The New Wolsey Theatre’s first in-house production for spring 2010 is the multi award-winning classic British comedy Noises Off by Michael Frayn, with Rosemary Ashe as Dotty Otley, which runs from 19 February to 13 March.
It’s the technical rehearsal for a touring production of Nothing On, a classic British Farce, and tempers amongst our company of theatrical troupers are fraying. The director is juggling simultaneous affairs, the leading lady can’t remember her lines, the veteran actor is hitting the bottle, the stage manager is dead on his feet and to top it all, the matinee idol is worried about his motivation. By the time the tour reaches Ashton Under Lyme open warfare has broken out backstage and when we reach the touring graveyard which is Stockton on Tees anything could go wrong – and everything does.
Noises Off won the 1982 Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy of the Year and theLaurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy. British novelist and playwright Michael Frayn has won the London Evening Standard Award for Best Play three times, for Benefactors, Copenhagen and Democracy. His screenplays include Clockwise, starring John Cleese, and his novels include Headlong (shortlisted for the Booker Prize) and Spies (winner of the Whitbread Best Novel Award).
Rosie Ashe, renowned for her rich career in the West End, including playing the roles of Carlotta in the original cast of The Phantom of the Opera, Madame Thénardier in Les Misérables, Widow Corney in Oliver!, Felicia Gabriel in The Witches of Eastwick, Miss Andrew in Mary Poppins, will play Dotty Otley, described in the opening notes of the play, as “a housekeeper of character”, usually seen carrying an imposing plate of sardines!! (nominated for Laurence Olivier Award Best Supporting Actress) and
The cast also includes Jamie Newall as Nothing On director Lloyd Dallas, Charles Davies (last seen at the New Wolsey playing swinger Ian in A Chorus of Disapproval) as secretly insecure Garry LeJeune, Jemma Churchill as ever-helpful Belinda Blair, Robin Kermode as the handsome older man Freddy Fellowes, Saskia Butler as self-obsessed Brooke Ashton, Col Farrell as reformed alcoholic Selsdon Mowbray, Gavin Spokes as Company Stage Manager Tim Allgood and Victoria Yeates as Assistant Stage Manager Poppy Norton-Taylor.
Tickets can be booked at www.wolseytheatre.co.uk or by calling the New Wolsey Box Office on 01473 295900.