I really enjoyed Noises Off, I'm certain that I would thoroughly enjoy a production of Noises Off, but I have to say, I did not enjoy reading Noises Off at all. Simply due to the fact that too much of it's consistency of flow is completely lost in its fumbling textual format, and trying to read sight gag humor doesn't really translate well at all. It's a great play and well written it's just a lot to follow in it's subtle approach to borderline outlandish humor. Ok so enough of my critique,(way too sidetracked) on with my perception of motif within the play.
I really feel like the idea of physicality is a central motif within this play. There are so many moments within this play that are based heavily on movement, whether it be the characters missing their marks, physically abusing one another, breaking props and using props, there is just a lot of physical interaction in this play, and I think that it's done so well that we forget how much effort is going into all of the physical movement of the play. It actually becomes a part of the pace itself in regard to rhythm and tempo as well. For instance, the entire second act is established as a very tense, kind of "on-edge" fast paced tempo all due to the fact that some of the characters are trying to physically harm or hinder each other, while others are literally holding them back from doing so, and preventing certain disaster. This is a great example of how a motif can kind of structure or even dominate the pace of a play.
"Good Sardines, Bad Intentions." is my tagline for Noises Off. I'd say I chose this because it represents the absurdity of events based off of the importance of seemingly insignificant props and the ironically pivotal role they play within the story. The relevance of the plate of sardines is the perfect metaphor representing the amount of time and effort the people performing the play spend on being completely wrapped up in their own behind the scenes drama. The chaos ensues stirring up character envy, jealousy, and sometimes rage towards each other and when it all boils down to it, it's all based off of the equivalent of a plate of sardines.
I completely understand what you mean about how reading the play isn't quite as good as watching it. I saw the play live a few years ago, and it was definitely more enjoyable. This play, in particular, has a lot of physical humor that gets lost when you read it. I'm glad you picked up on the movement as a motif. The movement and physicality of the play really reflect and motivate the plot.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comments about the struggle of reading this play! I have actually seen this show performed a few years ago and absolutely enjoyed it. However, reading it is definitely no piece of cake. I also liked the attention that you took to the physical aspect of it. It’s very interesting that you were able to pick up on that even though you were just reading it instead of seeing
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