Finally, there's a play worth getting excited about in Buffalo, with perhaps the perfect comedic performance. There are so many reasons to be impressed by "Noises Off." It is utterly hilarious.
Written by Michael Frayn and directed by Gavin Cameron-Webb, this original and enticing play, now onstage at Studio Arena Theater downtown, offers the perfect night out.
The play is broken down into three acts, each of which includes only one long scene. There is never a dull moment in this high-energy play. The first act introduces the plot and its nine characters, which are in the midst a frantic dress rehearsal for the farcical play, "Nothing On."
Every character is nervous yet gleefully excited as they are introduced in the first act. Elizabeth Roby plays the irresistibly ditzy actress Brooke Ashton, who plays "Vicki" in "Nothing On." The moment she steps onto the stage, modeling her arms about like Vanna White, and staring into oblivion between lines of dialogue, the audience is already rolling with laughter.
The rehearsal is quite the disaster, although nothing compared to what is in store for the characters. The sweet and warm-hearted Dottie Otley (Laurie Kennedy) who plays "Mrs. Clackett," the housemaid, casually woos the audience with her absentmindedness.
Selsdon Mowbray (played by Saul Elkin, a UB distinguished theater professor) plays the burglar in "Nothing On." Sometimes missing-in-action, and wrongfully accused of getting drunk throughout the play, Elkin's character's hearing loss is a frequent target for jokes.
Sean Dougherty is an instantly memorable actor for his exquisite timing as Garry Lejeune, who plays "Roger" in "Nothing On." A character serious about his work, but nevertheless inarticulate and forgetful, Dougherty's skill and technique at playing Garry is comparable to that of Will Ferrell. His acting is dead-on and very convincing.
Larry (Roger Forbes), the stereotypically cocky director of "Nothing On," surprises the audience as he shouts orders from the house, demanding perfection out of pure chaos. Claiming to be God and clad in a large dark overcoat and red scarf, he is everything a director is expected to be, although he becomes fantastically more personal as the play goes on.
Important to the actual plot, Belinda Blair (Michele Ragusa) who plays "Flavia," is the attractive gossip-mill of their workplace. Her facial expressions are classic. She is full of heart as the caretaker of the group. Her on-stage counterpart, Frederick Fellows (played by Julian Gamble), plays "Philip" and "the Sheikh". His fainting and nosebleeds are the source of the physical comedy.
The somewhat verbally abused and often overlooked stage hands for "Nothing On," Poppy Norton-Taylor (Zabryna Guevara) and Tim Allgood (Maduka Steady) are probably the least insane of the borderline committable group of characters. Poppy is highly emotional and crucial to the plot. Tim provides a few unforgettable moments during some of the commotion, most evident in the third act.
Act two, which is set entirely backstage, but includes the ability to see and hear some of the matinee performance of "Nothing On", contains the most calamities of the three acts. It is almost like a scene from a silent movie because the characters fight and mouth words at each other behind the set and in between their lines. This scene relies almost entirely on the combat of good fun.
The only difficulty for the audience is in absorbing so much action at once. It becomes mind-boggling to keep the relationships straight as new information is revealed. The characters are at each other's throats in this scene, but at least attempt to salvage the show.
Act three is set in the last week of the performance, each character haven given up hope for a perfect, script-based performance. Once the character's personal lives begin to interfere with their stage performance, they are left to improvise. Each shocking onstage tragedy is followed by an uproar of delight from the audience. It is hard to describe the tear-jerking laughs that the comedy produces.
In short, the characters make the play. The acting is phenomenal. The cast, with its noteworthy credits, including Broadway theater, daytime soap operas and primetime television, give an addicting performance.
Other sources of glory and recognition in the play are tangled love triangles, the aforementioned physically demanding stunts used and the perfect choice of props, such as doors, sardines, and a well-placed cactus. The set looks like something from the show "Shabby Chic" on Home and Garden TV. Victorian, romantic and covered with patterns of flowers, it can't even be compared to the sets of most local plays.
"Noises Off" stands apart in its own category for its brilliance and perfection. The remarkable set, the flawless acting, the gut-wrenching laughs and the classy ambiance of the theatre make the experience one of a kind.
"Noises Off" runs at Studio Arena Theatre through Oct. 5. Tickets cost between $22 and $50, with $10 same-day student rush tickets available at most performances.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
