Five fun facts you didn't know about Noises Off from Lisa McGrillis

We chat to one of the stars of the show to find out some very fun facts about Jeremy Herrin’s revival at the Garrick Theatre!

Susannah Martin

| London |

7 November 2019

After opening at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, where it first premiered in 1982, Michael Frayn's unbeatable comedy Noises Off returns to the West End, directed by Jeremy Herrin. It's currently playing to rave reviews at the Garrick Theatre, so we thought we'd find out from Lisa McGrillis (BBC's Mum), who plays Brooke, what really goes on behind the scenes…

1. "I run up and down the stairs 36 times during the play."

It's no surprise as there's plenty of physical action in Noises Off! Stairs are a huge part of the slapstick comedy, from the steps on "set" to the maze of stairs "behind the scenes". Daniel Rigby's character Garry even has an iconic fall that he has to master!

2. "I've laddered my black stockings practically in every show I've done. Always on the right knee."

Max Jones' vibrant costumes are sensational, but we can imagine the hard-working wardrobe team have to do a lot of repairs after the chaos!

3. "The stage management go through one standard size bottle of KY Jelly per week (for the sardines, so they say)."

So they say! Noises Off sees a theatre company attempting to put on a third-rate sex farce called Nothing On… in which sardines feature an incredible amount.

4. "There are 40 sardines used in the show."

Well then there's nothing fishy about that KY Jelly!

5. "An actor usually sustains an injury during every show."

Our ★★★★★ review describes Noises Off as a 'masterpiece in which everything goes wrong in a very controlled manner', but we're not shocked that there could be bumps and bruises galore!

Check out the vox pops below with cast members Lisa McGrillis, Meera Syal, Daniel Rigby, Sarah Hadland and Lloyd Owen to find out even more about the show:

Packed with hilarity, mayhem and plenty of mishaps, Noises Off is the original slapstick farce guaranteed to make you 'laugh until you cry so much you can hardly see the stage'. Do you need any more convincing? Book your tickets now!