Tamzin Outhwaite tells Graham Norton about starring in Noises Off 

Virgin Radio

15 Oct 2023, 13:39

Tamzin Outhwaite joined The Graham Norton Radio Show with Waitrose to talk about performing on the West End and her admiration for Michael Frayn’s work.

Eastenders star Tamzin Outhwaite has joined the cast of Michael Frayn’s Noises Off, which is currently on at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London.

The 52-year-old visited The Graham Norton Radio Show with Waitrose this morning (15th October) to discuss her love for the play, and how the cast pulled it together in just 10 days.

Reflecting on her favourite aspect of Noises Off, Outhwaite revealed: “[To be] on stage and hear rolling laughter for two hours is the most wonderful feeling.

“You think, there must be an audience that [doesn't] find it funny, [but] there never is.

“They absolutely love it.”

Explaining the plot, the actress said: “It's a play within a play. It's a pastiche of the old farces.

“It's about a troupe of actors that are touring, it's probably quite a low rent tour, and there's a director trying to keep everybody in check.

“[In] the first half, you see us rehearsing [the play] Nothing On, [and] the second half is from backstage, so the whole set turns around and you see what goes on backstage.

“And the third half is at the very end of the tour.

“For actors, it's one of those things that when you say, ‘Oh, I'm doing Noises Off,’ they go, ‘Oh, it's my favourite play,’ or ‘I've always wanted to do that,’ because it's about actors,” she reflected.

“You kind of get where they are and what they're trying to achieve and what they don't achieve.” 

Outhwaite told Norton that when she joined the existing cast along with three other actors, including Gavin and Stacey’s Mathew Horne, they only had 10 days of rehearsals before their opening night.

“We weren't confident and [we didn’t] know exactly what we were doing until we were in previews,” she confessed. “[But] now we've opened and we've had press night, it feels like we're colouring in.

“It was an outline when it was the first night and now it feels like I'm colouring in the character of Belinda and loving it, because you just find new things all the time.”

Describing her character Belinda Blair, the actress said: “She used to be a dancer or a showgirl in a chorus line, so her default setting is when things go wrong, she goes back to presenting things and being like a showgirl.

“And she tries to talk posh when she's acting but it doesn't work very well.”

Tickets for Noises Off at the Theatre Royal Haymarket are available to buy now. 

Listen to The Graham Norton Radio Show every Saturday AND Sunday from 9.30am on Virgin Radio or catch up on-demand here.