Noises Off

Don’t miss the fortieth anniversary of Michael Frayn’s timeless comedy Noises Off at the Phoenix Theatre.

In this hilarious "play-within-a-play," you'll discover what happens behind the stage curtain. Told over three acts, the show follows a touring theatre company at different stages of putting on a fictional story — Nothing On. From the beginning, it's pretty clear that nothing will go right: final rehearsals in Weston-super-Mare, matinee performances in Ashton-Under-Lyme, and the last performance in Stockton-on-Tees all have their issues.

The chaos in this comedy play isn't just down to Nothing On though. In this farce, there's mistaken identities, lost props, and angry directors and stage managers all demanding that the show must go on. But can the show go on?

See one of the greatest British comedy plays.

Michael Frayn’s comedy started off at Lyric Hammersmith in 1982, and soon took over the West End. Noises Off ran at the Savoy Theatre for five years and won an Olivier Award for Best Comedy. Even though the play relies on British humour, audiences continue to laugh worldwide: three Broadway productions featuring the likes of Patti LuPone and Megan Hilty demonstrate its universal appeal.

Noises Off returned to the Lyric Hammersmith — and eventually a West End transfer — in 2019, featuring Meera Syal as Dotty Otley. Now, 40 years later since its first performance, Noises Off in London celebrates its milestone anniversary at the Phoenix Theatre.

What to Watch For:

• Felicity Kendal will play Dotty Otley. The Good Life star appears in her second West End show in two years — she also played Evangeline Harcourt in Anything Goes.
• You’re spoilt for choice with the West End actors involved with the show. The cast includes Matthew Kelly, Jonathan Coy, Tracy Ann-Oberman, and Joseph Milson.
• If you’ve been in a play before, you may recognise people you know in some of the characters: Lloyd Dallas is the director, performer Frederick Fellowes has a fear of blood, Belinda Blair keeps the peace between cast members, plus there’s Tim Allgood the overworked stage manager.
• The Noises Off play started out as a short show, called Exits. The show title changed as a way of acknowledging the offstage sounds you may hear during a performance.