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Noises Off Written by Michael Frayn
Directed by David Sinclair
Season is 31 August to 9 September 2023.
Shows start 7:30pm with matinee on Saturday 9 September at 2pm. Performances at the Arts Theatre in the city.
AUDITIONS!
Act One
Noises Off opens during the final dress rehearsal of the play within the play, Nothing On. It is mere hours before the opening of the premiere of the farce. The play is in shambles, much to the dismay of director Lloyd Dallas who is at his wit’s end—halting the show every few lines to correct the fumbling and sometimes missing actors. The actors themselves are greatly distracted by personal problems ranging from divorce, illicit love affairs, missing contact lenses, and a good number of nosebleeds. Coupled with these personal challenges,
it is clear that the actors cannot remember lines, entrances, exits, blocking, and in the case of Brooke—what the play is about or what she is doing. Actor, Garry Lejeune, claims to be unaware that the rehearsal is indeed a final dress rehearsal, claiming that “we’re all thinking of it as the technical.” Lloyd Dallas patiently sits in the darkened auditorium, shouting directions to the befuddled cast.
Act Two
For this act, the real audience sees backstage as the set has been turned 180 degrees during the intermission. The real audience can hear actors performing the play Nothing On but see
the actors and their commotion backstage. The play has been on the road for one month now and the production chaos continues. The quality of interpersonal relationships and
acting performances have deteriorated significantly. Garry and Dotty, who had previously
been in a relationship, are at odds after Garry sees Dotty flirting with the clueless Frederick.
Both Garry and Dotty initially refuse to perform, locking themselves in their respective dressing rooms. Confusion ensues, as Selsdon appears in and out of the woman’s bathroom
in order to sneak slugs of whiskey, the front of house calls have been repeated out of order countless times, and Frederick begins another nosebleed. Garry attempts to murder Frederick, as Dotty makes matters worse. All of these personal struggles occur at the same time as they are performing Nothing On. Most of the actors, in a state of heightened agitation, miss entrances, flub lines, as the performance runs amok.
Act Three
Yet another month later, the tour of Nothing On is reaching an end. The audience is reoriented to be sitting in front of the stage once more, as the set has again been turned 180 degrees. Act Three opens with an apology to the audience for the delay in starting the production of Nothing On, while several cast members shriek behind the curtain. The personal drama between the actors seems to have reached a fever pitch. When Nothing On finally begins, it’s only vaguely reminiscent of the show we’ve seen in the last two acts. However, the ramshackle bunch somehow manages to carry it off with numerous additions,
deletions, and improvisatory bits.
Roles Available:
Dotty Otley/Mrs Clackett: This role has already been cast.
Brooke Ashton/Vivki:
Age: 20 to 35
Accent: Standard British and Essex Accent
Brooke is young and beautiful, but a terrible actress. Brooke is incapable of taking direction. She is spacey and tuned-out - whether onstage or off. She is blind as a bat without her contacts, which have a tendency to pop out at bad times. Brooke is secretly dating Lloyd. In Nothing On, she plays the part of Vicki who is trying to woo Roger.
Poppy Norton-Taylor:
Age: 20's to mid 30's
Accent: Standard British
The assistant stage manager of Nothing On; overworked and often on the verge of tears. She works frantically to keep the show from completely falling apart, a hopeless task. Her affair with Lloyd
leads to a surprise announcement.
Belinda Blair/Flavia:
Age: 30's to late 40's
Accent: Standard British
Belinda Blair is an experienced actress who is positive, reliable, and charming. She is a goodhearted busybody who know all the gossip about the company. She attempts to keep the show going as it unravels. In Nothing On, she plays the part of Flavia, who is Phillip’s dependable wife opposed to household duties.
Lloyd Dallas:
Age: 30 to 50's
Accent: Standard British
The director of Nothing On, the farce that the characters in Noises Off are attempting to perform. Lloyd is passionate, suave, and extremely harried. He has a hot temper which he barely manages to keep in check, most of the time, as he watches his production go from bad to worse to disaster. He is secretly dating both Brooke and Poppy which leads to much trouble.
Garry Lejeune/Roger Tramplemain:
Age: 20 to 40
Accent: Standard British
Garry means well and believes in “The Theatre.” He tries to keep the show going and everyone’s morale up, but often has trouble finishing his sentences. His good nature is replaced with jealousy when he believes Dotty has begun carrying on with Frederick. In Nothing On, Garry plays the part of
Roger, a real estate agent who is attempting to rent the house; but uses it for a place to have an affair with Vicki.
Frederick Fellowes/Phillip Brent/Sheikh:
Age: 20 to 40
Accent: Standard British
Frederick (Freddy) is a neurotic, bumbling actor who is filled with self-doubt but is a sweet man. He is not the brightest bulb in the box. Always has a thousand questions about his lines and blocking. He often gets nosebleeds. In Nothing On, he plays the part of Phillip Brent who is currently living in Spain with his wife Flavia. He also plays the part of Sheikh who is interested in renting the home and his the spitting image of Phillip.
Tim Allgood:
Age: 20 to 30
Accent: Standard British
Nothing On’s long-suffering stage manager who is completely exhausted and sleep deprived. He’s responsible for an inhuman number of tasks and is forced to understudy everybody.
Selsdon Mowbray/The Burglar:
Age: 65+
Accent: Standard British and Cockney
Selsdon is a cheerful, elderly, alcoholic who forgets his lines and misses his entrances. The entire cast attempts to keep him from getting his hands on bottles of booze. Panic reigns when he cannot be found at all. In Nothing On, he plays the part of an elderly burglar breaking into the Brent’s home
Auditions:
Book your 15 minute slot by emailing Laura at [email protected]
Please advise which character/s you wish to audition for and whether you would prefer a morning or afternoon slot. You will receive a short monologue from the play. You do not need to memorise the monologue.
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Event Venue
The Adelaide Repertory Theatre (Adelaide Rep), 53 Angas Street,Adelaide,SA,Australia
Tickets
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