ART IS A BANG: Cast of "Noises Off" Take Off Starting March 28

Repertory Philippines proudly presents the hilarious NOISES OFF, the third offering for its 77th season.

Written in 1982 by English playwright Michael Frayn, NOISES OFF —a stage term indicating sounds coming from offstage—is a play within a play, the story of a temperamental director and a troupe of hapless performers putting up a silly sex farce called Nothing On. 

The present production of NOISES OFF, which is directed by Miguel V. Faustmann, runs from March 28 to April 13 and from April 25 to April 27, 2014 at Onstage, 2/F, Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Roxas corner Legazpi St., Makati City. 


The idea for NOISES OFF came to Frayn while he was watching one of his other plays, The Two of Us, from the wings. Noting that it was “funnier from behind than in front,” he was inspired to create a one-act play called Exits, which he later expanded into what would become NOISES OFF.  

Repertory Philippines has assembled a stellar cast for the current production, most of whom play actors playing roles in the fictitious play Nothing On.

Veteran performer CHINGGOY ALONSO plays Lloyd Dallas, the director of the play-within-a-play. Chinggoy is a household name – veteran actor on stage, film and TV. He is also an accomplished Director, Producer, Musical Arranger, Orchestrator and Composer. He has done numerous stage plays and musicals which include Camelot (King Arthur), My Fair Lady (Henry Higgins), Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (The Pharaoh), A Chorus Line (Zach), The Sound of Music (Capt. Von Trapp), Noises Off (Garry Lejeune/Roger Tramplemain), Les Miserables (Thenadier), Miss Saigon (Engineer) to name a few. 

Chinggoy is a 3-time Aliw Awardee for Best Actor and recipient of Aliw Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. Some of his film credits include Maruja, Bridesmaids,   Moments  of  Love,  Sisa,  and  The Healing. He has done hundreds

of shows in ABS-CBN and GMA which include Encantadia, Magpakailanman, Kim Samsoon, Wansapanataym, Indio and most recently, My Husband’s Lover, Got to Believe, My Little Juan and Moon Over Desire.

The role of forgetful actress Dotty Otley, who plays housekeeper Mrs. Clackett, is assayed by FRANCES MAKIL IGNACIO.  Frances won the 24th Aliw Awards Best Actress (Non Musical) in 2011 for Repertory Philippines staging of The Joy Luck Club under the direction of Anton Juan.  She was also nominated in 2009, 2010, 2012 & 2013 in the same category for Dulaang UP’s Atang, Virgin Labfest 6’s Suor Clara, Dulaang UP’s Ang Tagak & Tanghalang Ateneo’s Oresteyas respectively. Some of her memorable roles are Medea (Medea); Martha (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?); Kate Keller (All My Sons); Lucy (Threepenny Opera); Paulina (Dorfman’s Death and the Maiden); Phaedra (Phaedra); Iokasta (Oedipus Rex); Toinette (The Imaginary Invalid); Gertrude, Margaret & Paulina (Hamlet, Richard III & Winter’s Tale); Coochie Snorcher Girl & Sex Worker (Vagina Monologues); Concha (Merry Wives of Manila); Sophia (Mga Ama, Mga Anak); Cooka & Lupe (Sakurahime and Shadows of the Reef); Renata & Dita (Fluid & Shock Value).

Returning to Rep after many years away, PAUL HOLME takes on the role of alcoholic stage veteran Selsdon Mowbray, who in turn plays a burglar.  Originally a Londoner, Paul has now lived more than half his life in the Philippines. His work with Repertory Philippines was mostly back in the "Insular Life days", when he appeared in more than 30 plays, among them the first production of Noises Off (as Lloyd, the Director). He has also performed with other local theater companies, most recently with PETA in the long-running and widely-acclaimed Care Divas. When not acting he claims to run an export company. He and his wife Gloria have two grown-up daughters and, now, two granddaughters. 

Another erstwhile Rep regular, SHIELA VALDERRAMA-MARTINEZ, plays cheerful actress Belinda Blair, who plays Flavia Brent. Shiela is a seasoned theater performer and singer just recently won as 2013's Best New Female Recording Artist in the prestigious Awit Awards for her featured song "That Time of Year" in Jose Mari Chan’s “Going Home to Christmas” album. She was last seen on stage as "Rosario Ruiz” in Ryan Cayabyab’s new original Filipino musical Lorenzo, Atlantis Production’s Carrie The Musical (Miss Lyn Gardner), and Resorts World’s The King and I, playing the lead role Anna Leonowens, where she garnered Best Actress Nominations in Broadway World Philippines and  Aliw Awards. Shiela returned to Stage with Repertory Philippines for the productions of The Secret Garden (Mrs. Shelly / Ensemble), Miong (Kampuput; A Christmas Carol (Ghost of Christmas Past / Mrs. Ethel Cratchit) and Fame (Serena Katz). In addition to her extensive theatrical experience Shiela also recently bagged a featured role in the 2nd season of "The Boston: The Kitchen Musical," an international television show set to air June 2014.

Shiela’s real-life husband LORENZ MARTINEZ, another Rep stalwart, takes on the role of Garry Lejeune, who takes on the role of Roger Tramplemain.  Lorenz is a veteran theater performer who in 2013 performed the role of Lorenzo Ruiz in the new Ryan Cayabyab Original Musical: Lorenzo the Rock Opera, Vernon Gersh in 9Works Theatrical’s They’re Playing Our Song and Lun Tha in Resorts World Manila’s 9-month run of The King and I. Other notable credits include the Cinderella Asian Tour (King Cover & Mouse) Camelot (Ensemble), Evita (Ensemble), Fame (Joe Vegas), Neil Simon's God’s Favorite (David Benjamin & Morris), Jesus Christ Superstar (Judas Iscariot), The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe (Maugrim The Wolf), Beauty and the Beast (Cogsworth), 9Works Theatrical’s The Wedding Singer (Sammy), Rent (Benny), Upstart Production’s Forbidden Broadway and Resorts World Manila’s production of The Sound Of Music (Herr Zeller). Lorenz also appeared in the Netherland’s production of Miss Saigon being the youngest to perform the role of The Engineer. Lorenz can be seen currently on TV Sitcom Vampire and Daddy as the villain vampire sidekick “Bam” and is set to film his first Indie Feature Heneral Luna, playing the role of “Tomas Mascardo.”

CARLA GUEVARA-LAFORTEZA, yet another returning Repper, plays Brooke Ashton, who plays a sexpot named Vicki. Known for her unforgettable and one of a kind performances in Avenue Q, Nine, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Spelling Bee, Rent and most recently, The Addams Family to name a few, Carla is currently one of the country's premiere leading ladies and sought after theater performers. Some of her most memorable roles on stage were Kim/ Gigi understudy in Miss Saigon at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Princess Sapphire in The Little Mermaid, Maureen in Rent, Kate Monster and Lucy the slut in Avenue Q for Repertory Philippines, Trumpets, Atlantis Productions and 9Works Theatricals. Currently appearing in ABSCBN's Be Careful with My Heart and Got to Believe, Carla has also done numerous characters on TV, mostly for "Maalaala Mo Kaya," and was awarded "BEST NEW ARTIST" in 2000 by the PMPC Star Awards for Television for her performance in Star Drama Presents "Burn" for ABS-CBN, where she is part of the Star Magic family under by Mr. Johnny Manahan.

GERARD SISON assays the role of actor Frederick Fellowes, who plays Flavia’s husband Philip Brent, the owner of the house in which the play-within-a-play is set.  Gerard Sison returns to Rep after a 21-year hiatus, having performed in Pippin, Uproar In The House, Dead Easy, Breaking Legs, and Into the Woods. A Renaissance Man in every word, he is a Professional Artist, wearing different hats as a painter, sculptor, writer, singer, composer, host, and one-man-choir. He created the Rosary Theatre, which ran in Shangri-La Plaza for 5 years. He is also a US-certified celebrant who has officiated thousands of the most touching funerals in the country, using his Rep training to keep each performance truthful and never an act. He is known in the cosplay circles with his Christopher Reeve version of Superman. Lorenz Martinez suggested that he read for the role of Frederick/Philip, which was played by Reeve in the film version of Noises Off.
The backstage staff of the fictitious show is composed of PEACHY ATILANO’s Poppy Norton-Taylor (the show’s assistant stage manager) and NICO DANS’s Tim Allgood (the company stage manager). Both Poppy and Tim understudy various roles in Nothing On.

Peachy is always around anything colorful and happy, and being in theater is one of those happy colorful places. She holds a Technical Theater degree, which extends her passion not only on stage, but off-stage as well. As an actor, she’s been in shows such as Grease ("Frenchy", 9 Works Theatrical), The Bluebird Of Happiness (Bluebird, Trumpets), They're Playing Our Song (9 Works Theatrical), The Sound Of Music (Resorts World Manila), Rent (9 Works Theatrical), The Wedding Singer ( "Cindy Lauper", 9 Works Theatrical), Mulan ("Grandma Fa", Repertory Philippines), and A Christmas Carol (Repertory Philippines). She is thrilled to be back in Repertory Philippines for Noises Off, which is her first straight play! Off-stage, she is a musical theater teacher for 9 Works Theatrical's Kids Camp's yearly classes. She has also produced, stage-managed and production-managed several shows including Jason Robert Brown's Songs For A New World, which 9 Works Theatrical presented as their first offering as a company. 

Niccolo Artus L. Dans has earned a Bachelor in Fine Arts in Visual Communication in UP Diliman. He pursued the marketing branch of the fine arts upon graduation on 2005 working here and abroad with reputable art institutions and art fairs. He then got to participate in 7101 Nation’s prestigious Elements Singing and Songwriting Camp during late 2012. Upon entering 2013 he decided to pursue a more musical undertaking participating in the gig circuit and acting for a handful of short films and web based media. His first theater stint was with Marco Polo: An Untold Love Story in 2014. Nico is enjoying the madness of Noises Off and hopes you tell your friends about this production and come back for more! 

The unique humor of NOISES OFF comes from the intricacies of plot and character interwoven with the personalities of the actors and the show they’re trying to perform. Respected New York Times critic Frank Rich called it “the funniest play written in my lifetime,” and now is your chance to see why.

For details of the show, you may contact us in the following ways:
        By phone: 843-3570 (UPDATED OFFICE NUMBER)
          By e-mail: shows@repertoryphilippines.com
        By Internet: http://www.repertoryphilippines.com 

NOTE: The Repertory Philippines office has changed locations from Ortigas to Makati. Our new address is Unit 13 and 14 Ecoville, Executive Townhouses, Metropolitan Avenue, Makati.

Tickets are available through Ticketworld at 891-9999, or via http://www.ticketworld.com.ph/

Connect to Repertory Philippines online through the following social media networks:


Repertory Philippines would like to thank the following media partners and establishments for their support: Broadwayworld.com, ClickTheCity.com, Radio Republic, WhenInManila.com, BusinessWorld, Lane Moving and Storage,  Herword.com, Ticketworld.com, Solar News, Raintree Restaurants (Mr. Jones, Kabila, MOMO Café, and Museum Café), Greenbelt, Ayala Malls, and Lightshapers. 

NOISES OFF was first presented, by special arrangement with Michael Cordon, at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, on February 23rd, 1982, and on March 31st by Michael Cordron at the Savoy Theatre, London. 

NOISES OFF is presented by special arrangement with United Agents LLP.

See you at the theater!

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