Michael Frayn’s Olivier Award-winning comedy about the goings-on behind the scenes or a touring sex comedy, Noises Off returns to the London stage.

From a disastrous dress rehearsal where the cast fumble their entrances and exits, to bothersome props and a final performance of missed cues and forgotten lines, Noises Off explores the explosive personal relationships that lead to off-stage shenanigans and on-stage bedlam.

Noises Off received its premiere in 1982 at the Lyric Hammersmith, where it featured a cast including Patricia Routledge, Paul Eddington and Nicky Henson. After receiving strong reviews, it transferred to the Savoy theatre, where it ran until 1987, winning both an Evening Standard Theatre Award and an Olivier Award.

While the original production of Noises Off was directed by Michael Blakemore, this revival at the Old Vic is directed by Lindsay Posner, whose recent work includes Butley, An Ideal Husband and House Of Games.

Playwright Michael Frayn has an impressive list of plays to his name, including Donkeys’ Years, Benefactors, Copenhagen, Democracy and Noises Off.

MA