NOSES OFF: Holy Trinity High School

Read the Top 5 Reviews! All reviews are written by high school students in the Edmonton and surrounding area.

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By Chelsea Bell

Louis St. Laurent

Holy Trinity High School's production of Noses Off was a whirlwind of chaos, comedy, and perfectly timed disaster. Don Zolidis' farcical masterpiece takes audiences behind the scenes of a doomed theatrical production, where everything possible goes wrong. Props vanish, cues missed, entangled romantic relationships get messy, and egos clash spectacularly. The play centers on an amateur theatre company's struggle to stage a whodunit production, the real mystery being whether the cast and crew can navigate the chaos leading up to the opening night. As the cast and crew scramble to hold their show together, the result is a hilarious Agatha Christie meets Noises Of spectacle that highlights the absurdity of live theatre. Through all the madness, Noses Of reminds us that the show must go on even in total disaster. 

With such a heavy ensemble cast with no true lead, every actor shined in their own way, making a beautiful impact on the show; everyone was perfectly cast with such witty comedy. They all delivered a captivating performance from beginning to end and always succeeded in holding the audience's attention. A few performers who stood out, consistently drawing my attention, were Liza Kozachenko, who captured Masha's apathetic anxiety and brought life to the character. Tristan Kenny made scenes dynamic by bringing a flirtatious charm to Tristan, delivering lines with effortless confidence and a playful spark. Sydney Kallis's portrayal of Sammy is a picture of exhaustion. Her weary expressions and frantic energy perfectly conveyed the struggles of an overworked stage manager barely holding it together. David Chaves-Martinez's performance as Vega brought a hilarious, expressive presence to the stage. Brian Goslin-Lopez played Jake with unwavering dedication, giving justice to a struggling actor waiting to shine. Evan Bouchard was hilariously unforgettable as the lovesick Arnold, making scenes more entertaining. Finally, Ryan Rogers, who played the phone-obsessed character Steve, mixing hilarious obsession and recklessness, made him a memorable part of the show. Every cast member brought infectious energy and enthusiasm, making Noses Of a delightfully chaotic and unforgettable experience. 

This show's attention to detail within scenes and character-building was impressive. This production's amazing stage crew must be noted. It's impossible to describe how excellent the lighting design by Izacc Samalio and Roudille Magno was. It truly added so much character and immersivity to the show. My favourite moments in the show include the love birds Kaylie and Arnold's entrance, the time the props manager Milly came on stage, all of the death scenes in the first act, Maria's death scene, the water splashing of the men, and the entirety of the beautifully organized chaos of act two. These moments impacted the show and made it entertaining to watch. 

This team brought the show together through every minor detail and comedic point, making this performance gut-wrenchingly hilarious. With the cast and, most importantly, the crew, you can see the effort they put into this show. Their commitment, professionalism, and friendship among the cast were inspiring. Holy Trinity perfectly represented the true meaning of Noses Off.

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By Ruth Young

St. Joseph’s Catholic High School

Attending Holy Trinity School’s production of Noses Off was a test of patience, endurance, and my ability to stifle secondhand embarrassment. From the moment the curtains wobbled open, it was clear that this was going to be a theatrical experience I’d never forget. 

This wildly unprepared theater group attempted to stage a serious drama about a family’s inheritance dispute in Noses Off, a spoof of the iconic farce Noises Off. Every disastrous moment, prop malfunctions, forgotten lines, personal feuds, and even false noses tumbling off mid-scene, was meticulously staged to appear completely accidental. The result? A spectacle so chaotic it was hard to tell where the script ended and the real disasters began. 

The cast brought their characters to life with distinct and unique personalities, each contributing to the show in their own way. Evan Bouchard and Rose Hisnawi, who played the couple Arnold and Kayle, had a funny and playful chemistry that added both humor and warmth to their scenes. Their back-and-forth interactions provided lighthearted moments that helped balance the production’s shifting tones, though at times, their timing could have been tighter to fully land the comedic beats. 

However, one of the most memorable performances came from David Chaves-Martinez, who portrayed Vega. Despite having a smaller role, Chaves-Martinez commanded the stage with a sharp and charismatic presence, instantly piquing interest whenever Vega appeared. Through a combination of sass, confidence, and perfectly timed sly remarks, Vega became a scene-stealer, offering much-needed comedic relief and injecting energy into the production. While the role itself was brief, Chaves-Martinez’s performance ensured that Vega’s moments were among the most entertaining and anticipated throughout the show. 

While the production’s chaotic nature and the frequent mishaps might have initially seemed like a recipe for disaster, it ultimately became part of its charm. The cast, particularly the dynamic duo of Bouchard and Hisnawi, and the standout performance by Chaves-Martinez, managed to inject moments of humor and heart into the madness. Whether intentionally or not, the show embodied the spirit of farce, where the unexpected became the highlight. While it may not have been a polished production, it was certainly a memorable one.

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By Leonie Habis

Mother Margaret Mary

The Show Must Go Wrong! 

Backstage blunders have never been this funny 

The theater program at Holy trinity recently performed "Noses Off” on March 6, 2025, a fast-paced farce that hilariously displays the chaos behind an amateur theatre company’s attempt at a “whodunit”. Written by Don Zolidis, the play thrived on escalating absurdity and was brought to life by the sharp comedic timing and high energy of the cast. The students kept the audience laughing, and truly made their performance stand out. 

The play “Noses Off” is the story of an independent theatre collective scrambling to open their chaotic “whodunit”, but the true mystery is whether they’ll make it to curtain call. With a vengeful costume designer, complicated showmances, and a single suitcase playing the role of nine, backstage on opening night is the best seat in the house in this tribute to Michael Frayn’s classic comedy. 

The cast of this production perfectly displayed acts of physical comedy, expertly timing every response, and various mishaps to keep the audience engaged. Clare Mccarthy, who played Taylor, was dedicated to maintaining their character’s stumbled walking, displaying and exaggerating the tightness of their stage shoes. The short-lived romance between Arnold and Kaylie, both played by Evan Bouhard and Rose Hisnawi respectively, had watchers howling with each of their lovey-dovey interactions, especially during their impromptu musical number. The dynamic between the director Lila, played by Abigail Churchman and co-director Sammy, played by Sydney Kallis was a very fun watch due to their bad cop/good cop dynamic. Their responses had everyone cracking up. Watching Jake, played by Brian Goslin-Lopez, attempting to maintain the peace to look good for the talent scout was wonderfully displayed, showcasing great skill in comedic timing. This production was greatly ensemble based and required a lot of dedication from its cast to maintain order throughout its hectic performance, yet they all managed to work very well and make it all work. 

A couple favourite technical aspects of this production were the lights and costumes. The lights, done by Izacc Samalio and Roudille Magno, were a crucial aspect in the show's comedic timing. During the first act, any time a character would start saying their lines, the lights would focus in, 

appearing more like an actual stage light, but the moment there was a character break, the lights would revert to their previous look, adding a lot more to the scene. This is even more impressive considering that they were hand-held lights. The costumes, designed by Kwyncy Davis managed to not only work for the characters they were playing in their show, but their personalities apart from it. Together, they added so much to the production's atmosphere. 

From exaggerated character faults to perfectly executed comedy, the production kept the audience laughing throughout. The dedication of the cast and crew was visible in every scene, making “Noses Off” a standout performance that showcased both their talent and love for theatre.

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By Riana Layug

St. Joseph’s Catholic High School

On the 6th of March, 2025, I died…of laughter! Holy Trinity’s “Noses Off” blew the audience off their seats, laughing as they brought a relatable depiction of the different types of theatre kids and what happens before theatrical magic is shared with the world. With impeccable comedic timing, amazing physical humor and improvisation, and their visually striking set, the audience experienced the best, most engaging, and funniest chaos of their lives! 

Inspired by Michael Frayn’s “Noises Off,” “Noses Off” is a play adapted by Don Zolidis that features the play-within-a-play concept under a wacky and farce comedic light that encapsulates the challenges faced by high schoolers during tech rehearsals and the backstages shenanigans of a condemned play, featuring all the things that could possibly go wrong on an opening night—pure chaos. 

They weren’t joking when they said that this was an ensemble-heavy play, because man, everyone caught my eye! They mastered the application of farcical comedy from start to finish. Kudos to the entire cast for making hilariousness and acting look as easy as breathing—they are all naturals and charismatic. The production did an amazing job of putting together such a flawless representation of the art of play-within-a-play which is factored up by the amazing job done by the technical team with their incredible use of sound and lighting effects combined with the seamless transition of the cast from acting as their roles on the murder-mystery play they are rehearsing to their high school selves who are just so done with rehearsals. 

David Chaves-Martinez who brought the character of Vega to life has always got the audience snorting and laughing every time they are up. Their timing always caught me off guard and the next thing I knew, the whole room was gasping for air, laughing because of their sassy and “Valley Girl-like” delivery. Another must-see component of this play is the cast’s utilization of accents and impressions which adds to the humorous impact: Brian Goslin-Lopez had a consistent British accent, Dorianne Tshitenge impersonated multiple accents, and Tristan Kenny’s hilarious Texan impression. A special commendation also goes out to Aluet Kot-Doc Dau for memorizing everyone else’s lines and for her terrific use of physical comedy which was seen through her prominent use of repetition. I’m more in awe after finding out that she was feeling unwell during the show. The show indeed must go on! 

Different yet the same, Clare McCarthy and Ryan Rogers as well as Evan Bouchard and Rose Hisnawi portrayed two comical couples in contrasting versions. Additionally, Bouchard alongside Goslin-Lopez has got the audience chortling with their fabulous and entertaining execution of physical comedy throughout the play. 

Holy Trinity has truly helped us gain ab muscles from laughing with their amazing production, especially in the second act. It was even more impressive after finding out that… (drumrolls) 20 to 30 percent of it was improvised! Truly a production full of amazing and inherently funny people. This is definitely a must-see, especially for sitcom enjoyers…It is organized chaos!

Photo Credit: @holytrinityecsd

By Carly Vos

Strathcona High School 

Holy Trinity’s Noses Off, a parody of Micheal Frayn’s “Noises Off”, follows an amateur theatre company’s rehearsal and opening night of their playwright's highly unoriginal murder mystery. Missing props, a vengeful costume director, exasperated stage hands, and a team of uncooperative actors, the drama is enthralling. This show offers a whole new perspective on the backstage of live performance, where it seems nothing is quite going right, behind the scenes or onstage. 

The character relationships, or performance situationships and showmances, were hilarious. Namely, the dynamic between Tristan (Tristan Kenny) the Texan cowboy-esqe dinner guest, and demanding director Lila (Abigail Churchman). The dialogue between them was dramatic, petty, and they complemented one another perfectly. 

Brian Goslin-Lopez, as Jake, the butler in this whodunnit was exceptionally performed. In an ensemble based show, he was sassy and charismatic, and truly shone within the other actors. Bent on keeping this show together, his characters' desperate attempts to keep peace, enhance and the overall performance, and correct his director were hysterical and added to the chaotic essence of this comedy. A smaller role, but striking nonetheless was David Chaves-Martinez, who played revenge-bent costume director Vega. Every time he was onstage the audience was in uproar, and for good reason. Chaves-Martinez managed to steal the show every scene he was in. A riotous mix of vindictive and audacious, he was so memorable as a character and so fun to watch. 

A farcical story where everything that can go wrong, does; physical comedy is a keystone in carrying the conflict between characters. This is where the timing of stunts, jokes, and fights must be perfectly cued in order to keep the audience attentive and the actors safe. Holy Trinity did an extraordinary job, admitting a large part of the humour in the show was improvisational, one wouldn't be able to tell. If a cue was missed or messed up, it was completely masked by a new line or joke in a heartbeat. Characters were never questioned or doubted, and that is applaudable to just how creative and dedicated this cast is. 

We felt like we knew everyone so well, and each character was so expressive it was mesmerizing. In a classic story it’s easy to fall to stereotypical, flat characters. The actors in Noses Off managed to completely avoid this, no roles felt cookie cutter or boring, and were so spirited. As an audience member we felt intrusive to the drama onstage, which exemplifies how well done this show was. We laughed, we gasped, we were incredibly confused, and we loved every minute of it. Hats off to Holy Trinity’s Noses Off and its quick-witted cast, this was truly a show to remember.