Keegan Theatre Delivers Fun and Farce in ‘Noises Off’

“Comedy is a business, a serious business with only one purpose — to make people laugh.”

– W. C. Fields

Noises Off Returns to the Keegan Theatre in a Riotous Revival

In comedy, timing is everything. And in the Keegan Theatre’s new sidesplitting staging of Noises Off, deftly directed by Mark Rhea, the ensemble actors hit every beat in this uproarious production. In an exclusive sneak preview, I had the fortunate opportunity of seeing what just may be the most fun to be had in a Washington DC theatre this summer. 

In theatre, everything must be exactly right. In Noises Off, everything goes utterly wrong as the characters in this farce stumble through their increasingly madcap mayhem. Written by Michael Frayn in 1982 and with popular runs and revivals in theatres from London to New York and on the silver screen in a 1992 Peter Bogdanovich film version starring Sir Michael Caine, Noises Off is a classic comedy of a play within a play.

The story centers on a group of actors attempting to rehearse and perform a play called Nothing On. Despite the best efforts of Nothing On’s director, Lloyd Dallas, played to perfection by Jared Graham, to guide the cast of theatrical thespians, Dallas’ direction devolves into a hapless and hopeless herding cats calamity. Hilarity ensues as the messily intertwined romantic relationships and petty bickering of the characters create catastrophe after catastrophe on stage and behind the scenes. In a tightly written script that demands a sharply executed in-the-zone performance by every member of the ensemble, the Keegan Theatre cast and crew have successfully crafted a laugh-out-loud farce of impeccable timing in their zippy banter and physical comedy.

And as if the perfect timing in the witty dialog isn’t hard enough to achieve, the Keegan team takes the production even further, raising the bar on itself through the fantastic set design. Similar to Hamilton on Broadway and the original London West End productions of Les Misérables and The Wind in the Willows, The Keegan stage crew led by Stage Manager Gabrielle Busch, along with Matthew Keenan, Cindy Landrum Jacobs, Emilie Knudsen, and Mikaela Phillips, beautifully built the Noises Off living room façade on a rotating stage. Though more difficult from a technical stage design standpoint, the rotating set enables the audience to see the actors’ antics in front of and behind the stage through each of the three acts. And more kudos to the stage crew for building sturdy doors that gallantly withstood the most opening, closing, and slamming I’ve ever likely ever seen on stage in London, New York, DC, or Tokyo.

The Keegan Theatre: A Legacy of Promoting Theatre and the Arts

Founded in 1996, the Keegan Theatre has built a reputation for presenting engaging productions of both classic and modern plays and musicals. Based in the historic Church Street Theater in Washington DC, the building was renovated and renamed The Andrew Keegan Theatre in 2015 through the support of a generous anonymous donor. 

With its mission rooted in a core set of values to promote “honesty, integrity, and courage” through excellence in storytelling, the Keegan theatre company has worked to create an environment that connects people with the arts through performances on the stage as well as in outreach and education programs off the stage. Internationally, the company has also developed significant cultural ties with Ireland through its American play tours. 

Mark A. Rhea, the Founding Director of The Keegan Theatre, has led the organization since its establishment in 1996. Under his direction, the Keegan has received over 45 Helen Hayes Nominations and 8 awards, including the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical, for Rhea and co-director Colin Smith for the 2016 production of “Next to Normal”. Accomplished as both a director and an actor, Mark has appeared onstage in numerous Keegan productions. In the 2017 Ireland tour of David Mamet’s “American Buffalo”, Mark portrayed the role of Teach.

Another Brilliant Production by the Keegan Theatre Company

Evoking the rhythmic cadence of a David Mamet play or a Wes Anderson film blended with the manic energy of a Moonlighting TV episode or the best of the Marx Brothers, the Keegan Theatre actors expertly pull off the difficult challenge of creating a hilariously entertaining comic performance that’s sure to leave the audience laughing all the way home. The Keegan Theatre’s brilliant production of Noises Off is a salient reminder of why we need theatre in our lives.

Noises Off at the Keegan Theatre is showing from August 1^st through September 1^st, 2024. Tickets are available at https://keegantheatre.com/portfolio/noises-off/.

Playwright: Michael Frayn

Director/Choreographer: Mark A. Rhea

Runtime: 2 hours 30 minutes with two 15-minute intermissions