"Noises Off" at SF Playhouse

SF Playhouse photo

I've been thinking it's time for a really fun play. Perhaps even a silly play. Just something to take my mind off life, work, and reality. Luckily, SF Playhouse came along with their production of Michael Frayn's Noises Off just in time.

There is really not much of substance to this show. There is no great social message or moral instruction here. But it is a very tightly-written, classic English farce that plays out wonderfully on the SF Playhouse stage. I'm sad that because of scheduling difficulties we saw it so late in its run. There are only about another week and a half in the run of this show, and it's well worth seeing.

The Play

My first exposure to Michael Frayn's work was seeing Copenhagen in London back in 1999. I recall hearing the description of the play and thinking that it was something I would really like, though I wasn't sure it would appeal to a broader audience. As it turned out, it was one of the sharpest plays I've ever seen, both keen writing and amazing acting, and it went on to win all sorts of awards both in London and eventually on Broadway.

Noises Off is not that kind of play.

It is a play about a play. The three acts are set at the last rehearsal before the show opens, another performance a month later, and then at the end of the tour. The play inside the play (called "Nothing On") is a very silly little farce itself, but each of the actors in it has something demonstrably wrong (the aging alcoholic actor, the clueless bimbo, the actor who has to question the reason for everything, etc.). As things play out, we also learn a lot about the personal histories, current problems, and interpersonal relationships of the cast and crew, all of which greatly complicate the rehearsal. By the curtain of Act I, we head off to intermission knowing that this won't end well, but with really no idea how far off the rails and in what direction it's going to go.

Needless to say, things don't improve much when we see the show in production a month later. But a lot of the fun comes from the fact that we're now seeing the same play, but from behind the scenery instead of in front. It's hilarious to see what the cast has to go through to get back onstage as things are unraveling backstage. And finally in the final act, it's really just a question of whether they'll get through it at all, with much hilarity.

It's all here: slapstick humor, mistaken identities, characters entering one door just as others depart through another. Classic farce.

The Production

I should say right up front: Finally, a great use of the turntable on the Playhouse stage. As I have often noted here, they seem to look for almost any reason to use it, often unnecessarily, and sometimes it detracts from their shows. But this play, where you need to see the action both in front of and behind the scenery, is perfect for a rotating set. And that said, it means the set design and props and such are all really important to the show, and they are quite well done. Indeed, if there is one thing this show requires, it's precision and consistency, and cast and crew pull that off nearly all the time. Scenic Designer George Maxwell, Properties Designer Jacquelyn Scott, and Costume Designer Abra Berman all did great work, and must have had a really good time doing it.

The cast is a good mix of some of the Playhouse regulars, other local actors, and some faces I wasn't familiar with. There was definitely a freshness to their interaction. I was particularly impressed with several of the portrayals. Monique Hafen did a remarkably consistent job as the not-very-clever Brooke, which cannot be easy. Patrick Russell as Garry was also quite good, and some of his physical stunts were just impressive. Craig Marker definitely played against type as a rather dense but stalwart actor.

The real key to the success of the play is timing, and most of the time, most of the actors had it down. There were a couple who didn't always quite keep the action moving at the breakneck clip it requires, but on the whole it worked brilliantly. Kudos to director Susi Damilano for keeping things lively.

I could nitpick a point or two, but really, the show worked. It kept us laughing throughout, and that's really all one can ask of a farce.

Bottom Line

I totally recommend this show as a good time. It runs through May 13, and is well worth seeing. I really wish I could find time to take my daughter, who loves this sort of show.

Probably my only critique is of the play itself, in that by the third act, the final dissolution of show and cast is almost an anticlimax. I'm not sure how it could be written or performed differently to avoid that, but at the end of the second act (the backstage view, mid-tour), the devolution of the show is really very satisfying, and seeing it all fly apart at the end is almost a little disappointing.

But not very--all in all, we left amused, satisfied, and in a good humor for the dinner that followed. And that's a good evening at the theater.

Check it out!