In the summer of 2026, the venerable walls of Schloss-Spiele Kobersdorf will become the stage for one of the most fast-paced and sophisticated comedies in theater literature. Michael Frayn's cult play Noises Off is an evening that celebrates chaos—but with the utmost precision. For what appears to be a hopeless mess is in fact a masterfully constructed clockwork of timing, tempo, and pandemonium.
The initial situation already promises turbulence: an ambitious but increasingly overwhelmed comedy troupe rehearses its play—and the dress rehearsal, of all things, turns into a disaster. Props disappear, lines are forgotten, doors stick, and actors miss their cues. While the director desperately tries to keep control, not only does the production crumble, but so do the nerves of his ensemble. In the second act, the perspective shifts: the audience looks behind the scenes and experiences the performance from the back of the stage. Here, jealousies, misunderstandings, and private entanglements escalate. A fateful bottle of whiskey adds to the drama, as does an unexpected visitor at an inopportune moment. What still appears reasonably orderly at the front finally disintegrates at the back into a ludicrous web of hurt feelings, wounded vanities, and improvised emergency solutions.
When the final curtain falls at the end of the tour, hardly anything remains of the original arrangements. But it is precisely in this complete loss of control that the true artistry of this farce unfolds: with admirable enthusiasm, the characters save themselves in the final chaos – and the audience in roaring laughter.
When British author Michael Frayn once watched a performance of one of his early plays from the wings, he realized that what was happening behind the scenes was funnier than what was happening on stage. This observation led to the premiere of Noises Off in London in 1982, which has since become one of the most successful comedies worldwide.
In Kobersdorf, director Claus Tröger takes over the production, and artistic director Ksch. Wolfgang Böck also throws himself into the orchestrated chaos with obvious enthusiasm. Between pointed slapstick, precise choreography, and a keen sense of timing, the result is a festival evening that shows that madness is not an occupational hazard here, but a method.
The audience can look forward to a summer in which a new gag lurks behind every door – and in which failure becomes the highest form of comedy.
June 30 to July 26, 2026
www.schlossspiele.com
"Stories from the Vienna Woods", 2025, Alexandra-Maria Timmel, Wolfgang Böck © VOGUS
