Noises Off

The farce of Noises Off is created not only by physical comedy and precise timing but also through repetition and doubling. This is especially due to Frayn’s play-within-a-play structure—which invites parallels—and the rolling repetition of Nothing On through the three acts of Noises Off. Instances of repetition include the same lines being said by multiple people and multiple meanings of the same line, such as puns and double entendres. Doubling is seen both in scripted mistaken identities in Nothing On and in parallelisms in Noises Off, including different actors going on as understudies. This multiplicity leads to many comical moments as Frayn plays with the audience’s expectations and with the tricks of language. This formal and stylistic game playing is essential to the play’s satirical and parodic functions. 

One of the most farcical moments of Noises Off is when three people deliver the monologue of the burglar together. In Act III, Tim goes on as Selsdon’s understudy and begins the monologue: “No bars. No burglar alarms. They ought to be prosecuted for incitement” (164). Then, Frederick repeats the burglar’s cue, and Selsdon finally appears, repeating the same lines. They begin to say the following lines of the monologue together: “When I remember I used to do bullion vaults!” (165).