Went to see this last night at Darlington Civic and highly recommend this to anyone in the AmDram circle. Never have I seen a full house laugh continuously from open to close with no rest. If you can't recognise either yourself or another member as one of these characters then you haven't been in AmDram long enough!

Basically the show is about a group, Otstar Productions, in final rehearsal for their "world tour" of Nothing On and the action takes in the final dress rehearsal, wednesday matinee and final evening performance. We take in both front and backstage action with the two getting confused most of the time wnding up with most of the cast wanting to kill at least one other member at some point.

Phillip Franks, Paul Bradley and Sylvester McCoy star. Andrew Pointon as Tim the stage manager is hillarious and highlight must be his having to read in a character on opening night.

Our producer has seen it 3 times and is convinced that most of our group could be recognised in the characters.

Check to see if it tours in your local theatre and get to see it

Sadly because it is so good it's actually difficult to get the rights to perform it! Another local group tried last year and couldn't get it. But agree Richard that it really is super!

I'm actually very dubious about the show. Don't get me wrong I think its great. I even designed the set for a production of it once - but in the end we change the production due to cost. No my problem is that because of it's popularity alot of groups do it and do it badly.

The thing with farces it that the timing required is beyond a lot of groups - with that and shaky ill thought out sets tend to ruin a great production.

Oh I agree with all that Martin. Wholeheartedly. Why is it that so many amateur groups do farces - and then proceed to do them REALLY badly? Yes, many audiences like comedy but farce is so difficult to do well.

One of the main things about Noises Off (one of my absolute favourite farces) is that you can't get away with 'carrying' a single person. Every cast member has to be very very good - experienced, completely at home on stage, good characterisation and pretty well a photographic memory for lines! And I HAVE seen it done badly more than once.

In a lot of farces, there's the odd role that you can give to that member of the group who's been with you for 20 years and has to be given a role in every show - but not Noises Off.

Does it all ring true with Directors though. I can certainly relate to having tech rehearsal going past midnight, indeed our old lighting manager once stayed all night re-programming the desk after the settings were lost.

You need a good inner strength to be a director/producer I believe which is why no-one really wants our current one to retire at any time.

One night?!!! Hah!

This director and lighting designer moved into the theatre at 4.00am on the Sunday, finally leaving after the first performance on Wednesday night!

Yep, it all rings true!!



Now try Chorus of Disapproval - see how much of that you recognise in your group.