“Noises Off”, playing at The Old Globe through August 10, is a gloriously chaotic revival directed by Gordon Greenberg, and an affectionate, expertly timed, and utterly ridiculous homage to the disaster-prone world of live theatre. Michael Frayn’s beloved backstage farce is back in all its tightly choreographed chaos, where the props vanish, lines are forgotten, trousers fall, and there is an alarming number of sardines.

First produced in 1982 and famously fiendish to stage with so many things happening at once, requiring excellent comedic timing, “Noises Off” is a three-act play-within-a-play about a terrible touring production of a cheesy British sex comedy called Nothing On. In Act One, we see the cast struggling through the final dress rehearsal, which none of them seems ready for. If the superstition of “bad dress rehearsal, great opening” were true, then this rehearsal would lead to a stellar opening night, if this cast can ever get there.

Act Two spins the set around and shows us the backstage meltdowns a month into the tour, where jealousy, heartbreak, and homicidal impulses simmer. By Act Three, the onstage performance has disintegrated into utter lunacy. And yes, the sardines are a problem throughout it all.

Leading the madness is Jefferson Mays as Frederick Fellowes, a befuddled, nervy actor prone to nosebleeds and existential crises. Mays is a comic masterclass in control-meets-collapse—his physical comedy lands with precision, even when he’s flailing about with his trousers around his ankles. Linda Mugleston is a delight as Dotty Otley, the sardine-wielding, line-forgetting housekeeper who doubles as the cast’s mother hen and chaos magnet. Michelle Veintimilla nails the hilariously vapid Brooke, who powers through missed cues and backstage brawls with the unblinking stare of a woman desperately trying not to lose her lines or her last contact lens.

Photo Credit: The cast of *Noises Off*, 2025. Photo by Rich Soublet II.

As the insecure but blustery Garry, Nehal Joshi delivers stammer-based comedy as an actor who delivers his lines fluently, but as himself, every thought ends with a stuttered “...you know.” Bryonha Marie brings warmth and watchful energy to Belinda, who’s constantly trying and failing to hold the group together, while also providing some behind-the-scenes gossip. James Waterston oozes just the right mix of charm and exasperation as the play’s perpetually frazzled director, Lloyd Dallas, who has one eye on the stage and the other on balancing two secret flirtations. Orville Mendoza’s doddering drunk Selsdon makes every entrance feel like a countdown to disaster.

The backstage crew is equally strong: Matthew Patrick Davis is endearingly overwhelmed as the sleep-deprived Tim, and Abby Leigh Huffstetler provides panicked charm while trying to keep this cast and crew on task.

Todd Rosenthal’s two-story set spins with engineered precision and looks like a 1970s sitcom exploded in a Tudor country house. Doors slam, windows break, and the stairs prove treacherous for more than one of them. Veintimilla gracefully swims down them at one point, Joshi takes an impressive spill, and Mays hops up and down due to the aforementioned situation with his trousers.

Costume design by Izumi Inaba creates fun 1970s-inspired outfits, and lighting design by Amanda Zieve enhances everything, even in the second act when it’s backstage and dimly lit. Sound design by Connor Wang and stunts by Jacob Grigolia-Rosenbaum are also winners, allowing this show’s zany comedy to shine.

Shout out to Production Stage Manager Anjee Nero and Assistant Stage Manager Kendra Stockton for keeping this play and all its cues running smoothly. As the show demonstrates, good stage management is essential to a show running smoothly.

A few comic bits are still being refined, but the cast’s comedic commitment and the fact that this is the type of show that only gets tighter and funnier with repetition mean this show will only improve the longer it runs.

As far as love letters to the theatre go, “Noises Off” is a madcap valentine, and The Old Globe’s cast delivers it with split-second silliness and a lot of heart. Get your tickets, but mind the doors, and watch out for the sardines.