Steppenwolf Theatre’s revival of Noises Off. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation’s premier ensemble theater company, opens its 49th season with “Noises Off” directed with spot-on timing by Tony Award-winning ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro and presented in a co-production with Geffen Playhouse.
This classic British farce is filled with side-slapping humor, physical comedy, and hysterical antics by a troupe of Chicago’s finest actors.
Nothing is sacred here as the characters give the audience plenty to laugh about. The show is a play within a play as Act 1 tells the story of a theatrical performance where the actors don’t know their lines or cues, props are lost and the show is a mess…all right before opening night.
Steppenwolf Theatre’s revival of Noises Off. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
In Act II, the audience finds out what’s going on between the actors…who’s doing what to whom. What’s fascinating about Act II is that most of the action is done in pantomime, rather than dialogue, making the scene even more challenging for the actors to their credit.
Opening night happens in Act III where everything that could go wrong does go wrong. As they say, “The show must go on!” But will it?
The classic comedy was written by English playwright and novelist Michael Frayn and first produced in 1982, so it has a lot of miles on it. Somehow, it doesn’t seem dated, but universal in its human drama.
Steppenwolf’s take on the funniest farce ever written features ensemble members Audrey Francis as the put-upon Flavia Brent and her husband James Vincent Meredith as Philip Brent. The play also stars Francis Guinan as the drunken, forgetful Selsdon Mowbray, Ora Jones as the hysterical Mrs. Clackett with Vaneh Assadourian as frustrated stage manager Poppy and Amanda Fink as Vicki. Other cast members include Rick Holmes as Lloyd Dallas, the director; Andrew Leeds as the conniving Garry and Max Stewart as stagehand Tim.
The setting of the play is an elegant British country home, reminiscent of an Agatha Christie murder mystery. Using traditional British humor, doors open and shut (mostly) with quick precision. Onstage antics collide with offstage foibles incorporated with ingenious, slapstick and a zany tribute to “theatre people” everywhere. By the end of this dizzying play-within-a-play, you won’t know stage right from left.
Mention must be made of the incredible set design by Todd Rosenthal that rotates between the live stage and behind-the-scenes. Kudos to Costume Designer Izumi Inaba for her colorful and smart costumes. Standouts include Andrew Leeds, whose comedic chops steal the show in every scene, and Jones’ Mrs. Clackett who brings the house down.
“Noises Off” is not performed very often in the Chicago-area, so this is your rare opportunity to see it with a top-notch cast. The show has recently been extended to Sunday, November 3 in Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theater. Steppenwolf is located at 1650 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. For tickets, go to at steppenwolf.org or the Box Office at (312) 335-1650.
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