All hell breaks loose when “Noises Off” brings backstage onstage. (photo by Jeff Lorch)

If you hear the faint hum of laughter wafting through the night skies this February, it’s likely permeating from the Geffen Playhouse. The venue has gifted Los Angeles with the latest revival of “Noises Off,” the oft-produced 1982 farce, written by Michael Frayn, about a play (within the play) that goes terribly, terribly wrong.

The 1992 film version, directed by Peter Bogdanovich and featuring a stacked all-star cast that includes Michael Caine, Carol Burnett, John Ritter, Christopher Reeve and Nicollette Sheridan, is a favorite of mine. However, I had never had the opportunity to see the play on stage – something all of my actor friends told me was a must.

They were right. The movie follows the show fairly faithfully but moves the action to America, adds a framing device and truncates the runtime. The play “Noises Off” locks you in for three acts and two intermissions, totaling two-and-a-half hours. If that sounds like a lot … it is. And I wouldn’t want a second less.

In the Geffen’s version, helmed by Anna D. Shapiro, Rick Holmes plays the director, Lloyd Dallas, who starts the performance seated in the audience as he watches the dress rehearsal of his latest production, “Nothing On.” The performance is constantly interrupted, as actors drop lines, forget props (particularly a plate of sardines … a word you’ve never heard repeated more than it is in this show) and implore Dallas to give them character motivation. As the first act unfolds, we learn the cast and crew’s intimate personal dramas, which (of course) cause even greater drama. Or, in this case, hilarity.

The first act also gives the audience its best shot at understanding the plot of “Nothing On,” which is a sexual romp involving several people attempting to steal away a few hours at a cottage in rural England. Of course, nothing goes as planned for anyone involved. Were this play ever presented without any stumbles … it would probably be pretty funny. But “Nothing On” is just the backdrop for “Noises Off.”

The second act is where “Noises Off” really gets cooking. It starts with the entire set rotating, so that the audience now sees backstage at “Nothing On.” And nothing is on time at this performance. With the show officially open and on the road, some of the cast is missing and everyone is mad at someone for something. When everyone is finally accounted for and the first lines are uttered, all hell breaks loose. As the actors struggle to make their cues, everything else plays out silently behind-the-scenes. Axes are thrown. Sardines are spilled. A cactus appears at the worst possible moment.

The third act, if possible, is somehow even funnier. The set rotates again and we see the play one last time, now close to the end of its run. I won’t spoil what happens in this act, but – you can rest assured – nothing goes as planned.

“Noises Off” is so deceptively inventive and intricate. It asks a lot of its actors (the actual ones), with the timing vital for every line and subtle movement. Thankfully, the Geffen has assembled a roster of pros. Holmes leads the proceedings ably, while literally every other actor (and actor character) manages to make an impression.

I was particularly impressed with Ora Jones as Dotty Otley (the part Carol Burnett plays in the film). She has to pull off two different, subtle variants of British accents – and she drops from one to the other with ease. I was shocked to find she was born in Columbus, Ohio. During the performance I saw, Jones got the audience involved when a prop inadvertently dropped into the front row – all without breaking.

Audrey Francis plays Belinda Blair, the busybody of the company, and I have to give her a round of applause. Her attention to – well, everything and everyone – is vital for the audience to retain interest. But to shoutout individuals almost feels like a disservice to a cast that is so uniformly in sync. Without one, the whole thing could go the way of the play within the play. Instead, their work is seamless. As much as you may hold your breath, cringing at the calamity that is “Nothing On,” you never lose the assurance that “Noises Off” knows exactly where it’s going.

I hate to repeat the words “funny” and “hilarious,” but I don’t know if either has ever been a more apt descriptor.

“Noises Off” is at the Geffen Playhouse, located at 10886 Le Conte Ave., until March 9. Go now. Run, trip, stumble, fall but don’t simply walk. Do not miss this chance to laugh. For information and tickets, visit geffenplayhouse.org.

And if you’d like to compare it to the film version, the New Beverly Cinema, located at 7185 Beverly Blvd., is screening it as a double feature with Bogdanovich’s “What’s Up Doc” (1972) Feb. 14-16. “Noises Off” starts at 8:05 p.m. each night, while “What’s Up Doc” plays at 6 p.m.

For information, visit thenewbev.com.