The Comic Absurdity of Michel Frayn’s ‘Noises Off’

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Photo Courtesy of Marquette Theatre

Marquette Theatre's 'Noises Off' (2026)

Michael Frayn’s Noises Off is a marathon of a comedy that’s bewilderingly difficult to bring to the stage with perfect mood and tempo. Marquette University Theatre does a solidly respectable job of conjuring Frayn’s comic absurdity to the stage in a thoroughly enjoyable production at the Helfaer Theatre this month. 

Michael Kratzer brings a drolly powerful gravity to the stage as Lloyd, a theatrical director who is dealing with a tremendous amount of stress on a production of a farce that seems to be falling apart at every end. Erin Cavender develops an admirably complex performance as a theater veteran who is constantly forgetting her lines and improvising strange mutations of intended text. Peter Neugent is charming as an actor lacking in a great deal of verbal articulation outside of a script. Neugent does a clever job of making the character’s inability to directly speak feel totally natural in context.  

Kendall Syslack brings a vivid vulnerability to the stage in the role of Poppy: the struggling stage manager who is having great difficulty keeping everything together. Kynkade McLachlan gracefully lends a charming comedy to the stage in the role of Brooke, a beautiful actress who doesn’t have a firm grasp for any kind of style or subtlety. The foghorn of Brooke’s lack of stage prowess can come across with a grating tedium if not handled particularly well. McLachlan brings more than enough personality to the role to lend a great amount of charm to the periphery of the ensemble.  

Director Jamie Cheatham has done an admirable job of fostering an environment in which a show as chaotic as Noises Off can pull together into a wild ride onstage. Stephen Hudson-Mairet has put together a truly impressive set for the show which is fleet enough to fluidly rotate between acts while still managing the mass and detail necessary to feel like a truly lived-in space. 

Marquette University Theatre’s production of Noises Off continues through April 26 at the Helfaer Theatre, 1304 W Clybourn St. For ticket reservations and more, visit Marquette online.