It’s the night before opening day and the cast is not ready. They’re forgetting their lines, which objects they are supposed to be carrying, and their cues. The director is getting very upset as he watches his cast fumble around. Then, the set starts malfunctioning with doors being unable to be opened and other others not staying closed. In addition, the secrets of who is sleeping with whom start to be revealed and everything truly goes nuts.

This is a very British style play in the same slapstick style as Faulty Towers,  The Doppelganger, and The Play That Goes Wrong. Usually, The Benny Hill song playing during the mayhem would fit right in during this roller coast ride of comedy. However, this production has failed to capture the frenetic energy and the high stakes required to make it funny.

This is a co-production with Geffen Playhouse, and the cast reflects this. Vaneh Assadourian is the assistant stage manager trying to hold everything together. Ora Jones (Familiar, The Roommate) is the bumbling maid Francis Guinan (True West, Downstate) is the drunken veteran of the stage. James Vincent Meredith (Describe the Night) with his pants around his ankles just may be the funniest sight of the night. Andrew Leeds (Barry) as Garry always wanting to just say one more thing during the rehearsal always draws laughter from the crowd. Max Stewart is great as the stage manager trying to fill in for actors last minute. Audrey Francis’ (The Thanksgiving Play) character is trying to making everyone happy, which is a very difficult task. Amanda Fink (Peerless, Plano) is the actress clearly hired for reasons having nothing to do with her acting ability. Lastly, Rick Holmes is the director trying to put this show together.

Get tickets now for Noises Off at Steppenwolf through November 3rd.

Cost of a ticket: $84
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Discounted

Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Quinn Delaney