One of the funniest plays of all time transfers to the West End: Noises Off is an iconic British comedy.
Revived by director Jeremy Herrin (Artistic Director of Headlong), Noises Off tickets are sure to be in hot demand, as old fans enjoy, and new audiences discover, Michael Frayn’s riotous comedy about the perils of life backstage. The show is making its West End transfer to the Garrick Theatre after having a successful run at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre earlier this year.
Utilising technical wizardry and split-second timing, Noises Off follows a hopelessly unprepared cast throughout their technical rehearsal and subsequent performances of a farcical play called Nothing On. But missed entrances and exits, offstage shenanigans, deteriorating relationships, forgotten lines, bothersome props and romantic rivalries fuel them at every turn. One thing soon becomes clear: life in the theatre is nothing if not unpredictable!
Noises Off made its premiere production at the Lyric Hammersmith in 1982 to exemplary reviews. A West End transfer was inevitable, and it went on to play at the Savoy Theatre until 1987, where it ran with five successive casts. It has since been revived in London at venues including the National Theatre (starring Patricia Hodge and Peter Egan), the Piccadilly Theatre (with Lynn Redgrave and Stephen Mangan) and The Old Vic (with Janie Dee, Robert Glenister and Celia Imrie). As well as numerous London awards, the comedy has also enjoyed 3 Tony Award nominations for Best Play and Best Revival of a Play.
This new production of Noises Off will star BAFTA nominee Meera Syal (best known for her role in the BBC’s The Kumars At No. 42) as Dotty, alongside Lloyd Owen (Cleaning Up, ITV) as Lloyd Dallas, Daniel Rigby (a Best Actor BAFTA winner for BBC Two’s Eric & Ernie) as Garry Lejeune and Sarah Hadland (Miranda) as Belinda Blair.
The play was inspired by Michael Frayn’s observation that, while watching a performance of one of his farces from the wings, the play was “funnier from behind than in front.” It was later adapted into a 1992 film which starred the likes of Michael Caine, Christopher Reeve and Julie Hagerty.
Widely hailed as one of the great British stage comedies, this production promises a hilarious treat for audiences young and old. Noises Off tickets are now on sale through Official London Theatre.