0
0
Okay, so I’m breaking out of the mold a little this month. Anyone who’s been following this column for a while knows that I’m a…well, let’s just say I’m an enthusiastic supporter of Broadway musicals. But, of course, we all know that there’s that non-song-and-dance part of the theatre scene, too…plays. This month—and hopefully, more often in months to come—I’m going to be talking a little bit about Broadway and West End plays that have been made into movies (admittedly, with varying levels of success).
I’ll kick off this discussion with the 1992 movie version of the play Noises Off! The movie is based on a play of the same name that details a British troupe of actors struggling to put on a truly dreadful British sex comedy called “Nothing On.” The cast of “Nothing On” is small—six actors, plus two stagehands and a director at the end of his rapidly fraying rope—and naturally, everyone gets romantically involved with everyone else.
The three acts of Noises Off! chronicle three separate performances of “Nothing On.” The first act is the dress rehearsal the night before the play opens. The second act is a performance in the middle of the run, when some of the romances have started to experience complications, and the actors’ disagreements with each other start to negatively affect their performances. The brilliance of the second act is that it takes place backstage and in almost complete silence. Done correctly, it’s physical comedy at its best. And the third act is a performance near the end of the run, when the actors are bored and anxious to be done with the show and the personal relationships are completely falling apart.
The film version is almost exactly like the play, except for a few minor changes. The setting of the “Nothing On” tour changes from Britain to America (the play within the play is still British, but the actors are American, which is a big change from the play). Also, the movie inserts little vignettes with Lloyd (Michael Caine), the director, in between acts—a choice that’s annoying to some people, but I think it’s a good framing device for the movie.
The movie isn’t very well-known (good luck finding it in your local video store), but if you can get your hands on a copy, you’re in for a treat. The material is handled brilliantly by some of Hollywood’s most wonderful comedic actors: Michael Caine, Carol Burnett, John Ritter, Christopher Reeve, Nicollette Sheridan, Marilu Henner, Denholm Elliott, Julie Hagerty, and Mark Linn-Baker. The entire cast is talented, but there are three real standouts. Michael Caine plays the frustrated director to perfection, delivering each line with the perfect amount of annoyance. John Ritter, who always had a gift for physical comedy, makes his character, Garry Lejuene, one of the highlights of the film. And Carol Burnett once again shows off her brilliant comedic timing as Dotty, the lead actress.
Noises Off! is a particularly entertaining movie if you’ve ever been involved in a theatrical production—either onstage or off. The first act, especially, is full of the hiccups and annoyances that come with any dress rehearsal—with actors missing their cues, people stopping the action to ask questions about character motivation, and the director becoming frustrated and blowing up at everyone. But even if you’ve never stepped foot in a playhouse, you’ll appreciate the hilarity of this movie. It’s a nonstop laugh fest from beginning to end.
