Review: NOISES OFF at Connecticut Repertory Theatre

Sardines. Slamming doors. Relationships budding (and burning) before your eyes. A farce within a farce. And laughter, so much laughter. Take all of this and mix it together and you get Michael Frayn's masterpiece of a comedy NOISES OFF, which is currently playing as the Connecticut Repertory Theatre's (CRT) second production of their Summer Nutmeg Series.

If you've never seen a production of NOISES OFF, the concept is simple. In the first act, a small troupe of actors in a touring production of a not-that-well-written British farce called NOTHING ON, are in final dress rehearsals. The audience witnesses the cast stumbling through the innuendos, sex-jokes, and mistaken identities that are staples of the genre, while learning about the tangles and trysts that are taking place between many of the cast and crew. The second act finds the troupe in the middle of their tour and dealing with an increasingly difficult star, mix-ups and attempted murder. Finally the third act is where the wheels come off and where anything (and everything) can (and does) happen. Trying to keep this train wreck on the tracks is the egotistical and impatient director, Lloyd Dallas (John Bixler) who tries his best to help his cast remember their lines, their blocking, and get the show on its feet. The cast has all the usual suspects - the fading star looking for one last hurrah, Dotty Ottley (Jennifer Cody), the young actor, Garry Lejeune (Curtis Longfellow), the beautiful but brainless actress cast for her looks (and her relationship with the director) Brooke Ashton (Jayne Ng), the neurotic and goofy actor Freddy Fellowes (Gavin McNicholl), the "mama bird" with a penchant for gossip and trying to fix everything that is broken, BeLinda Blair (Arlene Bozich), the past-his-prime, forgetful alcoholic Selsdon Mowbray (Steve Hayes) and the overworked crew, Poppy Norton-Taylor (Grace Allyn) and Tim Allgood (Michael Doherty).

Full disclosure - NOISES OFF is probably one of my favorite, if not my all-time favorite farces. So, it was with great anticipation that I sat in the Harriet Jorgensen Theatre awaiting the opening telephone ring of the show. And I am thrilled to say the CT Repertory production lived up to all my expectations. It was well-paced, well-acted and most of all, hilarious. I do not recall the last time I laughed so much in the theatre and judging by the reaction of the rest of the audience, it did not disappoint. Vincent J. Cardinal's direction was strong and as previously noted, at a pace where the action never stopped, but with the right balance of verbal and physical comedy.

From an acting perspective, each and every one of the actors on stage brought something fresh, funny and bright to the stage. As Dotty, Jennifer Cody is hilarious. She is able to bring out roaring laughter with just a look, and her confused but determined demeanor is the glue which holds the whole cast together. She even has a slow motion split/fall that is one of the funniest moments on stage of the night. As Lloyd, John Bixler brings just the right amount of anger and care to the role. Gavin McNicholl has extremely good timing and is quite funny as the hapless Freddy. As Garry, Curtis Longfellow has the most physically demanding role, including quite a fall down a long and winding staircase. I do want to call out Jayne Ng's performance as Brooke as the most original, and downright funniest interpretations of the role I have seen. She is clueless, quite literal in her dramatic interpretation, and her delivery regularly evokes roaring laughter.

From a technical perspective, the true star of NOISES OFF is the set. Tim Brown's beautiful English cottage serves the setting well with doors that open and close (sometimes), windows that break (and are fixed, and broken again) and a staircase that the cast runs up and down throughout the production. Towards the end of the show (during a 2 and ½ minute pause) the audience witnesses the true brilliance of the set when it effortlessly turns around for the final act. Christina Bullard's costumes are gaudy, colorful and absolutely spot on for the setting of the show.

Overall CRT's production of NOISES OFF is a hilarious evening of theatre. I overheard one patron as they left the show say that their face hurt from laughing so much. And I can attest - it really is that funny. So, if you are someone that loves a good farce, or just a fun night at the theatre, you should make sure to check out NOISES OFF.

NOISES OFF by the Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) runs at the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre on the campus of the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT through June 25. Evening performances start at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Matinee performances start at 2 p.m. on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Subscription package options range from $30 to $99. Single tickets prices range from $12 to $55. For additional ticket information or to purchase tickets by phone, call 860.486.2113 . To purchase tickets online, visit www.crt.uconn.edu.

Top Photo Credit - L to R: Steve Hayes, Jayne Ng, Arlene Bozich, Gavin McNicholl, Curtis Longfellow and Jennifer Cody. Photo by Gerry Goodstein.

Mid Photo Credit - L to R: Steve Hayes, John Bixler, Jennifer Cody and Jayne Ng. Photo by Gerry Goodstein

Bottom Photo Credit - L to R: John Bixler, Jennifer Cody, Grace Allyn, Arlene Bozich, Gavin McNicholl and Michael Doherty. Photo by Gerry Goodstein.

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