Theatre Review: Noises Off
Who knew seven doors and a plate of sardines could cause so many uproarious laughs! The Jackson Theatre Guild has brought Noises Off by Michael Frayn to The Ned and it's guaranteed to keep you in stiches.
Noises Off is a farcical play that gives the audience a peek behind the scenes of a live performance. The first act occurs the night before the first show; the dress rehearsal is going horribly. The director must constantly stop the action and redirect his actors. Lines are forgotten, props mishandled, alcohol consumed, and secret romances revealed.
During the intermission between the first and second act, the stage is literally turned around so that the audience is now backstage. The play is being "performed" for a "real" audience but the tensions from the first act have created a hilarious uproar behind stage as the play progresses.
As the third act opens and the stage is turned once again, the comedic hilarity has reached an all-time high. The flaws and familiar ticks of each character are fully on display. As they say in the business, "The show must go on," but this play leaves us wondering—if it does, will anyone survive?
Making his debut as assistant director, Clayton Elliott says, "Everybody has been able to develop their own character really well and form a cohesive unit as a team. This really shows in the comedic element which requires precise timing, especially starting in the second act. There is so much action across the length of the whole stage that your eyes will constantly be moving from one end to the other."
This play within a play is a terrific way to enjoy the arts in Jackson. Be warned, the play that they are performing is a sex farce, which means one character spends the majority of her time on stage in lingerie (fairly well covered), and another is caught with his trousers down (boxers on) with several jokes based on sexual innuendo.
The cast has truly come together with extremely precise comedic timing to deliver their lines as well as slap stick humor to present an amazing play, running April 5-8 with a preview show on Wednesday, April 4. To buy tickets or find the performance times, visit the Jackson Theatre Guild website.
After graduating from Union University, Renae Adelsberger and her husband Kevin decided to make Jackson their home due to their love for their church, nonprofits, local businesses, and abundance of Sonic drive-ins. Read more of her work on her personal blog.
Photographer Kevin Adelsberger and his wife Renae moved to Jackson for college (proud Union alumni) and have stayed every since. Jackson has since taken hold of Kevin’s heart, and he looks forward to continuing to grow with the city. Kevin opened Adelsberger Marketing in 2014 and saw working with Our Jackson Home as a way that he could serve the city he loves. Kevin and Renae are members of First Baptist Church and volunteer with the youth group there and with Madison County CASA.
