Does anyone know the title of this play??

Hi There, I'm living in a remote part of Indonesia at the moment, resources are limited and I need a question answered if anyone can help?! A drama teacher I've met(also an expat Aussie) needs to find a play that she remembers seeing with John English in it ... I said I'd help out. Her words were: "it's about this acting compant putting on a show. The first act is the show they are putting on, the 2nd act was the behind the scenes and the 3rd back to the show now that you knew what was really going on. It was really clever " Does anyone know the name of the play?? Or, where we might be able to get a copy of it? I'm only a new member, so I'm not that well versed with this site, but would love some help. Thanks very much, Georgia

Yep, as Kerri says it sounds like 'Noises Off' to me. GRADS did a rather decent production of it a few years back (directed by Stephen Lee). Definitely a script worth checking out. I usually DETEST the overused plot of 'a play about people doing a play'. It is usually full of overworn cliches about bad but well-meaning ammateur directors and prima donna actors (always combined with the one really sweet but nervous actor that gets it right in the end...) and isn't nearly as funny for the audience as it is for the performers laughing at 'just how much 'x' character reminds them of Wanda who they did that show with last year'....ggrrrrrrr.... BUT 'Noises Off' is something of a breath of fresh air. Genuinely funny - as in witty rather than relying on predictable cliches - believable characters, a good pace, nice mix of high-brow and low-brow, and not overly predictable. It struck me as being a difficult show to put on, just because of the pacing of it - the production I saw was at a largely break-neck pace and I don't think the play would work nearly as well if you slowed it down. Certainly a fun script though.

good script if that's the one

Thread (6 posts)