Noises Off

Directed By:

  • Bill Pelletier

Auditions

  • July 1, 2024 6:00 pm
  • July 2, 2024 6:00 pm

Show Dates

  • September 6, 2024 7:00 pm
  • September 7, 2024 7:00 pm
  • September 8, 2024 2:00 pm
  • September 13, 2024 7:00 pm
  • September 14, 2024 7:00 pm
  • September 15, 2024 2:00 pm
  • Noises Off is a play within a play. Called the funniest farce ever written, it follows an ambitious director and his troupe of mediocre actors and longsuffering production team. The British group is putting on a touring farce called “Nothing On”. Noises off contains all the classic farce elements. Mistaken identity, doors slamming, clothes tossed on and off, and hilarious chaos for all. The three acts of Noises Off follow the company in different phases of the disastrous tour. Act One brings us to a late dress rehearsal. Act Two allows us backstage during a matinee performance amid growing chaos. Act Three puts us in the audience for a performance late in the tour, when things completely collapse.
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Audition Location

Auditions will be held Monday, July 1 and Tuesday, July 2 from 6:00pm-8:00pm at the Roger T. Sermon Center, 201 N. Dodgion, Independence, MO 64050.
Once you arrive, please make your way to the 4th floor of the building or ask the office staff for assistance finding the audition location.

Audition Details

Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. You will be given a few minutes to read over and rehearse the cold reading before reading for the director. Prepared monologues are not required.
All characters will use a British accent.
A strong sense of comedic timing and physical comedy skills are being sought.

What to bring to the audition

• A resume of previous theatrical experience
• A headshot or a recent photo of yourself
• A list of your conflicts from July 22, 2024 – September 1, 2024
(Please note that no conflicts should occur during tech week or production Sept 2-8 and Sept 12-15)

Rehearsals / Performances

Rehearsals are scheduled to begin on July 22nd and run Monday-Thursday evenings 6:00-8:00pm at the Sermon Center.
Performances will be September 6, 7, 8, 13, 14 and 15. September 8 and 15 will be 2:00pm matinees.
A full rehearsal and performance schedule will be available at the auditions.

Set build and strike

Set construction will mainly be taking place on Saturdays and Sundays as announced.
Following the September 15 matinee, we will be striking the set, props, costumes etc. and preparing the space for the next production. All actors and production team are required to participate in the strike.

Character descriptions

Dotty Otley / Mrs. Clackett – A middle aged actress who is also one of the play’s principal investors. Offstage, she is involved with the much younger Garry. Onstage, she plays Mrs. Clackett the dedicated housekeeper of the Brent’s home.

Lloyd Dallas – The director of the play-within-a-play, Nothing On. Educated, but with a sharp, sarcastic wit. Doing his very best to get the company of actors up to speed in time for the impending opening night while juggling his own relationships within the company.

Garry Lejeune / Roger Tramplemain – In Nothing On, Garry portrays Roger, the real estate agent trying to woo Vicki in the Brent’s home while they are away. Garry has an easier time with onstage dialogue than he does completing a sentence. Easily fired up.
The actor playing Garry will fall down a flight of stairs.

Brooke Ashton / Vicki – An airheaded actress who may not know what’s going on around her, but delivers her lines and blocking in the same manner every performance despite the chaos going on around her. Nearsighted and always losing her contact lens.
The actress playing Brooke will spend the majority of the show in lingerie.

Frederick Fellowes / Philip Brent / Sheikh – Frederick is a kind, somewhat timid actor looking for his motivation at the most inappropriate times. Frederick portrays Philip, author and owner of the home who is sneaking back as a tax exile. He also portrays a Sheikh interested in the house.
The actor playing Frederick will hop up stairs with trousers around his ankles.

Belinda Blair / Flavia Brent – Belinda is cheerful and sensible, but the company gossip. She knows everything going on in everyone’s personal life and doesn’t do the best job keeping a secret. She is the company peacemaker. Belinda plays Flavia, Philip’s supportive wife who is assisting her husband hiding from tax issues.

Poppy Norton-Taylor – The company stage manager. Emotional and does her best to keep up with the demands of the show and following the script even when things fall apart. Poppy understudies the female roles in Nothing On. She does her best to keep the sinking ship afloat.

Tim Allgood – The company’s timid assistant stage manager. Understudy for the male roles in Nothing On. Tim is responsible for a multitude of set repairs, errands for Lloyd, doubling for characters and is suffering from a lack of sleep and near exhaustion.

Selsdon Mowbray / Burglar – An elderly actor who has seen his better days. If he is not disappearing during rehearsal or a performance, he is looking for places to hide bottles from his drinking habit. Hard of hearing, but does his best. Selsdon portrays a burglar who breaks into the Brent’s home in Nothing On.

Thank you for your interest. We look forward to seeing you at auditions.