Reviews for Noises Off
- April 2006
Review by Nigel Kerton (03.05.06)
When playwright Michael Frayn wrote Noises Off he clearly had some
first hand knowledge of what goes on backstage in amateur drama.
His play presented by the Pewsey Amateur Dramatic Society last week carefully
if somewhat frenetically presents a rather larger than life view of the
backstage chaos.
It is cleverly written in three acts. Act one shows the rehearsals for a
production called Nothing On …and the village’s 2004 Carnival Queen Heather
Talbot did not have a lot on for much of this fast moving show. The set
is cleverly reversed for Act 2 to show the pandemonium and the carrying-on
behind the scenes. Act 3 is the last performance of the play with the scenery
back to how it was in the first act but with almost total anarchy by members
of the cast.
This is an award winning play and the PVADS production last Wednesday-Saturday
deserved an award all of its own. This farce has a lot of complicated lines
and needs split-second timing and really is a pinnacle of achievement for
any amateur group to perform successfully. It’s fair to say that the PVADS
presentation was faultless and would have done credit to a professional
touring company. It had the audience in stitches for most of the time and
although it seemed overly long it did require two major set changes.
Producers/directors Martin Clifton, Nettie Powell and Simone Lay not only
put together a great show they also had roles, Clifton’s as an inebriated
old thespian who was not sure what day it was let alone which act in the
Nothing On play. All of the cast were superb and knitted together in a professional
way to tackle a very difficult farce. They maintained the intensity throughout
and the audience loved it. It would be unfair to single out any individual
members of the cast; they worked as a fluent team. However special praise
is due to the set builders and the team that managed to turn it round not
once but twice each night for a run of four shows.
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Review by Frank
& Ann Valentine (03.05.06)
Congratulations The team made a difficult play look easy. We have not
yet stopped laughing. Very well done.
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Review by Pete
& Jan Hiscock (03.05.06)
Pete & I thoroughly enjoyed Noises Off on Saturday - you were all
very good.
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Review by Adele
(29.04.06)
They say that laughter helps you live longer - in that case the audiences
on Friday and Saturday nights performances of Noises Off will live to a
ripe old age. The laughter was almost hysterical and continued right the
way throughout the play.
This in itself is purely down to the fabulous timing by the entire cast.
Not only did they give absolutely every ounce of energy they had, they all
acted out of their skins, with such a non stop script like this everyone
should be very proud.
Farce lives or dies by the comic timing and it was perfect, I can honestly
say nothing has made me laugh so much in ages and judging from all those
around me the effect was universal.
I have said in the past it is unfair to single people out, but on this occasion,
I actually can't, the casting was perfect.
I don't know if any press came to review the show but I do hope so because
PVADS deserve to have praise heaped on them in bucket loads and the folks
of Pewsey should know what a talented gem they have in their midst.
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Review by Anita
(29.04.06)
I was very pleasantly surprised to see a full house on Friday night's
performance of Noises Off. How much nicer and easier for the cast to perform
to a sea of faces.
From the beginning to the end of the play there was laughter all the way
and I thought each act was great, the stage set was fantastic.
Congratulations on a well produced, perfectly directed and brilliantly acted
play, each and every one of you should be very proud of your achievement
to put on and make such a complex play as this one a winner.
Your timing was first class and I deny anyone to say they didn't enjoy it,
in fact on leaving the hall everyone I passed commented on how good it was
and how much they had enjoyed it.
Well done to all concerned, I'll look forward to next year's.
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Message from Pam Carder
(29.04.06)
Please pass on our congratulations to PVADS for an excellent show. Everyone
involved did a marvellous job and it was a great evenings entertainment.
You get better and better. Good luck for future productions.
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Message From Phil
(28.04.06)
Came to see the show with the family last night. Very impressed with
the standard of acting and the set etc.
Looked like you were having a lot of fun as well.
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