Noises Off
at Robinson Secondary School

Reviewed on November 20, 2015

Eva Petersen
Fairfax High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Fairfax

Blood. Sweat. Tears. Sardines? So much goes into the making of a show, but rarely does the audience get to see the laborious and comedic metamorphosis that takes place offstage. In Noises Off, Robinson Secondary School treated its audience to three side-splitting acts of the theatrical process at its worst. With drama exploding both behind the set and in front of it, the evening was never boring.

Noises Off, written by British playwright Michael Frayn, premiered ran at the West End from 1982 to 1987. The play is famed for its unique format. Act one shows the stumbling final dress rehearsal of the play-within-a-play, Nothing's On. The set is then rotated for the second act, which shows backstage fiasco after fiasco unfolding during a disastrous matinee. The third act finally treats theatre-goers to a rapidly devolving performance, with an ending that bares no semblance to what was "rehearsed" in the first place.

At the center of the madness was the director, Lloyd Dallas, played by the exceedingly capable Matthew Cook. Even though he screamed commands from the back of the theatre for a good portion of the show, Cook never dropped out of character, upping the ante with his increasingly maniacal facial expressions. Opposite him was Hannah Kornell as Dottie Otley, an older actress with sass to spare. Kornell's wild acts of revenge and sarcastic zingers kept the audience in stitches.

Each supporting character was distinct and well-developed. As the sweet-but-stupid Freddy Fellowes, Matthew Ross charmed his way through scenes and elicited just as many "awwws" as he did laughs. Madyson Hanton was delightfully sweet as the caring Belinda Blair, but also showed the character's vengeful dark side with a disturbing glee. RJ Pratt played the emotionally charged Garry Lejeune with every fiber of his being, hurling himself down flights of stairs with great conviction. Stealing the show was Daniel Williams as the senile burglar-to-be Selsdon Mowbray. Acting and voicing the archetype of confused old man perfectly, Williams's wild eyes and perfectly timed comedic physical mannerisms elevated every scene he wandered into.

The hair and makeup team, led by Alison Kusmik, did an excellent job of differentiating characters of various ages and personalities. The age makeup of Selsdon Mowbray was particularly impressive. Coupled with the crackling voice and hunch adopted by Williams, it was impossible to tell that the actor was still in high school. The props crew of Lauren Gillies and Karim Tamim gave the show an almost-professional quality, providing everything from a shower of sardines to countless bottles of "alcohol."

Noises Off was a smashing theatrical success that captivated from beginning to end. Through tawdry love triangles and a never-ending sequence of slapstick injury, Rambunctious Theatre Company showed that there truly is no business like show business!

Maggie Klein
Oakton High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Fairfax

It's the night before the opening show and between confused entrances, forgotten plates of sardines, and an exhausted crew, things aren't going too well. An amusingly relatable scenario for anyone involved with theatre, Robinson Secondary School's recent production of Noises Off told a hilarious story of a play within a play.

English playwright Michael Frayn originally wrote the story in 1982 after watching his production of a British farce from the wings and realizing that the show was funnier from behind. Quickly gaining popularity on both sides of the Atlantic, Noises Off follows director Lloyd Dallas as he struggles to guide the cast and crew of Nothing On through their first act.

An entertaining yet challenging script was handled extremely well by the relatively small cast of Noises Off. Consistent high energy and purposeful blocking brought each dysfunctional character to life and had the audience in nonstop laughter.

Hannah Kornell shined as the older actress Dotty Otley playing housekeeper Mrs. Clackett in Nothing On. Her animated facial expressions and over the top reactions added humor even when she wasn't in the center of a scene. The blending of her two characters in the third act perfectly captured the frantic attempts of the characters to keep their show moving amongst the internal conflict of the actors. Director Lloyd (Matthew Cook) also showed an impressive character arc, his slow deterioration from frustrated superiority to despondent panic was well done and amusing to watch.

Although her character was not as outrageous as others in the show, Madyson Hanton's portrayal of Belinda Blair was incredibly strong and honest. Her accent was believable and consistent, and her acting was natural and convincing. On the opposite side of the spectrum but with just as much talent was the elderly Selsdon Mowbray (Daniel Williams). Williams, whose voice, mannerisms, and delivery never failed to draw laughs from the audience, took on Selsdon's wild character superbly.

The use of a revolving stage and multileveled set created the stage and backstage settings of the play within the play. Complete with staircases and a plethora of doors, this helped add to the intricate blocking and engaging physicality of the show. The slamming of doors, falling down stairs, and breaking through windows all enhanced the slapstick humor characteristic of Noises Off. Furthermore, the use of props was extremely impressive. The prop usage in the fake show was complicated, and the real actors remembered which props they had to "forget" to bring on or off and in which version of the first act was exemplary.

Considering the fact that every character was wearing a microphone, the use of sound was quite successful. There was virtually no feedback and despite a few instances where the microphones cut out, they did not interfere with the story.

Nothing On may have been a disaster, but Noises Off was undoubtedly a success. Talented acting and immaculate attention to details such as props and blocking made the chaotic show run smoothly. Robinson Secondary School's talented cast and crew worked to create a hilarious show that was enjoyable for everyone, theatre and non-theatre folk alike.

Caitlin Spiegel
Oakton High School
Submitted for publication to FCPS Community News

Miscommunication, lover's quarrels, broken hearts, and that's all before the curtain rises. Anyone who has participated in a theatrical production knows that the real drama is back stage. Playwright Michael Frayn captures this perfectly in his three act farce "Noises Off." The production was a hysterical success when it premiered in 1982, and moved quickly from the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London, to the Savoy Theatre in the West End. As the recipient of an Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy, the "Noises Off" is expected to keep an audience's eyes wide with laughter. The Robinson Rambunctious Theatre Company certainly delivers with committed actors, flawless ensemble choreography and an organization within their own backstage crew that allows the scripted chaos to ensue on stage.

The play opens on the final dress rehearsal of the production "Nothing On." Everything seems to be going well until an aggravated "HOLD" is heard from the back of the auditorium. It is clear Director Lloyd Dallas (Matthew Cook) was thorough in the development of his character. As the rehearsal dragged into the early hours of the morning, eyes would often drift to Lloyd's perch in the back. Always in character, his physicality changed with every line his actors delivered. Visible winces and sighs of frustration conveyed to both the cast and the audience that he just wanted to hear the last few lines of the act. The lead actress in "Nothing On" and a standout in the "Noises Off" ensemble, Dotty Otley's (Hannah Kornell) best moments were in act three. The strained inflection of her voice and desperation in her eyes as she struggled to pick up the sardines was the icing on the cake to all the other things going unbelievably wrong in the play within a play.

What really made this production memorable was the cohesiveness of the ensemble. Each actor contributed to the group dynamic with a distinct personality. Even though many of the same lines are delivered throughout all three acts, the inflections and emphasis placed on certain words gave them different meanings that matched the situation backstage. The moments when every actor flooded the set, on the search for Selsdon or one of Brooke's contacts, were done with precise comedic timing, but also choreographed to look casual and genuine. While at times there were so many things happening it was difficult to know where to focus, the ensemble always had a high energy and group physicality that fit the play's slapstick nature.

On the technical side, the challenge was not to have anything go wrong, but to have the right things go wrong. The organization of the backstage crew assured that the prop's placements and misplacements were exactly where they needed to be to contribute to the developing pandemonium. While there were a few moments when the microphones malfunctioned, actors stepped up to recapture the audience by continuing unfazed.

Both cast and crew came together to create a story that left the audience roaring with laughter. The Rambunctious Theatre company has shown that they can take on a comedic classic, it will be exciting to see what they challenge themselves with the in future.

Annie Silva
Chantilly High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com - Fairfax

The actors of Nothing On are completely unprepared for their opening night which just happens to be tomorrow. With a director who's on more painkillers than humanly possible, romantic tension forming between almost every member of the cast, and an old man who loves to go missing with a bottle of whiskey, what could possibly go wrong? Spoiler alert: It all went hilariously wrong at Robinson High School's production of Noises Off!

This play within a play was written by Michael Frayn in 1982. Frayn conceptualized the piece after watching what happens backstage at his other productions. The play is split into three acts; the first shows the final dress rehearsal before opening night, the second shows the backstage of a matinee after a month of touring, and finally the audience is shown the closing night of Nothing On.

Running the show within the show is Lloyd, the director (Matthew Cook). Cook maintained a strong British accent while delivering lines with an exhaustive, sarcastic voice that perfectly fit the part. He was able to be insulting and cruel to the actors within the show, while still being loved by the audience. His flaying arms of exasperation and constant pill-popping physically complimented the character and engaged the audience.

Within Nothing On, the whole cast of actors were exceptional. Dotty (Hannah Kornell) was the old house maid, Mrs. Clackett, who knew everyone's secrets. By the end of Act 3, Dotty had gone insane with the relentless show schedule, as well as her failing relationship with Garry (RJ Pratt). Both Pratt and Kornell brought exorbitant amounts of energy throughout each act. The hilarity of their odd romance between the much older Dotty and the younger Garry, brought the audience to tears of laughter. Pratt brought out the idiosyncrasies of Garry, who played Roger, the real estate agent, beautifully. Quirks like his stutter and inability to finish any of his sentences when not speaking his lines from the show, were maintained successfully throughout the whole production.

Brooke (Alex Lane) played Vicki, a tax authority trying to seduce Roger. Lane brought the ditzy, blonde stereotype hysterically to life. Vicki and Roger were visiting the house of Phillip, played by Freddie (Matthew Ross) and Flavia, played by Belinda (Madyson Hanton), who were living in Spain to avoid paying their taxes. Ross played the adorably inept and dim Freddie, who was constantly getting nose bleeds at the sight of violence, then getting sick from the sight of his own blood. Hanton was able to bring some amount of control and poise to Belinda, seemingly the only reasonable character on stage. Hanton displayed an almost maternal figure to the wildly energetic and chaotic production. The final member of the show within the show was Selsdon (Daniel Williams) who played a burglar trying to break in. Williams mannerisms and vocalization perfectly exhibited a confused old man. The characters were constantly searching for Selsdon, ensuring he did not run off, or rather slowly walk off, with his bottle of whiskey.

The set was a simple house. However, the whole piece impressively rotated to reveal the back of it during Act Two. Although some mishaps occurred with microphones, it did not affect or hamper the show.

Robinson High School's Noises Off! was an amazing display of perfectly timed chaos, high energy and enough sardines for a lifetime.

Gillian Wright
McLean High School
Submitted for publication to Connection

Sardines fell from above and squelched underfoot. The set rocked as actors fell down stairs and broke through windows. Clothes were lost, secrets were spilled, and hearts were crushed. Through mishap after disastrous mishap, Rambunctious Theatre Company's production of "Noises off" at Robinson Secondary School was a smashing hit.

Written by Michael Frayn in 1982, this British farce follows a cast of six actors along with their director and stage managers as they try to produce their own play, "Noises On." Unfortunately, messy personal relationships, lack of rehearsal, and an overabundance of emotion prevent the dress rehearsal and subsequent performances from going quite as planned. The popular show opened on Broadway in 1983, was adapted into a film in 1992, returned to Broadway in 2001, and is scheduled for another Broadway revival in January of 2016.

Trying tenaciously to orchestrate a calamitous dress rehearsal, Director Lloyd Dallas (Matthew Cook) soon lost his cool sense of authority. Dallas's frustration exponentiated as the actors forgot props, confused their cues, and peppered him with questions, resulting at first in sarcastic derision and eventually in volcanic outbursts. Storming with exasperation throughout the auditorium, Cook's hyperbolic portrayal of a director at his wit's end was flawless.

Dotty Otley (Hannah Kornell), a rather dense older woman playing a housekeeper in "Noises On," was the first to experience Dallas's wrath. Backstage, Otley tried with only middling results to mother the other actors, while onstage she remained befuddled by the timing and frequency of her prop changes. Otley's reactions as she grew increasingly frustrated were thoroughly entertaining.

Owner of the house Otley kept, Frederick Fellowes (Matthew Ross) was comedic gold. What he had hoped would be a romantic afternoon quickly turned disastrous as he stumbled about the stage with tax forms glued to one hand, a plate of sardines stuck to the other, and his pants caught around his ankles. When not in character, Fellowes portrayed a dopey yet apologetic actor who was frequently consoled by Belinda (Madyson Hanton), his wife in the staged show. Hanton's genuine nature among fellow cast members and distinct personality when playing Fellowes' wife made her a favorite performer.

When the Fellowes' stumble home from travels abroad, they are unaware that another couple is already in the house with the same idea. Garry Lejeune (RJ Pratt), a house agent when acting and a passionately emotional yet ineptly inarticulate actor when out of character, has brought his lover, Brooke Ashton (Alex Lane), to the house. Lane ranged from seductive to ditzy, but her confident movement and suggestive interactions were hilarious no matter what sentiment she was conveying.

Among the most beloved characters was Selsdon (Daniel Williams), an absent-minded elderly actor with a drinking problem. His committed physicality demonstrated his age superbly, and his oblivious comments and telling facial expressions frequently left the audience in peals of laughter.

Props are essential to the plot of the show, but Robinson's tech crew exceeded expectations with the amount and level of detail of their props. The multilevel set was well-constructed to show a distinct, appealing onstage and an unfinished offstage.

Somewhat paradoxically, Robinson Secondary School produced an excellent performance regarding a terrible play. The vacillating emotions, raging hormones, anxious stress, and unfortunate circumstances displayed onstage were all too familiar to audience members who have been involved in theatrical productions. Nothing quite epitomizes the feeling at the end of a cataclysmic run like Selsdon's remark, "When all around you is strife and uncertainty, there's nothing like an old-fashioned plate of...curtain!"

Deirdre Price
Rock Ridge High School
Submitted for publication to Fairfax County Times

There's nothing like a good plate of sardines, according to Selsdon Mowbray, the bizarre, forgetful actor in "Nothing On", the play within the real play, "Noises Off!" And there's nothing like a great night of theatre, according to anyone who has ever seen a truly enjoyable evening of on-stage beauty, which is exactly what was presented to the audience of Robinson Secondary School's rendition of "Noises Off!" The show by Michael Frayn is a hilarious story that gives a glimpse into the chaos that occurs between all of the unusual actors of a British farce titled "Nothing On". Robinson honored the script and story by integrating lovely props, fascinating costumes, and incredibly talented actors. "Noises Off!" opened on Broadway in November 2001, and it ran for just under 12 months. The show was a perfect fit for Robinson Secondary, using the student's strengths to tell a funny and electric story.

Technical direction is one of the most important factors when putting up any production. Robinson showed a deep understanding of this importance with their wonderful stage properties and captivating costumes. Their set dressings and props truly pulled the whole stage together. The obvious appreciation and thoughtfulness put in by the props-masters, Lauren Gillies and Karim Tamim, was truly critical to the success of the production. Similarly, the costume designers, Natalie Lajoie and Ioana Limberea, helped to pull the characters together by designing and assembling costumes that perfectly represented the people who were wearing them. As soon as the actors walked onstage clad in their garb, the audience picked up a sense of who the characters were and what type of hilarity was about to ensue as a result of their unique personalities. Overall, every aspect of tech was pristine, and these two categories helped to tie up an already gleaming gift with a shining ribbon.

Along with the wonderful work by the students behind the technical magic, there were multiple standout performances by the students actually on the stage. One notable actress was Alex Lane, who played Brooke Ashton, the stereotypical ditz that all slapstick comedies need. Although Lane's character was written as very one-dimensional, she did a brilliant job at making the bubble-headed blonde engaging to watch. One thing that made her so memorable was her incredibly strong internal monologue. Not once did the audience see Alex Lane instead of Brooke Ashton on stage, even when she wasn't speaking or waiting for a cue line. She was always completely submerged in her character, an impressive feat for a junior in high school.

Along with his co-star Alex Lane, Daniel Williams brought life to Robinson's stage with ease. He played the elderly Selsdon Mowbray so well that he had the audience wondering whether or not it was a high school sophomore or an actual senior citizen up on the stage. From his character walk, to his unwavering old-man dialect, to his obvious objectives, Williams filled the space with an undying energy and hilarity that had the audience sent into a tumultuous laughter every time he graced the stage.

"Noises Off!" may be about a corny, terrible, commonplace show, but Robinson's performance was anything but. Their beautiful costumes and stage properties perfectly set up the feeling of the script and worked incredibly well with what actors like Alex Lane and Daniel Williams were executing onstage to create a show that had the audience watching intently, laughing until they cried, and overall just having a wonderful time.