Editing Noises Off (section)

{{Short description|1982 play written by Michael Frayn}}
{{for|the film adaptation|Noises Off (film)}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox play
| name       = Noises Off
| image      = NoisesOff.jpg
| caption    = Poster for the 2001 Broadway revival
| writer     = [[Michael Frayn]]
| characters =  Garry Lejeune<br>Dotty Otley<br>Lloyd Dallas<br>Belinda Blair<br>Frederick Fellowes<br>Brooke Ashton<br>Tim Allgood<br>Selsdon Mowbray<br>Poppy Norton-Taylor
| setting    =
| premiere   = 1982
| place      = [[Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith)|Lyric Theatre]], London
| orig_lang  = English
| subject    = [[Play within a play]]
| genre      = Comedy
}}

'''''Noises Off''''' is a 1982 [[farce]] by the English playwright [[Michael Frayn]].

Frayn conceived the idea in 1970 while watching from the wings a performance of ''[[The Two of Us (play)|The Two of Us]]'', a [[farce]] that he had written for [[Lynn Redgrave]]. He said, "It was funnier from behind than in front, and I thought that one day I must write a farce from behind."<ref>{{cite web|last=Mehlman|first=Barbara K.|title=A CurtainUp Review|url=http://www.curtainup.com/noisesoff.html |work=CurtainUp|access-date=18 September 2013}}</ref> The prototype, a short-lived one-act play called ''Exits'', was written and performed in 1977. At the request of his associate, [[Michael Codron]], Frayn expanded this into what would become ''Noises Off''. <span class="anchor" id="offstage"></span> It takes its title from the theatrical stage direction indicating sounds coming from offstage.