The Public’s ‘Noises Off’ Continues Onstage at the O’Reilly (Fri., 10/17/25)

NOISES OFF by Michael Frayn. Pittsburgh Public Theater. Through October 19.

Noises Off, a modern farce about a troupe of stage actors bumbling their way through a play titled Nothing On, became an instant hit when it premiered in the West End of London in 1982. Revived many times over, and revised by writer Michael Frayn to modernize props or location references, Noises Off most recently ran again in London in 2023. Now it’s time for Pittsburgh Public Theater and director Margot Bordelon to feature a cast of nine thespians playing a cast of nincompoops trying their best to perform earnestly. But perhaps the star of this three-act comedy, wherein doors slam, props are misplaced, and clueless characters reveal their true passions, is the set. Act Two repeats the chaos of Act One, yet all witnessed from behind the stage. And thus, even through the din of hysterical laughter, there are many—too many—noises off (off stage, that is.) Farce performed well is true theatrical magic; don’t miss this trick at The Public’s O’Reilly Theater. 621 Penn Ave., Cultural District. (C.P.O.)

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