Noises Off What is Farce?

What is farce in drama? 

Farce is a comic play that uses very exaggerated situations, actors has stereotyped characters, and the whole play is a big mess. The plot always involves absurd and highly improbable situations, that are not likely to be true or to happen. It is important to follow up the plot due to it`s random twists and unexpected events that may change the plot upside down. However, it is still linked with the previous plot story. Farce includes both a verbal and a physical humour. In fact, all the hard work goes to the actor as he/she has to represent the farce not only through the mouth but also through the body. What`s more exaggerated movements performed by the actor makes it more farcical and funny.

Origins of farce are found in ancient Greek and Roman comedies of Aristophanes, Shakespearean plays and the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan. The word itself born from French word `stuffing`. It was used to describe clowning, acrobatics and caricature and linked with entertainment show. French farce spread quickly around the world, bringing farce to top forms of comedy.

Farce is usually used in theatre plays and sometimes in movies but some people critically comment on farce, they say it is too much of exaggeration for the screen. However, there are couple of good examples of farce used in film industry. One of the best are Charlie Chaplin, Keystone Cops and the Marx Brothers who impressed the whole world with their unbelievable, farcical performance. Farce took over the television in 1970`s series Monty Python`s Flying Circus as well as brilliant, short episodes of Faulty Towers. In addition, British actor John Cleese is known as a gifted actor who could carry out farce better that any one else. I would also say that my two favourite actors, Johnny Depp and Jim Carey play excellent farce on-screen. Jim Carey shows his ability to demonstrate farce in nearly all of his movies, whilst Johnny Depp revealed his talent in The Pirates of the Caribbean. All these talented comics made farce one of the best physical forms of comedy.

How do I play farce?

It is important to note that Noises Off has quite quick rhythm, which means timing is very important. Actors job is to pick up cues quickly. Moreover, don`t over over exaggerate it because the characters has to be truthful and believable.

Our group rehearsing Act 2

Where should I improve?

This week we rehearsed couple of times in a theatre. It went well because everyone already knows their lines so now we are tidying up our movements and actions on stage. To be honest, once I learnt my lines and not holding the scripts any more, I found Belinda`s character very confusing. She has something that no one else does and to play that confident inside of her is really hard. As Rob said Belinda is like a glue holding everyone up together. She knows everything what`s going on between all the characters and tries not to draw attention to that. Moreover, she is very sarcastic but in a good way because no one takes it seriously. Belinda is like a perfect companion to everyone. Somehow, she knows how to adapt to make everyone happy and that is really hard because you can`t make everyone happy. And that`s where I should improve. Your body is what happens in your head and if I try to get inside Belinda`s head my body language will be more similar to hers. 

Rob`s feedback to us all was that we have to speak louder, otherwise people sitting in the back of the chairs won`t hear a word. I believe, that is because we get used to perform in a smaller space, such as drama studio, and our voices need some time to get used to a new environment. 

Also it is important to play the moment, don`t just switch off when I don`t have any lines, try to find a way to do something on stage even though it is a small mute chat with Freddie or smile exchanges with Dotty. For the first time I rehearsed with a bag on stage which gave more physical moves, picking up the bag and holding it in my hand.  It is important to react to what other people say so let`s say I need to react to Lloyd`s line `Ok, from Belinda`s and Freddies exit` so I get up, take my bag and go towards the door then Poopy comes in and stops me and Freddie from exiting. It is important to be aware of what other characters are saying and react to it. That`s what makes the play alive.  

Work Experience Log Book 3 Evaluation

Finally, after 2 long months we finished with a school tour and work experience. In yesterday`s class we evaluated our work and discussed what could have been better and what we did well. Here is a video of our presentation. We listed 3 good and bad things we have done during this period.

Good things are: 

• We improved on our transactions
• Good characterization
•  good contributions

Bad things:

• Attendance. Our group`s attendance was really poor and not because of me and Matthew. Even though we were in people were sitting and playing on their phones. That is also affected our performance. 
• The performance wasn`t linked to the performance. The message of model student wasn`t clear enough. 
• Our performance was a basic style. There was a lack of physicality and too much of naturalistic style. 
• Vocal weren`t loud enough. I think that was  because we get used to rehearse in a small space such as drama studio 222 or 226 and the actual space was much bigger. 

What did I learn from work experience?

I learnt that without a really really strong team work there are no expectations to get a good result. Our group wasn`t working together and communication was very weak. Of course, once again poor attendance and punctuality has affected negatively our group`s performance. No one was actually dedicated to it as other groups` people. 

Work Experience Log Book 2 The Workshop at College

I believe, we did very well during the workshop with Level 3 first years and then performed our piece in front of them and our class. First years gave us some feedback about our workshop and said it was very entertaining and fun. They guessed from the first time that it was related with a model student which means we achieved one of the criteria. Also they said that the name game at the beginning broke the ice and everyone became more confident about themselves. The performance bit made them think of what the model student is, and learn at the same time.

Feedback we got for our performance bit was really good ideas on which should we work on. Elvina said that we kept very strong energy throughout the whole piece. Ryan suggested that we should use real props such as oyster cards in a bus scene just to make it clearer. Brandon mentioned that we should work on our transactions between the scenes and if we forget to take the chairs don`t whisper about it because the audience can hear it. Everyone agreed that we should take out role sexuality and swearing because this is not appropriate. Also somebody said that we should focus on people at one point at a time, especially in a scene where Sam is playing a teacher, Katy and Divina bad students, whilst Carlos and Toyo are flirting with each other. They said the attention goes to everyone, while we all should be focusing on Carlos and Toyo as they are the main characters.

Work Experience Log Book 1 Workshop Games and Classroom Work

Next week we are leading the drama workshop, in which we will have a group of 8 people and will play some games and exercises. It should be around 20 minutes long so enough time to play at least 3-4 games and create a short performance.

Some games I found that can be played in a workshop.

Our group talking about the games

•  Name Game. I think that at the beginning we should play some name games in order to get to know each other. The one I found is very simple and all of us have played it before. So gather everyone in a nice round circle. Then have them say their name and do a gesture starting with the first letter of name. For example "My name is Sarah and I like swimming" and then show the gestures of swimming in the air. Person standing on the right repeats Sarah`s name and her gestures, then says his/her name and does the gesture. That goes around and stops by the person who started it. Then the host can offer if someone wants to shows their good memory skills and do the round again. The game leaders was Sam and Carlos.
  
• Splat. We all stand in a circle. Then Divina and Katy explain how to play that game. Divina stands in a circle and then points and shouts at one of the students in a circle. The one who`d been shout at has to bend down and people who stand from his left and right says splat, the one who says it quicker stays in the game and the other one sits down and watches the others. When it`s only two people left in a game they face each others backs. Then Divina explains that they have to make a step each time she says any word except the one she mentioned at the beginning. For example, she said when I say orange, you have to turn around as quickly as possible and shout splat! The one who does it first wins.
  
• Eastenders game. Katy leads this game. We all stand in a circle. You have to clap your hands and say Oi! when the circle goes to the right and Get out of my pub! When circle goes to the left. If its your turn, you can change the direction by saying one of these frazes and sending it to opposite direction. Also, you can shout Rickyyyy! And then everyone shouts back Ricky!! Then walks around the room and changes the place,
  
• Me and Toyo are leaders of the short workshop where we put people into 5 groups and then I give a paper to each group on which is written either `bad student` or `model student`. Then they have to create a short 2-4 minutes piece related with theme ( which is written on a paper). We decided 5 minutes of preparing should be enough. In case they won`t be ready yet we will give 2 extra minutes. Then after each group performance other groups has to guess what student was it and explain why they think like that. Matthew gives a hand to each group, if needed.
  
• After all we summarize what we did and ask them what was the theme of the whole workshop, ask if they could give us any feedback and if they learned anything. 

Noises Off by Michael Frayn

We are back with a new comedy play Noises Off by Michael Frayn. It was premièred in Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, London in 1982. It was very successful and it got transferred to Savoy Theatre, West End and was running until 1987. Moreover, it won Evening Standard Award, Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for the Best Comedy. 1992, Peter Bogdanowich decided to adapt it to the screen. However, it wasn`t that successful and the reviewers said it was the worst film ever seen because it was too much theatrical.

Picture from Noises Off performance

Picture from the performance of Noises Off

Noises Off is funny because it is a play within a play. It is a group of people that have been put in a play Nothing On which leads to disaster. Our group got to play Act One, the first part where audience gets to know the characters. There are 9 characters, each of them having their own principles and life twists. My playing character is Belinda Blair - Flavia Brent. Basically, Belinda Blair is a real person and Flavia Brent is a character played by Belinda. In a play, Flavia is married to Philip Brent, a character played by Frederick Fellowes. It is slightly confusing because there are 18 characters in total and only 9 actors. My playing character is a charming Belinda`s (Flavia) role. She is a good companion to everybody and can`t live without sarcasm. She`s got a cheerful and charismatic personality and is a reliable actress. She is secretly sympathising to Freddy, also her husband in a play Nothing On. It is important to note, that Belinda and other actors are Americans but playing English roles.

Belinda Blair 

First rehearsals went slightly confusing. It was more like reading the lines and watching other actors actions, then thinking of what you could apply and how you could use your body language to express the character`s thoughts. As always I used Stanislavski`s technique, actions and objectives, I wrote down next to each line my actions. This helps me to understand my characters thought process, and I believe this should be the first step in learning your lines. Rob`s feedback and notes that we have to be off book by the week starting 12th January. Also once the lines are learned we have to work on picking up the cues quickly, that`s what we are going to do the following week. In addition, I watched plenty of YouTube videos in order to get more information and understanding about Belinda`s character but it is not much written on the internet. I picked up some of her actions, movements, tried to pay attention to the way she walks, talks, flirts with Freddy and portrays herself. Those videos gave me the idea of Belinda and how other actresses represents her.


Nearly every play has some political views in it, so is the Noises off considered as a political theatre play. The power of political theatre usually tells the story of a system`s effects on people.

Maybe Michael Frayn wanted to show the real life of show business and how well played play is being born. He wants to show the people that theatre is not always gold and fame but it also takes a lot of misunderstands, confusions and effort to make it good. Also the playwriter impart typical people`s (our) life in his play. Especially, he emphasizes it with Lloyd`s line "That`s what it`s all about. Doors and sardines. Getting on - getting off. Getting the sardines on - getting the sardines off. That`s farce. That`s the theatre. That`s life." I would say the actual meaning of this line is about us, human`s being, that it`s all bout money and work. About how we get up every morning go to work, come back, and even though we are not happy, we don`t change anything.