Noises Off: Farcical Turducken Rachel Lynch 12th Grade

In 1970, Michael Frayn watched from backstage as actors in his series of short plays stumbled through doors, raced across the set, and managed their own drama in between scenes, a view which became the inspiration for “the funniest farce ever written” (Thornton)—Noises Off. Seven years later, Frayn wrote the first draft of what would develop into Noises Off, a farce-within-a-farce that takes its audience backstage during a miserably-acted production of a flop called Nothing On. Frayn incorporates classic elements of farce, such as dramatic irony, physical humor, misunderstandings, and exaggeration. These elements, combined with the play’s three-act structure, create a laugh-out-loud funny production that has been historically adored by critics and audiences alike.

Noises Off opens at a dress rehearsal for the play-within-the-play, Nothing On. The actors of Nothing On struggle with their lines, miss their cues, and generally disappoint Lloyd, their director, actions which predict their moves throughout the play. The characters, as in most farces, are more caricature than person, each an exaggerated stereotype of the struggling actor. In Act One, Frayn introduces the cast and uses the character of Belinda to hint at their...