. The only real decision that needs to be made is whether to have the stairs stage right or stage left. Better to leave the rest alone.

Despite the lengthy stage directions and wordy dialogue, there is not an ounce of fat on the play whatsoever. Every word is necessary, either as a set-up now or payoff later. Which means any director in their right mind will let the play speak for itself and instead turn their attention to the performances. This is where a director has the most influence on the material. Because the play is so strong on its own, it's the performances that make or break any given production. I continue to be amazed that no matter how many times I've seen this play, and no matter how similar the staging has been, I find a new favorite character every single time. It's amazing how an actor can hit their marks as written and still find ways to make the character their own.

Case in point, Jodi Kellogg. For years Kellogg has been an admired actress in the Minneapolis/St. Paul theater community. Her range as a performer is extraordinary, and I've had the great privilege of seeing her portray a wide variety of different characters over the years, from Mae West to Maria Callas to Nurse Ratched. Back in 1999 she filled the role of Belinda Blair in Park Square Theater's production of Noises Off, directed by Michael Kissin. For most, I'm sure this production was one of many they saw that year and has long since become dormant in their memories; however, I laughed so hard and so often that I bought tickets to several performances and will never forget it so long as I live.

Cast of Noises Off. Park Square Theater, St. Paul, MN. 1999.

The character of Belinda Blair is not typically the first that comes to mind when a person thinks of Noises Off. It's a wonderful role to be sure, but more of an ancillary character, and certainly less flashy than Brooke (the ditzy ingenue), Lloyd (the put-upon director), Selsdon (the confused drunk), or Dotty (the self absorbed star). Yet in Kellogg's hands, Belinda became a standout character as the production gossip, dripping with false enthusiasm while covertly sabotaging the entire play. Her choices were repeated strokes of genius, backed by an equally stellar cast that never let up for the play's entire three hour plus running time. By the final curtain, I was in hysterics, along with everyone else in the audience.

It's an experience I'll never forget, one I long to revisit, and one whose greatness I strive toward every time I sit in a director's chair. Yet none of it would have been possible without the flawless blueprint constructed by Frayn, which was in turn followed to the letter by Kissin and brilliantly executed by Kellogg and company.

By the way, Peter Bogdanovich made a film version of Noises Off in 1992, starring Michael Caine and Carol Burnett, among others. While it's impossible to capture the theatrical experience on the silver screen, he did an admirable job translating it to film. It's not nearly as funny as seeing it live on stage, but it's still damn funny, which speaks to just how good the play is.




Stay tuned tomorrow for Part 3: What I learned from Noises Off and how I applied it to my role as director on Moon Over Buffalo.