Steve Pratt chats to Kevin Jenkins, designer of the first in the round production of Michael Frayn’s farce Noises Off at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough.

The Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough announces proudly and some might say bravely that the forthcoming staging of Noises Off is the first ever production in the round.

So what? I hear you ask. Those who know Michael Frayn’s farce – which has been called the funniest comedy ever written – might think it’s a foolproof piece of theatre that doesn’t need to be messed with.

At the same time other people will be asking themselves ‘How on earth are they going to do it in the round?’ as Noises Off is the mother of all backstage comedies. Frayn had the idea after watching a performance of another of his plays from the wings. He found it funnier watching backstage than from the auditorium and determined to write a backstage comedy.

Noises Off is set during a tour of a typical British farce called Nothing On. Across three acts, Frayn’s farce shows the shambolic final rehearsals, a disastrous matinee seen entirely from backstage and the brilliantly catastrophic final performance.

Seen in a traditional proscenium arch theatre the audience faces the stage with sets depicting both the Nothing On set and backstage which is changed using a revolve to switch from one to another.

In the round means the audience surrounds the actors. There is no backstage or curtain. Scarborough director Paul Robinson has wanted to direct Noises Off for years but well aware of the problems set by having the audience on all sides.

“The assumption was that doing it in the round was impossible,” he admits. “When I told Michael Frayn about our plans, his response was an amused ‘good luck’.”

Enter stage left designer Kevin Jenkins, who has designed a dozen or more productions for the Stephen Joseph Theatre and following Noises Off will design Alan Ayckbourn’s 91st play Earth Angel.

“Kevin and I have spent months meticulously planning and he has come up with an ingenious set which has really been worth the wait,” says Paul.

Kevin came fresh to Noises Off, never having seen a production of Frayn’s play. “I knew of it and what it did but had never seen or read it. I think that was an advantage coming to the Scarborough production as I was reading the play with in the round in mind,” he says.

“Paul set me the challenge five or six years ago to see if I could find a way to do Noises Off in the round. We thought it might be tricky but I think we’ve found a way to do it by turning it inside out.”

Having the audience in the round wasn’t necessarily the biggest challenge. Acts 1 and 3 are played on the Nothing On set so could be staged as an in the round production. “We had to find a way of staging the Act 2 backstage action in the round. Being a farce, doors are a key element of the comedy. “Doors are tricky but we’ve found a way of doing it,” says Kevin.

“There will be a slightly longer technical period because there’s a lot of door action and things like that. In the round it takes a little time to get the farce working.”
Some people – both audience and artistic - aren’t keen on the in the round format with the all-surrounding audience. Kevin will happily stand up for in the round, pointing out the success that Scarborough’s resident playwright Alan Ayckbourn has enjoyed premiering his plays the round at the Stephen Joseph.

“With Noises Off I wanted to honour the in the round space,” says Kevin. “We’ve had to take out some seating but I really want it to feel like an in the round play. Let’s honour the space that Alan Ayckbourn has developed over the years.”
Kevin is designing Ackbourn’s next play Earth Angel in September. Is it more straightforward than designing Noises Off? “I would say yes -it’s a suburban house with kitchen, living room, hallway. In the second half the kitchen remains as it is but the front room changes into the neighbour’s front room over the road.”

The director has consulted with Frayn over small changes to dialogue necessitated by the in the round staging. Could the Scarborough staging actually make Noise Off even funnier? “I don’t know at this point we’ve only just had the read through. I don’t know how rehearsal is going to pan out but I think there’s the potential to get more laughs,” says Kevin.

Noises Off is at the Stephen Joseph Theatre from August 9 to September 6 and Earth Angel from September 13 to October 11.
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