REVIEW: Noises Off (Keegan Theatre)
What do you do when it feels like a smile is glued to your face?
Not asking for a friend; it’s genuinely how I felt during basically all of Keegan’s season-closing Noises Off, which opened Thursday the . The classic British farce by Michael Frayn that inspired the likes of The Play That Goes Wrong is famous for its skewering of backstage antics, serving as a hysterical love-letter to the makers of the theatrical art form. Keegan continues its run of excellence with this production, a revival of its acclaimed 2010 run, pulling off one of the most impressive packages of entertainment I’ve seen on a stage yet. All of the gears shift into place to make a rollicking, chaotic, and utterly demanding feat of performance that makes excellent use of the newly-upgraded-but-still-intimate space, and is solidly a contender for one of my favorite productions of the year so far.
Book
The book is three acts, following a rinky-dink British acting troupe staging the piece Nothing On, a sex comedy involving a housekeeper (Dotty), the house owners (Freddie and Belinda), tax collectors (Garry and Brooke), and a burglar (Seldson). Behind the scenes are the director Lloyd, assistant stage manager Poppy, and understudy/stage manager Tim. What differs this from The Play That Goes Wrong, something more modern and potentially familiar to audiences, is that these characters are gushing with personality that Frayn somehow keeps consistently entertaining. Each one is different but memorable in their own humorous ways: Dotty, a has-been actress struggling to keep up; Brooke, a ditz who over-acts every scene; Freddie, a fragile coddlee; Garry, a “serious” actor prone to jealousy; Belinda, trying to keep everyone sane; and Selsdon, an older, half-deaf alcoholic. The first act covers the penultimate rehearsal before opening, running through the first act of the in-universe play, and deftly establishes the chemistry between each character. Very early on, you are familiarized with the group as if you’ve worked with them yourself (if you’re in the industry, chances are you have). Each subsequent act follows a similar pattern: the group struggles to complete the same sardine-brined scene over-and-over with increasingly side-splitting results. Particularly, Act II is a masterpiece of comedic direction (more on that later) that has not left me in that many tears in all my years of theatre attendance. It’s so hilarious, in fact, that it’s basically exhausting — I was wondering how the third Act could even pick it up. While less outwardly funny, the cast’s own exhaustion with the piece and each other by then matches the audience energy and finishes off with an exasperated, but satisfying guffaw. Noises Off is not very deep, but its braiding of synergy and comedy is unforgettable — and I say this as someone who usually doesn’t like slapstick. 10/10
Acting
Holding this doomed show-within-a-show together is an ensemble whose prodigious efforts defy belief. The level of teamwork on display showcases a genuine love of the game that any director — in this case, Keegan founding director Mark A. Rhea — would envy. The cast is full of local favorites. Ryan Sellars (Garry) is as wonderfully snappy as ever, arriving with his usual attractive charisma. Keegan’s usual suspects are on display, too: favorites Michael Innocenti (Freddie), Timothy H. Lynch (Seldson), and Brigid Wallace Harper (Brooke) are all infectious, alongside Artistic Director Susan Marie Rhea (Dotty) and Production Manager Jared H. Graham (Lloyd). Cassi Deming (Poppy) makes her Keegan debut as the warmly sniveling Poppy, but you’d think she’s been there forever based on her seamless integration with the group. The fourth wall barely exists by nature in this work, but the ensemble teeters on top of it with professionalism. The most impressive feat is their ability not to break character at all in this; and yes, they are actors, and it is their job. But I’ve attended comedies at higher levels of the art form where there have been breaks for less funny moments. The fact they could get through the pandemonium of Act II without faltering once is Olympian, and re-affirms the skill of our local talent pool. 10/10
Production
Keegan recently upgraded their stage to include a massive permanent revolve— one of the only ones in the region, if I’m not mistaken, and certainly an impressive feat for a house of this size. Let me be the first to say that there was no better means to showcase it than with this production. The sheer scale of Matthew J. Keenan’s homely set towers over the intimate 120-seat space. It’s gorgeous enough on its own, but there is a spectacle to witness the entire thing flip 180 degrees before your eyes to reveal the “backstage”, a bi-level space with a gaping window in the middle to allow the audience to see Act II play out from both sides. It’s common in other productions of this piece to have a two-faced facade for this purpose, but the revolution was put to exciting showcase that has me looking forward to their future productions. Finally: I can talk about Act II, a cascade of action, comedy, and blocking that was difficult enough for the audience to pick up and likely even more so for the actors who do it every night. It follows a regular matinee of the same snippet we saw rehearsed in Act I, but from behind the curtain. While it begins innocently enough, the cascade continually erupts into chaos. Mark A. Rhea, who also choreographs, has pulled off nothing short of a miracle in his combined efforts of directing both the meta-play and the present play at the same time, while giving the audience a clear view of both. There’s so much happening throughout each second of this Act that I need to see it again just to pay attention to other actors and keep up with what goes on. Axe murder attempts, a running bit about delivering flowers, several inordinate sexual misunderstandings, and a runaway alcoholic are just some of the gags that exist entirely in this slice that exceeded my expectations time after time (after time). To be able to see all of this so close to the action in the Keegan space is a gift. 10/10
Viz
Keegan has been dutiful in marketing the silliness of the piece, via social media and the program art that features sardines. The scrim is its massive cottage set, which with its many doors, leads audience members to theorize the paths the show could take. Its a bit nonsensical — which is effective. I did no research on this show before attending, and I think I was well-informed about what to expect with their marketing alone. Spoiler alert: it was nothing. And that’s how it should be. 9/10
Verdict
Noises Off makes its explosive return to Keegan after 14 years with a borderline flawless rendering of impeccable comedy, tight direction, and joyful ensemble performance that makes for one of the finest DC productions of 2024. 39/40
