The Novato Theater Company closes out its 103rd season with a production of Michael Frayn’s award-winning farce, Noises Off. The three-act comedy runs at the Novato Playhouse through July 14.
Act I introduces us to stressed-out director Lloyd Dallas (Mike Pavone), who has his hands full at the final rehearsal of a touring production of the British sex farce, Nothing On.
Dotty Otley (Heather Shepardson) can’t remember her blocking. Dim-bulb ingénue Brooke Ashton (Melody Payne) can’t act. Gary Lejeune (Diego Hardy) can’t control his jealous feelings. Hypersensitive Frederick Fellowes (Jeffrey Biddle) constantly seeks his “motivation.” Belinda Blair (Jane Harrington) tries her best to be a steadying influence. When he isn’t searching for a line, aging star Selsdon Mowbray (Wood Lockhart) is looking for a bottle. Overworked theater techie Tim Allgood (Sky Collins) can’t wait to get on stage, while stage manager Poppy Norton-Taylor (Rachel Ka’iulani-Kennealy) can’t wait to tell Lloyd some big news.
Act II takes place a month later as we get a look at the backstage antics during a matinee performance, and Act III takes us to the closing performance where everything that can go wrong does.
It’s a farce, so doors slammed, stairs tumbled down, sardines spilled and pants dropped combine with bruised egos, costume malfunctions, prop misplacements, missed entrances and various other set mishaps to doom the final performance.
Timing is everything in comedy, and director Carl Jordan’s excellent ensemble moves at a cracking speed. The NTC Playhouse is a relatively small space, so the action already has sped-up quality to it, as it doesn’t take much to get actors from place “A” to place “B.”
Set designer Michael Walraven’s multi-level, multi-door revolving set assists in making this show work as well as it does. While some floor-level, on-stage action may be lost to back-row-sitting audience members—one sight gag in particular—there’s enough going on in view everywhere else to compensate.
Cast energy, also an essential ingredient in a successful farce, never flagged during the show’s two-and-a-half-hour running time. As long as the show is, it never felt that long.
The ultimate measure of a comedy’s success is the amount of laughter elicited from an audience during a show. By that simple measure, NTC’s production of Noises Off proves successful.
It’s a funny show.
‘Noises Off’ runs through July 14 at the Novato Theater Company, 5420 Nave Dr., Ste. C, Novato. Fri & Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm; extra show Thu July 11, 7:30pm. $20–$30. 415.883.4498. novatotheatercompany.org
Thanks Harry:). I know it was tough sitting through it for the umpteenth time. Always good to see you at the theater.