Noises Off Response

When thinking about a motif for Noises Off, the first idea that comes to mind is, "confusing". Though that is right along the lines of the motif, "miscommunications" which you could apply to every farce. So thinking deeper for a motif that others would miss on their first read-through would be, "baggage". What I mean by this is the characters do not stop talking of experiences they have had with one another, and in result, it influences every interaction they have with each other. The fascinating thing about Noises Off is that you see the relationships between the actors just as much as the relationship between the characters. It is obvious how much baggage each actor has, and how greatly it influences his or he performance in Nothing On. For example, Dotty, being in an unhappy relationship Gary, cannot stop crying on and off stage in the second act. Her experience with her cast mate greatly changes the way she plays Mrs. Clackett because there is so much more going on between her and Roger. Also, literally there is a lot of baggage because there are dozens of props that the actors constantly forget and get yelled at about. The motif "baggage" arises a lot because the characters cannot help but bring themselves and the relationships they have had with one another into their character in Nothing On. A good "tag line" for Noises Off would be, "And on we blindly stumble!" Lloyd says this line and I think it is the driving force of not only Noises Off, but also the play within the play, Nothing On. The major dramatic question asks whether the cast will get through the play. The actors accomplish this only by blindly stumbling through it!