AUBURN – “Noises Off,” an outrageous farce currently playing at Community Little Theatre, is among the best of the best. Co-directed by Celeste Philippon and Christopher Scott, this show can’t get any funnier. It is a nonstop case of mistaken identities, purposeful overacting and slapstick humor that is exceptional.

“Noises Off” depicts the onstage and backstage antics of a second-rate acting troupe that’s touring in an awful farce. “Nothing On” is the title of this play-within-a-play. The curtain opens on the dress rehearsal of the first act of “Nothing On” the night before it opens, and things are not going well. In the second act, we see the first act of “Nothing On” from backstage, after it has been running a month. The third act takes us back to the first act of “Nothing On” yet again, after two months of touring.

The idea for the show came while playwright Michael Frayn was standing in the wings of a London theater watching a performance of a quick-change, arms-flapping farce he’d written.

Crazy results

According to Frayn, “It was funnier from behind the scenes than in front, and I thought that one day I must write a farce from behind.” The result is “Noises Off,” by far the craziest comedy ever to hit the stage.

If there is a challenge in this show, it is keeping the audience’s attention through an hour-long first act that sets the stage for best parts in acts 2 and 3.

If this show could speed up the pace in Act 1 just a bit, it would be easier to commit to the rest of the evening.

“Noises Off” boasts a few stage veterans, some newcomers to Community Little Theatre, some returnees coming back to this theater group after absences and some total newcomers to the area.

Picking a favorite actor would be difficult. Pat Phillips as Dotty is a perfectly quaint comic character while Garry Lejeune performs like a skilled TV sitcom character wonderfully out of control. (He also looks and acts like Austin Powers of movie fame.)

Fast becoming a Community Little Theatre favorite, Kristin Boucher has an incredible flair for comedy. She plays a young lady (Brooke Ashton) who’s always losing a contact lens and who can’t seem to find her dress.

Befuddled manager’

Luisa Scott as Belinda Blair is a great lampoon character playing opposite Brad Kutulas (Frederick Fellowes) as a stuffy Brit. And there are great standout performances in Jason Pelletier as the director, Dorian Vincent as the drunken burglar, Caitlin Watson as the befuddled stage manager and, especially funny, Ryan Wilson II as the confused stagehand. As the British would say, all of the performances were “brilliant.”

The two-story, seven-door set is a sight to see whether viewed from the front or behind. Lighting and sound blended nicely with the production.

“Noises Off” has some adult content and situations, but nothing more drastic than what you’d find on cable television.

Performances are Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Great Falls Performing Arts Center on Academy Street. Curtain times are 8 p.m. through Saturday and 2 p.m. for the Sunday matinee. Tickets, which are $13 or $11 for seniors and full-time students, are available at 783-0958.

Dan Marois is an actor, writer and producer. He can be reached at [email protected].