Noises Off At Northern Stage

Last night I went to see Noises Off at northern Stage, billed as ...

Riotous, raucous, hilarious, tears-rolling down the face, can’t breathe- it’s so funny, perfectly glorious comedy bliss.

... and as one of my rare grown up theatre trips of the year I had high hopes for this Micheal Frayn  play which is a co production by Northern Stage, Nottingham Playhouse and Nuffield Southampton. The show boasts loads of awards and has been honoured with many a brilliant review and I can see why!

Back to my proper grown up evening, I have a pet peeve about content warnings at the theatre I think personally they give too much away and are sometimes a bit silly (I mean ' May contain mild peril, smoking and use of sexist language' COME ON!)  BUT you know you are in for a treat when this is the content warning at the theatre entrance 

Now I should explain for anyone who doesn't know already that I have worked in theatre for over a decade before I gave up my career to look after the babies so I'm aware of the manic organised chaos that nobody sees going on behind, under and around the stage during a live performance so this play struck a real chord with me, as well as giving me a right laugh.

Photo Credit Robert Day 

Imagine being the fly on a wall in a theatre rehearsal, imagine being a fly on the wall backstage in the same performance and  then imagine everything that could go wrong if Basil Fawlty ran a Theatre. Mix it all up and you have Noises Off, truly the funniest thing I've seen in aaaaaaages! I rarely laugh aloud at TV, Movies or Theatre it has to be a really funny piece of work to make me chortle , don't get me wrong I'm not a stony faced hater but more a quiet chuckler! 

Not so much last night, I swear I had tears rolling down my face I was laughing so hard and I'm afraid to say even snorted with laughter at points, and the beginning of the second act when you are watching the backstage antics as the 'show' is live was so perfectly choreographed and hilariously directed that it was actually thigh slappingly funny! I think at one point it was so funny I had to slap the thigh of my companion !!!!

Photo Credit Robert Day 

There are fabulous performances by Ritu Arya, Robin Bowerman, John Elkington, Becci Gemmell , Brian Lonsdale , Sophie Nomvette, Patrick Osbourne and Carla Mendonca and brilliantly directed by Blanche Mcintyre . The set is a fab design which changes from a front stage to a behind the scenes view half way through. 

 In brief summary you will be watching a play about a play! The play in the play (are you still with me) is a good old fashioned British farce there's plenty of genteel raciness and some great entrance and exit character crossovers. So you are watching the theatre company rehearse and perform a play all the while dealing with, diva's, drink problems, dodgy props, affairs, lost contact lenses and SARDINES!

Photo Credit Robert Day 

You can catch Noises Off until 28 May and tickets are priced from 314.50, the show lasts 2.5 hours with an interval and I promise you its fabulous value for money I defy anyone to be able to sit through it without several chuckles! Book your tickets here, or call the box office on 0191 2305151