This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Arts & Entertainment

'Noises Off': A Bit of Brit at the Coastal Rep

You don't have to be a fan of British humo(u)r to get some good laughs while watching The Coastal Rep's latest production.

isn't the only Brit on the block this winter with the arrival of "Noises Off," a slapstick piece of theater playing at the (Coastal Rep) until March 5.

Written by Michael Frayn, directed by Mark Drumm and produced by Denise Delaney, this play is most certainly British in its humor, but derives its cross-cultural appeal to Americans through fast-paced action and slapstick humor. The laughs come from the gaffes of a cast of actors whose backstage antics interfere with the production taking place at the front of the stage.

The story unfolds in three acts: in the first, the cast is having trouble rehearsing a mishap-free "Nothing On" (the play-within-a-play) shortly before opening night. Granted, the play is a complicated set of sequenced and looped door open-door shut, upstairs-downstairs shuffle of characters -- yet it becomes evident that the actors in the "Nothing On" play are somewhat distracted because of some real-life drama going-ons, not just because of the inherent complications of the play itself. 

Find out what's happening in Half Moon Baywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Act II takes place during a matinee of the production almost a month after opening night. For this act, the set of "Noises Off" is the backstage of the "Nothing On" production (are you confused yet?). This vantage point gives the audience a hilarious inside look at all the chaos, confusion, and hapless-and-harried performances each "Nothing On" actor gives when trying to co-exist and manage two parallel on-stage, off-stage universes (and identities) moving faster than any can handle. (For the record, the performances of the "Noises Off" actors were impressive).

(Semi-Spoiler Alert!) The final act takes place on the front stage of "Nothing On" over a month and a half after the disastrous matinee. Students of three-act structure might think that the third act would involve some sort of improvement and redemption among the "Nothing On" actors and their performances -- yet the performances and the state of the actors' real-life relationships in "Nothing On" just devolve further and further.

Find out what's happening in Half Moon Baywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The nearly three-hour play is punctuated by intermissions after Act I and II. Act I is slow and lacks the exaggerated scenarios, slapstick and fast pace of Act II and III, making one wonder where the plot is headed. But be patient, as you'll be duly rewarded later in the evening for sitting through Act I and the intermission.

The intermission is part of the fun, in fact. One can try to channel British culture through drinking a $1 cup of tea and inspecting an authentic collection of items on loan in the reception area from Cameron Palmer, owner of Cameron's Restaurant and Inn, a neighbor of the Coastal Rep. The display includes a bejeweled crown, a police hat, a silver tea set, "biscuits" (cookies), a package of PG Tips (a popular brand of tea manufactured in Britain), and, in a nod to the plot, a plate and can of sardines. Topping it off is Cameron's black taxi parked outside.

Theatergoers at last night's production were honored by a visit from the queen herself. Will she visit Half Moon Bay again? Stop by to find out.

Noises Off! opened on February 11 and runs until March 5. You can buy tickets online here or by calling the box office at (650) 569-3266. For more information, call the theater at (650) 726-0998 or email them at info@coastalrep.org.

, 1167 Main St., Half Moon Bay

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?