By Mikaela STONE

The production of “One Man, Two Guvnors” at A Noise Within Theatre, 3352 E. Foothill Blvd. in Pasadena, brings slapstick comedy and an appreciation for classic theatre into the colorful backdrop of 1963. 

Artistic directors Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliott provide their own spin on the 2011 West End show with singing and dancing transitions that turn a simple set change into what Rodriguez-Elliott calls a “nonstop party atmosphere.” While the original production of “One Man, Two Guvnors” is underscored by a skiffle band – the New Orleans-rooted music genre that many young British people used to express themselves post World War II – A Noise Within provides not only a talented skiffle band but also the musical talents of a cast that can sing, dance and play the washboard. 

Rodriguez-Elliott said she and Elliott chose the play because “we’re living in such challenging times right now that we wanted to open the season [with a play] where we could all be in a room together and enjoy a great story and a good laugh. We all needed that.” 

A Noise Within’s new season, “Songs from the Volcano,” promises poignant plays that explore both human resilience during hard times and the type of person who creates such times. Later this season, Rodriguez-Elliott will direct “Death of a Salesman.” 

Kasey Mahaffy, who played Alfred Byrne in last season’s “A Man of No Importance,” leads the cast and this time his stellar performance highlights the wacky antics of protagonist Francis Henshall with eye-catching physicality and increasingly comedic fourth wall breaks. Whether onstage alone monologuing about the ridiculous problems his bumbling has caused or backed by a stellar ensemble cast, it is hard to take one’s eyes off of Mahaffy.

After all, Francis Henshall’s primary motivation during the first act is getting to eat lunch. Living in Brighton, which Rodriguez-Elliott describes as the British Atlantic city, Henshall has recently lost his job only to find himself employed by both the foppish Stanley Stubbers and Stubbers’ enemy, reportedly dead gangster Roscoe Crabbe – who is actually Roscoe’s sister, Rachel Crabbe, in disguise. To make matters more complicated, “Roscoe” reaffirms his engagement to the beautiful and wealthy but clownish Pauline, who is now engaged and in love with another man. This story is an adaptation of the classic Italian Renaissance Comedia Del Arte show “The Servant of Two Masters” by Carlo Goldoni.

A Noise Within Theatre rings in its new season with talented actors and directors. “One Man, Two Guvnors” continues through Sept. 28.