There can often be a significant challenge in adapting a stage play to the big screen, as the two mediums require completely different production values and styles of performances. Many of the best productions of all-time succeeded because of the intimacy and authenticity that came with seeing the performances live, which is inherently impossible for a cinematic vehicle. At the same time, films that try too hard to replicate the stripped-down, sparse production of a stage play may feel cinematically uninteresting as a result. Peter Bogdanovich was a veteran of both mediums, and managed to avoid many of these common issues when he crafted his adaptation of the popular stage play Noises Off. A witty tale about the eccentric personalities involved in theater, Noises Off is a hilarious satire of show business that features great comedic performances from Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve.
What Is ‘Noises Off’ About?
Noises Off follows a group of actors who prepare dress rehearsals for their impending performance of a sexual farce titled Nothing On, which is expected to make its stateside premiere after being widely successful in the United Kingdom. Caine stars Lloyd Fellowes, the overworked director who has stretched his sanity in order to ensure that his actors are on track. Reeve stars as Frederick Dallas, a quiet, sensitive actor who finds it nearly impossible to give a legitimate performance if he does not have a complete understanding of the context of each scene. Lloyd finds it increasingly challenging to spend extra time with Dallas, as he is tasked with wrangling the rest of the cast, including the former star Dotty Otley (Carol Burnett), the aging character actor Selsdon Mowbray (Denholm Elliot), the irritable agitator Garry Lejeune (John Ritter), the short-sighted leading actress Brooke Ashton (Nicollette Sheridan), the excitable performer Belinda Blair (Marilu Henner), and his put-upon assistant Poppy Taylor (Julie Hagerty). Even if the play itself was intended to be comedic, Lloyd’s desperate attempt to prevent it from becoming a disaster becomes rather thrilling.
Noises Off is entertaining on two fronts, as both the in-universe play and the “behind-the-scenes” look at what the actors are doing are very entertaining. Even though the film ends up repeating the same gags multiple times because the actors are forced to play out their jokes anytime they mess up, it becomes amusing to see the subtle changes in their performances, and how reactive they tend to be to any passing comments Lloyd makes about potential improvement. The film is also successful at keying the viewer into the sequence of events that are required for the show to move forward without issues; if there is even one minor iteration in the continuity, the play could go off track and become very confusing. This becomes particularly hilarious in the second half, in which the live performances begin, as tension between the stars results in them purposefully trying to sabotage one another between stage entrances, resulting in a show that goes wildly off the rails.
Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve Are a Great Comic Duo
Caine has a very subdued, dry sense of humor that makes him perfect for the role of Lloyd, as he essentially sees himself as an authoritative figure who has to build something out of the chaotic rehearsals. Although it is funny to see how Lloyd reacts to the various arguments, complaints, and miscalculations that are made by the actors, it becomes even more hilarious when his personal romantic affairs become noticeable to the other members of the production. No scenes in the film are funnier than when Lloyd is forced to watch his actors give a disastrous live performance, and must run backstage to prevent the show from completely collapsing.
Following their work together on the excellent adaptation of Deathtrap from director Sidney Lumet, Caine and Reeve once again prove to be a terrific screen duo that could draw out the best in one another. The sensitivity and grace that Reeve showed in his performance as Clark Kent is playfully subverted, as he plays a good-natured actor whose idiosyncrasies become more grating to his co-stars as the show continues. Despite the conflict they find themselves in, Lloyd and Dallas are arguably the two members of the production most invested in its success. Thanks to the great chemistry between Reeve and Caine, Noises Off is a hilarious, yet entirely earnest celebration of the people strangely dedicated to show business.
