The Quad

Issue date: 4/7/08 Section: Entertainment

Over the past two weekends, WCU's Performing Arts Center has been showcasing the production of "Noises Off" - a highly comical and delightfully entertaining creation from Michael Frayn.

Directed by Leonard Kelly, "Noises Off" was shown in the Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre from March 28-30 and April 3-6, with 8 p.m. showings Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. performances Saturday and Sunday.

The cast and crew rehearsed approximately 20 hours the week of the opening show alone in order to fine-tune lines, moves and set changes.

The enormous set, which is designed as the interior of a house on one side, and the backstage of a theater on the other, is rotated twice throughout the performance.

The first act is seen from an audience's perspective looking into a living room setup, where the characters of "Noises Off" are seen going through the first act of their upcoming show, "Nothing On."

It becomes clear throughout this act that "Noises Off" depends highly on the choreography and timing of the actors. The entire performance of "Nothing On" is based around the idea that a couple who is meant to be out of the country has returned for their anniversary, while another couple has decided to make use of the house for their own purposes.

The two couples are constantly going in and out of doors, moving bags, boxes, and other various props.

The housekeeper, Mrs. Clackett/Dotty (played by Jackie Read), is constantly fetching plates of sardines, as the ones she is preparing keep disappearing amongst the other characters. The cast is even joined by a burglar (Selsdon, played by Connor McAndrews), who continues to add to the mayhem.

Each entrance and exit has to be perfectly executed so that the opposing parties never see each other onstage until the correct place in the script.

Throughout the rehearsal there are several "stops" in the acting as requested by the Director Lloyd Dallas (Alexander McCausland). In the banter exchanged during these pauses, we are introduced to the characters and their relationships with one another, along with the fact that their opening performance is to be held within a few hours. The actors of "Noises Off" do a superb job in portraying their characters, giving each a strong sense of identity.

Each actor of "Nothing On" has a definitive characteristic or phrase that helps identify them in later acts - such as Freddie's (Galen Detweiler) nosebleeds at the sight of violence or Gary Lejeune's (Trick Sullivan) insistence of "…well, do you know what I mean?"

Continued...

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