Exploring the greatest new and classic plays

SUPPORT OUR PODCAST BY BECOMING A PATRON
CLICK HERE

Lindsay Posner

Lindsay Posner

Lindsay Posner

Lindsay Posner has a remarkable list of theatrical credits as a director, both in the UK and internationally. He has directed Noises Off on two occasions: first at the Old Vic Theatre in 2011, and then most recently at Theatre Royal Bath in 2022, which as we recorded our episode on the play in January 2023 arrived in London’s West End.  At the same time, his production of Edward Albee’s classic Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf was running on the Ustinov stage at the Theatre Royal in Bath.

Lindsay was Associate Director at the Royal Court Theatre from 1987-1992, where Main House credits included COLQUHOUN AND McBRYDE, THE TREATMENT, DEATH AND THE MAIDEN, and AMERICAN BAGPIPES.

His other credits include: STONES IN HIS POCKETS (UK Tour), DEAR ARABELLA (Lyric Theatre Belfast), GOD OF CARNAGE (Theatre Royal Bath), ROMEO & JULIET  and RICHARD III (Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre, York), THE LIE (Menier Chocolate Factory), THE TRUTH (Menier Chocolate Factory, Wyndham’s), CINDERELLA (Stage Entertainment Moscow), THE END OF LONGING (Playhouse), SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER (Theatre Royal Bath),
COMMUNICATING DOORS (Menier Chocolate Factory), HAYFEVER (Theatre Royal Bath/West End), SPEED THE PLOW (Theatre Royal Bath, West End), OTHER DESERT CITIES (Old Vic Theatre), THE WINSLOW BOY (Roundabout Theatre, New York; Old Vic Theatre),mA LITTLE HOTEL ON THE SIDE (Theatre Royal Bath), THE TURN OF THE SCREW (ACT Productions & Hammer Theatre of Horror; Almeida Theatre), UNCLE VANYA (Vaudeville Theatre; Stanhope Productions),
RELATIVELY SPEAKING (Bath Theatre Royal, West End), RICHARD III (The Old Globe Theatre, San Diego), ABIGAIL’S PARTY (Menier Chocolate Factory / Bath Theatre Royal & West End), NOISES OFF (The Old Vic Theatre & West End),
BUTLEY (The Duchess Theatre), AN IDEAL HUSBAND (The Vaudeville Theatre), HOUSE OF GAMES (Almeida Theatre),
A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE (Duke of York’s Theatre), CAROUSEL (Churchill Theatre, UK Tour and Savoy Theatre),
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (Sheffield Crucible and Savoy Theatre), 3 SISTERS ON HOPE STREET (Liverpool Everyman and Hampstead Theatre), TOM AND VIV (Almeida Theatre), FOOL FOR LOVE (Apollo Theatre), THE HYPOCHONDRIAC (Almeida Theatre), THE BIRTHDAY PARTY (Duchess Theatre), ROMANCE (Almeida Theatre), A LIFE IN THE THEATRE (Apollo Theatre), OLEANNA (Garrick Theatre), THE CARETAKER (Bristol Old Vic), SEXUAL PERVERSITY IN CHICAGO (Comedy Theatre), POWER (Cottesloe Theatre at the RNT), TARTUFFE (Lyttleton Theatre at the RNT), TWELFTH NIGHT (RSC, Stratford and the Barbican Theatre), THE RIVALS (RSC, Stratford and the Barbican Theatre), THE TAMING OF THE SHREW (RSC at The Pit), VOLPONE (RSC at The Swan), AFTER DARWIN (Hampstead Theatre), AMERICAN BUFFALO (Young Vic), THE PROVOK’D WIFE (Old Vic), THE LADY FROM THE SEA (Lyric Hammersmith and West ,THE SEAGULL (Gate Theatre, Dublin), THE ROBBERS (Gate Theatre, London), LEONCE AND LENA (Sheffield Crucible Studio), THE DOCTOR OF HONOUR (UK Tour and Donmar Warehouse), MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (Regents Park Open Air Theatre)

Recommended Play(s)

Lindsay recommended The Truth by Florian Zeller.

 

 

 

 

 

058 – Noises Off, by Michael Frayn

058 – Noises Off, by Michael Frayn

Felicity Kendall as Dotty, Alexander Hanson as Lloyd, and Tracy-Ann Oberman as Belinda
in Noises Off, London 2023
Photo by Nobby Clark

 

058 – Noises Off, by Michael Frayn

Michael Frayn’s iconic comedy Noises Off is a farce about putting on a farce, in which a touring theatre company stage a dated British sex farce entitled Nothing On. As the hapless actors struggle to remember their lines and hit their queues, Frayn gives us a glimpse backstage of the mechanics of theatre, and of the disintegrating relationships of the cast as they toil through their interminable regional tour. Noises Off is a work of theatrical genius. Its parody of second-rate theatre-making is delivered with extraordinary invention and immaculate timing, while it also highlights the humanity of its characters as they stumble through the chaos of the production and their lives.

The play premiered at the Lyric theatre in Hammersmith in 1982, before transferring to the Savoy Theatre, where it won the Evening Standard award for Best Comedy and ran for 5 years with five successive casts. It was produced on Broadway in 1983, where the famed New York theatre critic Frank Rich called it the funniest play written in his lifetime. To mark its 40th anniversary, the Theatre Royal Bath mounted a revival, that as we record this episode arrives on stage at the Phoenix theatre in London’s West End in an hilarious production directed by Lindsay Posner.

I’m absolutely delighted to be joined today by Lindsay Posner, who has the distinction of having directed Noises Off twice in his distinguished career. What could possibly go wrong?!

PS You may also enjoy our episode with Michael Frayn on his play Copenhagen.

Lindsay Posner

Lindsay Posner has a remarkable list of theatrical credits as a director, both in the UK and internationally. He has directed Noises Off on two occasions: first at the Old Vic Theatre in 2011, and then most recently at Theatre Royal Bath in 2022, which as we recorded our episode arrived at the Phoenix Theatre in London’s West End.  At the same time, his production of Edward Albee’s classic Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf was running on the Ustinov stage at the Theatre Royal in Bath.

Lindsay was Associate Director at the Royal Court Theatre from 1987-1992. 

We’ve included a list of Lindsay’s other credits on his Guest page: Lindsay Posner.

Recommended Play

Lindsay recommended The Truth by Florian Zeller.

Photo © Marc Brenner
We have footnotes for this episode …

The Footnotes to our episode on Michael Frayn’s comic masterpiece Noises Off include extracts from the fictional programme to Nothing On, the play-within-the-play, and a reprisal of one of the best jokes in the play.

Become a Patron!

Since I launched The Play Podcast in April 2020, I have managed to eschew any form of advertising or sponsorship, and I would like to continue to produce the podcast without doing so. I therefore invite you to help me to continue to make the podcast by becoming a Patron.
Additional benefits available to Patrons include Footnotes on the plays covered in the podcast, as well as exclusive access to The Play Review.

For details click here

Thank you very much for listening and for your support.
Douglas

The Texts
If you are interested in buying the play text or other related books, we’d be delighted if you choose to purchase them from our selected partners Bookshop.org and Blackwell’s. Not only will you be supporting independent booksellers, we will also earn a small commission on every book you purchase, which helps to keep the podcast going. Click on the cover to buy from our chosen partner. Thank you.
You might also be interested in …
060 – A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams

060 – A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams

A Streetcar Named Desire is one of the towering masterpieces of American theatre, distinguished for its frank depiction of sexual compulsion, its lyrical language, and its poignant portrait of mental fragility, as well as the bitter clash between two of the greatest dramatic characters – the damaged and defiant Blanche Dubois and the unrestrained masculine power that is Stanley Kowalski.

As a new production opens in London’s West End, I’m delighted to be joined by Tennessee Williams expert, Professor Thomas Keith, to help survey this giant of a play.

059 – Paradise Now! , by Margaret Perry

059 – Paradise Now! , by Margaret Perry

Margaret Perry’s new play Paradise Now! brings together a group of women who join a pyramid selling scheme promoting a range of essential oils that soothe a myriad of life’s stresses. The women hope that they will find cures to the challenges in their own lives, but the road to Paradise is not so sure and smooth.
Following its acclaimed run at the Bush Theatre in London, Margaret joins me to talk about her perceptive, funny and moving play.

058 – Noises Off, by Michael Frayn

058 – Noises Off, by Michael Frayn

Michael Frayn’s classic comedy Noises Off is a work of theatrical genius. Its parody of a hapless acting troupe putting on a dreadful sex farce is itself delivered with extraordinary invention and precision. It has been called the funniest British comedy ever written, and now arrives in London’s West End in a sparkling 40th anniversary production directed by Lindsay Posner.

Lindsay joins me to share his unique experience of this enduring comic masterpiece.