Actor Chris Ralph loses his head — and pants — in madcap comedy Noises Off

( Photo: Christopher King )  

Noises Off, an English play written in 1982, was once called “the funniest play written in [his] lifetime” by New York Times critic Frank Rich. It has been performed hundreds of times and interpreted in countless ways.

The play-within-a-play is madcap, high-energy and can be incredibly difficult to stage, according to John P. Kelly, the director of the Gladstone Theatre’s fall production of Noises.

Kelly said his decision to direct the legendary work was made only half seriously. He was discussing with Gladstone owner Steve Martin how they could follow up on the success of the theatre’s first season last year.

Martin asked what play could be funnier and more crowd-pleasing than the 2008 season-opener,

How The Other Half Loves.

There was a pause and then . . .

“My reaction was to say ‘there isn’t anything funnier than Other Half,’ but then in a weak moment I asked ‘what about Noises Off? On the one hand I’d love to do this but on the other hand I’d have to be crazy to, because it’s impossible,’” said Kelly. 

Martin loved the idea and Kelly was stuck with it.

Noises is about a travelling troupe of less-than-talented actors who are trying to put on a show — trying being the key word here. The audience follows the actors on and off-stage throughout their performances of an absolutely disastrous play.
 
“Everything that can go wrong, does go wrong,” Kelly explained.
 
“And behind the stage — it’s just crazy mayhem. It’s also about the different love affairs that are developing between the different actors in the play, and the jealousies, and the fights and other nastiness that goes on behind the stage. It’s just absolute madness.”

The key to managing the craziness of the script’s rapid-fire dialogue and slapstick comedy, said Kelly, is organization.

“There are eight doors on stage, and then a window, and people spend two-and-a-half hours going in and out of those doors at speed,” he explained.

“It looks to the audience like total, disorganized mayhem, but it’s organized mayhem. The whole thing is in many ways like looking at a ballet because it’s constant, controlled movement. Everything down to the movement of a finger is organized and planned. The timing has to be absolutely precise, because it’s not real — but it has to look real.”

A rotating set built by award-winning designer Ivo Valentik adds to the on-stage illusions.

Luckily, the play will feature

some of the area’s strongest actors, including Margo MacDonald, co-founder of Ottawa’s Company of Fools, and Chris Ralph, who has starred in IMAX films.

Kelly has high hopes for the production. He said that it’s the prefect divertissement; if pulled off correctly it will be therapeutic for audiences, taking them to a silly, worry-free place for an evening.

“I think the important word in all of this is entertainment. At a time when people are thinking very seriously about the recession and everyone worries about one thing or another, this is just straightforward, sheer entertainment and it’s also very athletic entertainment. It’s very fast moving, for two-and-a-half hours. If that doesn’t appeal, what does?”

Noises Off will show at the Gladstone Theatre from Sept. 3 until Oct. 10.