‘Noises Off’ Review: It’s Got the Laughs, but Not Clear Characterization

Walking into Lyric Stage Boston, one is greeted with a complex and immense two-story set — a perfect premonition of the extravagant and bizarre performance ahead. “Noises Off” has a reputation that has cemented it as a fan-favorite comedy that is ridiculous in all the right ways. Split into three parts, the show begins with a tumultuous dress rehearsal, then devolves into ill-fated performances.

Through its complex plotline of a play-within-a-play coupled with the outrageous drama encountered along the way, “Noises Off” is a farce sure to leave audiences breathless with laughter, and the performance by the Lyric Stage Boston is no different. While Lyric Stage Boston’s production is funny beyond a doubt, its success could be amplified by the actors more clearly setting apart their dual personas.

“Noises Off” is inherently challenging for audiences to follow, as each actor plays dual roles. To maintain engagement, it’s crucial for actors to clearly differentiate their characters—a skill Lyric Stage Boston's performers could refine. This effect can be achieved through distinct mannerisms or subtle accents, tailored to each role. For example, a clear distinction is made between Dotty Otley (Amy Barker) and her play-within-a-play counterpart, Mrs. Clackett, through a stark contrast in accents — Cockney for Mrs. Clackett and a more mainstream British accent for Dotty. In addition to this distinction, the two have differences in posture, as Mrs. Clackett is an older housekeeper, while Dotty is a (slightly) younger diva. In Lyric Stage Boston’s performance, Barker could emphasize this more, particularly during Dotty’s first appearance, to prevent confusion and ensure that jokes land more effectively.

Another actor with an unclear distinction between her two roles was Grace Experience, whose character Brooke portrays Vicki in the play within a play. Brooke/Vicki is distinct and hilarious because her onstage persona is more clever and less dramatic than her “real life” character. Experience portrays Brooke as easily confused and ditsy, but while the other characters switch into their onstage personas, Brooke remains with the same one-note personality. Brooke may not be the sharpest, but she is not a bad actress — Experience’s portrayal creates a lack of depth and more importantly, contrast, which causes many of Brooke/Vicki’s jokes to fall flat as she remains on the same level throughout the play, simply stumbling around.

This misguided characterization is even echoed through Experience’s brightly colored, modern costuming compared to the rest of the cast’s more muted ’90s palette. Experience falls slightly short in distinguishing her two characters, resulting in a one-dimensional portrayal that diminishes the impact of Brooke/Vicki’s humor and creates a lack of contrast.

However, the differences between the characters Freddie (Michael Jennings Mahoney) and Belinda (Chip Phillips) and their onstage personas, Mr. and Mrs. Brent, are more subtle but still need to be distinct. Belinda is the mechanism that keeps the play-within-a-play running, often as the mediator and problem solver. While her character, on the other hand, is frivolous and exaggerated. Furthermore, it would be fitting for Belinda and Flavia to have distinct accents, as this would effectively emphasize Flavia's refined and posh demeanor.

Belinda, conversely, is a struggling working actor. Phillips has a good accent overall but fails to make an accent distinction between her characters. Meanwhile, Freddie exhibits the same dynamic in reverse, portraying a rational character onstage while embodying a more dramatic persona in real life. Both actors give excellent performances of their two characters, but the lines blur between who is being portrayed at any given time.

All of these contrasts are vital because they lay the groundwork for the audience to understand which character is being portrayed as the play speeds up in the following acts. As the play progresses and the pace accelerates, these subtle character contrasts become vital for keeping the story clear and engaging, especially as the play’s pace increases exponentially in the second and third acts. Although the performers of Lyric Stage Boston have the basics of the differences between each of their two characters down, these differences need to be played up in order to become obvious to the audience.

Throughout the intermissions and transitions between acts, many audience members stay glued to their seats to experience the crew entirely flip the set, so the front now faces the back and the audience can see the backstage. The set flip has an extreme level of difficulty worth dreading for any production of “Noises Off,” but Lyric Stage Boston expertly pulls off the switch. Set designer Erik D. Diaz manages to maintain a highly intricate set while ensuring a smooth and efficient set change.

After the set change, Acts II and III perfectly capture the script’s intended tone: Fast, frantic, and absurd, drawing plenty of laughs — though a few aspects could have been approached differently to amplify these strengths even more. For instance, a central item in the second act is an axe that many cast members use; but as every character uses the axe, its supposed weight changes, with some characters falling to the ground under its weight while others easily throw it. Although there are a large number of props in the second act, it is important that each retains its realism, and the changing of the axe makes it apparent that it is a piece of plastic.

Furthermore, because of how fast these latter two acts are, the audience once again needs a bit of guidance. Due to the sheer number of events unfolding in each moment, the audience is often unsure where to focus their attention, and this is problematic because each event builds on top of one another for comprehension of the plot and humor. It is vital for the cast to clearly choose where the key point is in every moment, and then assure that the audience will be looking there. While the cast may know what is the key moment, those unfamiliar with the plot have a lot to soak in.

Overall, Lyric Stage Boston’s “Noises Off” thrives on its chaotic energy. A few adjustments to character distinctions and audience guidance could elevate an already strong production into an exceptional one. For the love of doors and sardines, Lyric Stage Boston: Help the audience out a bit.

“Noises Off” runs at Lyric Stage Boston through Dec. 22.

—Staff writer Ava E. Silva can be reached at ava.silva@thecrimson.com.