Noises Off

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Noises Off

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  4w, 5m

Michael Frayn

Noises Off presents a manic menagerie of itinerant actors rehearsing a flop called Nothing’s On. Doors slamming, on and offstage intrigue, and an errant herring all figure in the plot of this hilarious and classically comic play.



Image: 2016 Roundabout Theatre Company Production (Joan Marcus)

Noises Off

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w, 5m
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Farce
  • Suggested Use
    • Cutting Approved for Competition
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades

  • Nominee: 2012 Olivier Award for Best Revival of a Play

Details

Summary

Called “the funniest farce ever written,” Noises Off presents a manic menagerie of itinerant actors rehearsing a flop called Nothing’s On. Doors slamming, on and offstage intrigue, and an errant herring all figure in the plot of this hilarious and classically comic play.

The play opens with a touring company dress-rehearsing Nothing On, a conventional farce. Mixing mockery and homage, Frayn heaps into this play-within-a-play a hilarious melée of stock characters and situations. 

History

Noise Off was first presented at The Lyric, Hammersmith on 23rd February 1982, and on the 31st March at The Savoy Theatre, London.

Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups
  • Time Period Contemporary
  • Setting

    A living-room stage set, backstage behind the set

  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Additional Features Physical Comedy
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

"The most dexterously realized comedy ever about putting on a comedy. A spectacularly funny, peerless backstage farce. This dizzy, well-known romp is festival of delirium." - The New York Times

"Noises Off is exactly 40 years old this year, but Michael Frayn's ridiculous farce-within-a-farce still has the power to make an auditorium lose itself in laughter." - WhatsOnStage

Videos

  • Noises Off - Roundabout Theatre montage youtube thumbnail

    Noises Off - Roundabout Theatre montage

  • Roundabout Theatre cast discusses Noises Off youtube thumbnail

    Roundabout Theatre cast discusses Noises Off

  • Noises Off - Old Vic Trailer youtube thumbnail

    Noises Off - Old Vic Trailer

Photos

  • Noises Off

    Image: 2016 Roundabout Theatre Company Production (Joan Marcus)

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £85 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

    Please submit a license request to determine availability.

Scripts

Available Formats:
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Authors

Michael Frayn

Michael Frayn

Michael Frayn was born in London in 1933. He began his career as a reporter for the Guardian and later the Observer. After leaving the Observer he continued to write as a columnist as well as publishing novels and plays for television and stage.

His plays for stage include Cop ...

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