An unplanned review of “Noises Off,” a show by RM’s Black Maskers

As part of The Tide, one of my jobs is to take photos at school events that happen throughout the year. So when I was asked to shoot photos for the school play “Noises Off” on Friday night, I thought I would only be shooting photos for it and nothing more.

Yet, here I am, a few hours after it has ended, late Friday night approaching Saturday morning, and I appear to be writing a review on it.

Another one of my jobs on The Tide is to assign people to write articles. Unfortunately I did not assign anyone to write a review on the play and I now regret it. Why? Because it deserves a review. And it deserves a review from a writer more experienced in covering plays than me because it is that good. Unfortunately it is too late to assign this to someone else so I am the only writer you’ll have on this subject.

The fact is, the production put on Friday night was truly an underrated and amazing performance. To give a little background, “Noises Off,” written by Michael Frayn is essentially a play about a cast putting on a play. The play being put on by the characters, titled “Nothing On,” is a comedy filled disaster from the start. A drunk actor that’s constantly missing, a chase scene involving an axe, and cast members coming on stage at the wrong time are just some of the many highlights that occur throughout the night.

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The first act opens with the characters on stage going through a dress rehearsal ridden with disaster. Lloyd, the director, played fantastically by Oscar Saywell can be seen venting his frustration over and over again as Dotty (Audra Jacobs), Brooke (Jennifer Flores), Garry (Noah Montemarano), Belinda (Meghan Audi), and Freddy (Max Moss) keep encountering different problems from nosebleeds to lost contact lenses and much more.

Act two opens with a twist as the set is turned around during the intermission so the audience gets a look at the situation backstage. If the dress rehearsal in act one was a mess, it is nothing compared to the mess going on backstage during act two. It is in this act that the characters Selsdon (Kai Huang), Poppy (Selma Benhassine), and Tim (Blair Jones) shine through. Although the dialogue was kept to a minimum to fit in with the setting of backstage, the choreography kept the audience entertained and laughing as actors scrambled back and forth on stage what can be summed up as an organized chaotic mess. It was hard to believe the play could get any better.

But it does. While act one and two tells the audience what to expect when the characters put on the play “Nothing On” correctly, act three completely tears down these expectations. Instead of completing their tasks the way Lloyd tells them to, it appears that nothing is going the way it is supposed to be going on opening night, all adding on to the comedy of the scene. We watch as the characters go through hilarious attempts at improvising (all part of the script of course) to salvage what they can while other characters, specifically Selsdon, destroy what ever is left of the play.

By the end of the night, one thing was clear, “Noises Off” is a fantastic production that deserves a much larger audience than the one it had on Friday night. It was the perfect comedy from start to end. I didn’t expect myself to be saying this but I cannot wait to return to RM and shoot photos for the Saturday night cast so that I can enjoy the performance once more.

If you have are not busy next Thursday or Saturday night, “Noises Off” is the perfect show to see. And honestly, even if you are busy, I highly recommend you still find time to see it. Trust me, it is definitely worth it.

Tickets can be purchased at the door or by clicking here.

The full cast list is as follows:

Thursday/Friday Night Cast:

Lloyd – Oscar Saywell

Garry – Noah Montemarano

Frederick – Max Moss

Selsdon – Kai Huang

Tim – Blair Jones

Dotty – Audra Jacobs

Brooke – Jennifer Flores

Belinda – Meghan Audi

Poppy – Selma Benhassine