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Last Night, I attended the regional Press Night of the UK Tour of Noises Off at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford.
Noises Off is a farcical comedy play written by Michael Frayn. It features a group of performers working on their tech rehearsal, opening night and closing night of their production of 'Nothing On'. The play shows the dramas, mishaps and funny moments along the way.
The show itself did start off a little bit slow (although very funny!). But as the production continued on it gained energy, speed and charm.
I could not, for the life of me, name a standout performer amongst this group as each and every one was as talented as the next. Not a singular weak link amongst them - and they are one of the many things that makes this show a hit.
When relying on hilarious comedy written by the one and only Michael Frayn, it is bound to be fantastic. However, the comedic timing and visual comedy brought to the stage by the performers (and technical crew) were impeccable.
Another aspect that brought this performance to life was their fully functioning and detailed set, designed by Simon Higlett. It really captured the essence of the play right there in front of us and aided the performers with many visual gags, such as LOTS of issues with Doors!!
Act 2 for me was the highlight of the performance with so many high energy and comedic moments you simply did not know where to look! This section of the play did not have any " down time" moments where the audience may check their watches or get bored as it was a laugh a minute farce which just kept hitting and hitting.
My one and only criticism is that it had a slightly slow start and some jokes and gags seemed to go on a little bit long and perhaps become overdone. That being said, I laughed my way through the evening and had an absolute ball - such fantastic entertainment. Congratulations to all those involved.
Huge Thank You to the Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford for the tickets!
24th October 2023
Robbie Davies | Robbie's Backstage Bants