Nothing On
Nothing On is the play in Noises Off. It is set in a house outside London, with Mrs. Clackett, the housekeeper, taking care of it as the owners, Philip and Flavia Brent, are now living in Spain. It is Mrs. Clackett’s day off but she decides to stay in and watch television and eat sardines.
Mrs. Clackett, Flavia, and Garry in Noises Off
Garry and Vicki trying to figure out if they have the house to themselves
Roger Tramplemain, an estate agent, comes in with Vicki, a tax clerk. She thinks that it is his house, and the two are desperate to sleep with each other. They are surprised to see Mrs. Clackett.
They all exit and Philip and Flavia Brent return home, thinking there is no one around. When they run into Mrs. Clackett, they make her promise not to tell anyone she saw them. Roger and Vicki grow increasingly scared, thinking there are ghosts after hearing noises and discovering that things have been moved around the house. When they interrogate Mrs. Clackett, she denies seeing anyone.
Nothing On called for one burglar, but Noises Off brought three
They continue moving in and out of rooms, each unaware of the other couple’s presence. Things take an interesting turn when a burglar breaks in the house.
The climax is reached when they all discover each other, each mistaking one another for someone else.
Noises Off is a complicated and layered play, but Repertory Philippines managed to pull the impossible off, smoothly transitioning from Nothing On to Noises Off with a flick of a finger. The real life actors gave tons of energy and did a fantastic job. This writer was particularly impressed by Carla Guevara-Laforteza, whose portrayal of Brooke Ashton as Vicki stole the show. Equally commendable was Shiela Valderrama-Martinez as Belinda Blair and Flavia Brent, whose descent into “madness” was hilarious to watch.
Noises Off‘s Dotty has had it with the backstage antics
The backstage chaos of Nothing On
The Dotty and Garry dynamic of Noises Off is hilarious and intriguing
As for the others, they were brilliant, especially during Act II when they are literally running around, switching from backstage to onstage in a matter of seconds.
It’s dizzying, hilarious, and crazy. This is a play that deserves to be watched many times, if only to understand the complexity of the actors’ movements.
When in Manila and you want to be truly entertained, catch Repertory Philippines’ Noises Off!
Repertory Philippines
Showdates | March 28 – April 13 / April 25-27, 2014
Address | Onstage Theater, Greenbelt 1, Makati
Facebook | repertoryphilippines
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Tickets | Ticketworld
Photos | Courtesy of Repertory Philippines
Repertory Philippines is Making Noise With Noises Off
