On Theater: Joyful ‘Noises’ in a comedy classic
Don’t let anyone tell you there’s a funnier play out there than Michael Frayn’s “Noises Off.” There simply isn’t, as Golden West College currently is illustrating.
It’s also a show that carries a gargantuan degree of difficulty for actors and directors, which may explain why it’s not revived every now and again. Director Martie Ramm has overcome that difficulty — in spades — in her side-splitting Golden West production, which closes its brief engagement this weekend.
“Noises Off” has been around for a few decades and inspired an equally hilarious movie version directed by Peter Bogdanovich with an all-star cast (Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, John Ritter, Christopher Reeve). But it’s best viewed live with a company skilled in farcical teamwork, an element present in abundance at the Huntington Beach college.
Frayn’s wild yet witty British farce is a “showbiz comedy” in which a troupe of performers are rehearsing and then performing another farcical piece titled “Nothing On,” involving a half-dozen actors and a plate of sardines, the comings and goings of which ignite considerable bursts of laughter.
What’s really hilarious are the comings and goings of the performers, who are called on to burst into and out of some eight doorways and a window during the course of the show, much to the exasperation of the director (an exceptional Steve DeForest), who’s hurrying to finish off this project so he can move on to staging “Richard III” in Florida. DeForest projects the ideal aura of frustrated authority as his best intentions unravel around him.
The centerpiece of the Golden West comedy is Merci Hase as the actress playing the frumpy maid Mrs. Clackett, who’s referred to by a plethora of monikers and has a considerable amount of money in the show. Hase displays terrific comic timing as she attempts to ramrod the sardines, which keep appearing and reappearing at inopportune moments.
The standout of the production is Devon Suraco as the actor who rarely finishes a sentence and drops “you know” into his dialogue on a multitude of occasions. Suraco’s character is having a bit of a fling with Hase’s, and he bursts into a furious rage at other cast members he suspects of alienating his affections.
As the vacuous cutie Suraco’s character brings to the play’s setting for a little slap and tickle, Lauren Uranga exudes understated sexiness combined with continual confusion. Her lost contact lens stops the rehearsal and the performance, since she’s virtually blind without the aid.
Geoffrey Varga excels as the confused actor whose nose bleeds at the sight of violence (Reeve scored in that role at the height of his “Superman” fame). The tall, muscular Varga plays much of his action while covering his bloody nose with a handkerchief and hopping about the stage with his pants rolled around his ankles.
There’s usually one “straight” role in this sort of madcap comedy, and Samantha Bussard draws the short straw on this one. Bussard is quite capable in her supporting assignment, striving to keep the action on an even keel and leaving the punch lines to the others.
The play’s “burglar,” a boozy old actor named Selsdon, typically is enacted by a more mature performer, but this is a collegiate production and young Jonathan Dean fills the bill, if not the age range, splendidly. His futile attempts to snatch a bottle of liquor during the backstage segment generate considerable comedy.
Mary Frances Conover enriches the role of the weepy stage manager who’s cozy with the director, while Jeffrey Black neatly assumes the part of the overworked and underappreciated backstage assistant.
The two-level setting with its multiple doors — borrowed in toto from Fullerton College — is perfect for this modern classic comedy. When it’s reversed for Act II, and we glimpse the frenetic action backstage, the degree of laughter goes through the roof.
“Noises Off” is a physically exhausting exercise that pays off in audience delight, a show that deserves much more attention than is offered by its two-weekend engagement at Golden West College.
TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot.
If You Go
What: “Noises Off”
Where: Golden West College Mainstage Theater, 15744 Goldenwest St., Huntington Beach
When: Closing performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday
Cost: $15 general, $13 for students and seniors
Information: (714) 895-8150 or https://www.gwctheater.com
