Noises Off at the Haskell Opera House

Borderline Players present the beloved farce Noises Off by Michael Frayn, April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2023 at the Haskell Opera House in Stanstead, Que./Derby Line, Vt.

The production features a mix of veteran local actors along with some new additions to the Borderline Players team, including director Leesa Guay-Timpson, who has returned to her Northeast Kingdom roots after years of teaching and directing young people.

Noises Off takes a fond look at the follies of theatre folk, whose susceptibility to out-of-control egos, memory loss, and passionate affairs turn every performance into a high-risk adventure. This play-within-a-play captures a touring theatre troupe’s production of Nothing On in three stages: dress rehearsal, the opening performance, and a performance towards the end of a debilitating run.

Frayn gives us a window into the inner workings of theatre behind the scenes, progressing from flubbed lines and missed cues in the dress rehearsal to mounting friction between cast members in the final performance. Brimming with slapstick comedy, Noises Off is a delightful backstage farce, complete with slamming doors, falling trousers, and — of course — flying sardines!

Noises Off premiered in London in 1982, where it won the Olivier Award for Best Play and the London Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy. When it opened on Broadway in 1984, it earned a Tony nomination and a Drama Desk Award nomination for Best Play.

The cast for Borderline Players’ production includes: Ruth-Ann Fletcher, Ross Murray, Shannon Smith, Christopher Planetta, Carrie McGraw, Roderick J. Owens, Mary S. Hoadley, Brian McCrae and Jonathan Comtois.

Performances are April 28-29-30, May 5-6-7, 2023; showtimes Fridays and Saturdays at 7pm with Sunday matinees at 3pm. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors and are available at the MAC Center for the Arts in Newport, the Haskell Free Library and the Colby-Curtis Museum in Stanstead. Tickets are also available online (U.S. funds only) at https://borderlineplayers.org. Tickets can purchased at the door on the day of performance. Reserve in advance by contacting Borderline Players via email borderlineplayers@outlook.com or Facebook.

This performance is recommended for audiences aged 13-plus.

Note that Canadian audience members should park in Canada and walk along the sidewalk into the United States to the main entrance. After the performance, they must return to Canada the same way. Passports are not required but patrons should have identification on hand should they be asked to identify themselves to border authorities.