‘Noises Off’ looks behind the scenes for laughs

Enjoy laughs both on and off stage in the comedy “Noises Off,” opening Friday, April 29 and running through Sunday, May 15 at the Lawrence Welk Theater, 8860 Lawrence Welk Drive in Escondido.

Shows are Thursdays through Sundays and tickets are $35. For tickets, call 1-888-802-7469 or visit www.welktheatersandiego.com.

“Noises Off” is being put on by Broadway Vista, is directed by Ray Limon and produced by Randall Hickman, who is also playing a role in the show.

Written by British playwright Michael Frayn in 1982, “Noises Off” is considered one of the top 25 plays of all time, according to Hickman.

“It’s really funny, and one of the hardest shows I’ve ever done,” he said. “There are scenes when I was in tears of laughter. I’m really thrilled to be part of it.”

Hickman performed in the another production of “Noises Off” about 16 years ago at Moonlight Amphitheatre, where he played the same role. “This is my second go round with this play and it is still one of the wildest, most fast-paced, shows an actor will ever do. It starts off at warp-speed and doesn’t let up until the curtain goes down,” said Hickman in a press release.

“Noises Off” plays out in three acts, each portraying the same show in three different ways.

Act One is set in the dress rehearsal for “Nothing’s On,” a fictional show being put on by a theatre company. The cast is unprepared, missing their entrances and exits, cues, lines and even props. In Act Two, the entire stage rotates and the audience gets to see backstage during a matinee performance of “Nothing’s On,” where deteriorating relationships lead to insanity off and on stage.

The final act jumps ahead several months, when everyone is “so done” with the show, said Hickman, and everyone hates each other.

The show’s complex set-up and convoluted dialogue can be a challenge for actors. “This is a show you need really experienced actors for,” said Hickman.

The cast includes Hickman as Llyod Dallas, Robin LaValley as Dotty Otley, Michael Kelly as Gary Lejeune, Lindsey Denham as Brooke Ashton, Michelle Trester as Poppy Norton-Taylor, Paul Morgavo as Frederick Fellows, Brannon Shaw as Belinda Blair, Julian Diaz as Tim Allgood and Ralph Johnson as Selsdon Mowbray.

This is Broadway Vista’s third show hosted at the Welk. The previous shows, “The Odd Couple” and “The 39 Steps,” were both huge successes, said Hickman.

“It’s a unique thing to do plays over there,” said Hickman. “It gives the guests a choice of seeing a musical or a play.”

Broadway Vista will be doing two shows a year at the Welk, with their second, “Arsenic and Old Lace,” opening in August.

Hickman is predicting similar success for “Noises Off.” “There’s no way people won’t like this show,” he said. “I remember (performing the show 16 years ago), there was a moment we had to hold for a solid minute because of laughter.”