Get ready for a riotous night at the theatre when the Luitingh Alexander Musical Theatre Academy (LAMTA) presents Noises Off, the side-splitting farce by Michael Frayn that takes audiences behind the scenes of a hilariously disastrous theatre production. Noises Off will run from 27 August to 14 September at the Theatre on the Bay, before moving to Pieter Toerien’s Theatre at Montecasino in Johannesburg, from 3 to 12 October 2025.
Directed by the multi-award winning Chris Weare, the play-within-a-play presents a series of comedic mishaps and misunderstandings as a cast attempts to stage a farce with a mix of acting talent, two weeks of rehearsals and all that can go wrong, going wrong … and for some reason a plate of sardines that never knows where to be!
Two award-winning actors – Aidan Scott (Amadeus, A Midsummer Night’s Dream) as Lloyd and Natalie Robbie (Spring Awakening, Orpheus McAdoo) as Dotty – lead the talented young LAMTA cast in this farcical fiasco that revolves around a hapless cast and crew struggling to bring their cheesy bedroom comedy Nothing On to life. Things spiral wildly out of control – doors slam, sardines fly, tempers flare and romantic entanglements unravel with perfect imperfection.
Fast-paced play-within-a-play
Act One shows the final dress rehearsal, Act Two flips the set to reveal the backstage chaos during a mid-run meltdown, and Act Three sees the production finally collapse into complete comic mayhem. A love letter to the madness of live theatre, Noises Off is a fast-paced, brilliantly constructed play-within-a-play that guarantees laughter from curtain up to final bow.
“Acting is at the heart of the LAMTA ethos and students perform a variety of works, from Sondheim and Lloyd Webber to Ibsen and Chekhov,” says LAMTA co-Founder Anton Luitingh. “We believe that while the rigours of the musical theatre genre and it’s ever-evolving singing and dancing demands increase, those without solid acting training are limited in their abilities and their understanding of the core elements of theatre.”
Set and lighting design is by Kieran McGregor, with costumes designed by Frankie van Straten.
What: Noises Off
Where and when: Theatre on the Bay from 27 August to 14 September 2025 | Pieter Toerien’s Theatre at Montecasino in Johannesburg from 3 to 12 October 2025
Tickets: Webtickets
WS
