"Noises Off!" - The Set.
The set came from The Border Studio in Selkirk Scotland.
Stage Right: the bathroom/WC suite, the gallery with the linen cupboard and the master bedroom came on a revolving truck.
Stage Left: downstairs bathroom, windows, front door, study and kitchen came as 5 seperate 12 ft flats. We've decided to build another revolving truck and fit these flats together so we could turn them around quicker. ( under 4 min)
Act One
Noises Off follows the cast of a theatre group rehearsing for a play called "Nothing On", which opens the following day. We meet the cast and begin to get to know them - both as their character's name and the part they are playing in the play. The set is a delightful 16th century posset mill, lovingly converted. We are watching their final rehearsal (dress or tech) on the evening before the opening of the show.
Act Two.
This is the cleverest act in many ways. The set is reversed, so we now see the cast performing "Nothing On" from a rear view and we are privy to the total chaos backstage. It is a month after the dress rehearsal of the first act and there are plenty of tensions between the cast.
We find out about who has feelings for who, various extra marital affairs going on and all the conflicts, alcohol, tensions, jealousy and rivalry coming out of them. It all leads to farcical situations that the funniest playwright could only dream about. This is an act full of physical comedy, especially an impressive array of intricate and fast-moving throwing of props. There is so much going on, that it is hard to know where to look !
Act Three.
The final act sees the set back the right way, as it was for the first act. This is a further two months later and by this time, most of the cast and crew are feuding, so they try to trip each other up (often quite literally), while still somehow performing the play. It was hard to remember the script as well as all the running up and down stairs, through doors and windows, while dealing with various props - especially bags, boxes, whisky bottles and plates of sardines.
