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Post by fiyerorocher on Dec 8, 2021 23:04:41 GMT
Saw this tonight and have to concur with much of the above - really quite dreadful. By the end I literally had my head in my hands, willing for it to be over already. I think what's been overlooked so far is how utterly awful the lyrics are? Half of the songs are just the same word or phrase repeated over and over, and those that aren't have the most forced rhymes that just make you cringe. It would take far too much time to list everything I don't like, so assume it's absolutely everything except the following: -Rose's main costume. -The set. That's pretty much it. Most of the cast are trying to do their best with the little they have (and major props to the women currently understudying Queenie with script in hand), but even some lovely voices can't save an appalling show. And I would like to know why the director seems obsessed with stranding his female leads in the air on pieces of set for long periods of time?
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Post by mrnutz on Dec 9, 2021 9:05:51 GMT
Oh dear, I'm seeing this tonight...
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115 posts
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Hex - NT
Dec 9, 2021 9:20:32 GMT
via mobile
Post by MusicalTalk on Dec 9, 2021 9:20:32 GMT
So it seems like it’s the light princess all over again.
Someone writing a musical who doesn’t know how to write musicals Rosalie being wonderful Great set Great costumes Nonsensical lyrics
Will they learn?
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Post by fiyerorocher on Dec 9, 2021 9:30:11 GMT
So it seems like it’s the light princess all over again. Someone writing a musical who doesn’t know how to write musicals Rosalie being wonderful Great set Great costumes Nonsensical lyrics Will they learn? Great costumes is debatable with this one, I think. A couple are good, the majority are fine, but some are awful. The princes all in bright yellow wigs?? Why?? And the Rose baby costume/set up is genuinely nightmare-inducing. Definitely won't win any costume awards.
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Post by Jan on Dec 9, 2021 10:11:39 GMT
I think what's been overlooked so far is how utterly awful the lyrics are? Norris is credited as the sole lyricist on this. Has he ever written lyrics for anything before ? It is a quite extraordinary situation.
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Post by southstreet on Dec 9, 2021 11:55:34 GMT
I saw this last night and whilst I agree that this show is absolutely WEIRD, I didn't hate it. Natasha Barnes did incredibly well as Queenie, seeing that it's not a part she actually covers and her and Rosie's vocals were gorgeous. The set is really nice, I did actually enjoy some of the songs and whilst lyrically it definitely wasn't a Sondheim, I didn't find them as grating as others seemed to. The story was definitely confusing at times though, there is a whole character that makes so sense other than needing to be a tool for the plot in exposing someone, but we have no idea what he does or why he is there and I had a fair few moments where I just thought WTF? LOL I definitely text friends in the interval and afterwards saying I was watching a really bonkers show, but it didn't feel unpleasantly strange to me, if that makes sense? I was pretty engaged throughout, apart from a couple of places that maybe dragged a bit. I definitely think this could have done with another workshop or two before letting it go out in front of an audience. But for a ten quid rush ticket in the stalls, I definitely didn't feel short-changed and had an enjoyable evening. Don't think I need to revisit it though. LOL
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Post by fiyerorocher on Dec 9, 2021 12:06:03 GMT
Another thing that I can't fathom is {Spoiler - click to view} The princes who don't end up with Rose all go off to go their own thing. One of them says he's starting a creche - fine, supposed to be an attempt at comedy since we just saw them all abandon two babies; one of them says he's going to do 'something to do with fish'? made no sense to me at all, and another declares they're actually a woman and no longer want to be referred to by a man's name. The last one just seemed so strangely shoehorned in? By all means, please do add queer rep to fairytales, but do so in a way that doesn't feel so horribly tokenistic and played for laughs...
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Post by Someone in a tree on Dec 9, 2021 12:39:18 GMT
southstreet how did you get the rush tickers? Please and ta
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4,598 posts
Member is Online
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Post by Mark on Dec 9, 2021 12:45:01 GMT
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Post by southstreet on Dec 9, 2021 13:20:12 GMT
southstreet how did you get the rush tickers? Please and ta As Mark said, rush tickets go on sale at 1pm on Friday through the link they posted. And it doesn't seem to be selling out straight away, so I wouldn't worry too much if you end up quite far back in the queue when they go on sale or even if you forget and only check an hour later. My friend managed to get a ticket for this week's Hex at 4pm last Friday and apparently could get tickets for every performance this week still at that point. Obviously try as early as you can, that'll give you more options to pick your seats from. :-)
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Hex - NT
Dec 9, 2021 14:39:48 GMT
via mobile
Post by Someone in a tree on Dec 9, 2021 14:39:48 GMT
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Post by andrew on Dec 9, 2021 14:54:11 GMT
I haven't seen this (and it doesn't look like I will) but what a sorry state of affairs. Aside from the National's own problems with Norris's entire tenure being generously described as "underwhelming", how said is it that a new musical was actually produced at a major theatre, and it had to be a stinker that earned it's place through nepotism alone?
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Post by londonpostie on Dec 9, 2021 17:05:53 GMT
I see Hex/Rufus gets a whole page in todays Metro (p30). Some interesting quotes, worth a read. London only, I'm guessing
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Post by mrnutz on Dec 10, 2021 12:15:12 GMT
Oh boy, this is a stinker.
Saw it last night - fourth preview. Again it started with Norris telling us that the actor standing in for Queenie would be using a script - she only used it one scene in the second act and was one of the best performers in the whole show.
I actually didn't hate it overall, but only because aesthetically it looks great and that was enough to keep me interested most of the time. Good use of projections. Ensemble cast were good but I found most of the leads disappointing.
The songs range from forgettable to tedious, and a lot of them are too long.
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Post by mrnutz on Dec 10, 2021 12:37:21 GMT
ALSO - it feels like it doesn't know who its aimed at - kids / families or adults? Some of it is really juvenile, some of it more mature and there's swearing in it. It's kind of aimed at everyone and no-one at the same time.
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Post by QueerTheatre on Dec 10, 2021 13:32:49 GMT
Another thing that I can't fathom is {Spoiler - click to view} The princes who don't end up with Rose all go off to go their own thing. One of them says he's starting a creche - fine, supposed to be an attempt at comedy since we just saw them all abandon two babies; one of them says he's going to do 'something to do with fish'? made no sense to me at all, and another declares they're actually a woman and no longer want to be referred to by a man's name. The last one just seemed so strangely shoehorned in? By all means, please do add queer rep to fairytales, but do so in a way that doesn't feel so horribly tokenistic and played for laughs... Wait - they have a cis actor suddenly turning trans for laughs?
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Post by fiyerorocher on Dec 10, 2021 14:00:16 GMT
Another thing that I can't fathom is {Spoiler - click to view} The princes who don't end up with Rose all go off to go their own thing. One of them says he's starting a creche - fine, supposed to be an attempt at comedy since we just saw them all abandon two babies; one of them says he's going to do 'something to do with fish'? made no sense to me at all, and another declares they're actually a woman and no longer want to be referred to by a man's name. The last one just seemed so strangely shoehorned in? By all means, please do add queer rep to fairytales, but do so in a way that doesn't feel so horribly tokenistic and played for laughs... Wait - they have a cis actor suddenly turning trans for laughs? So some of the princes are played by members of the female ensemble, dressing as men and with the god awful yellow wigs. I'm pretty sure it's one of them (couldn't tell which, I was sat too far away) who announces 'I'm Agnes, not Elliot, and I'm a girl.'
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Post by ThereWillBeSun on Dec 10, 2021 17:11:06 GMT
Wait - they have a cis actor suddenly turning trans for laughs? So some of the princes are played by members of the female ensemble, dressing as men and with the god awful yellow wigs. I'm pretty sure it's one of them (couldn't tell which, I was sat too far away) who announces 'I'm Agnes, not Elliot, and I'm a girl.' Yup so that was Natasha Barnes (first preview) I just thought it was totally random and unsure who this story is aimed at. Hot mess.
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Post by mattnyc on Dec 10, 2021 17:19:07 GMT
To be fair I don’t think anyone “turned trans”, it was just a weird moment where one of the princes (who is played by a female) says they’re a female. I really wouldn’t read too much into it since it’s just a horribly written joke (if you can call it that) that doesn’t even make any sense.
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Post by kathryn on Dec 11, 2021 17:13:05 GMT
Just seen this and have to agree with the consensus. Natasha J Barnes does a great job in the circumstances as Queenie, and barely glanced at the script in her hand in one scene, and Rosalie Craig’s vocals are as sure as ever, but the characterisations are a mess and the book makes no sense. The Sleeping Beauty Story just doesn’t fit a ‘be yourself!’ moral, so it all feels horribly tacked on. The Fairy character doing the multiple personality thing has no dramatic purpose other than to provide an excuse for casting a Hex - there’s no attempt to resolve that. And I couldn’t work out why they decided Fairy has no wings - they deprived themselves of some potential for spectacle and energy by so doing. Energy generally is a problem, once past the opening number, which does look very pretty. The songs in the first act dragged. The ‘Thorns’ did not need to be characters - would have worked better as danced representations of thorns than personifications. The Concept of the Princes was ok but the costume/wigs choice was wrong - make them individuals, not all looks the same! I did not buy the thing at the end with Queenie repenting after she genuinely thought she had eaten the children and Rose. Nor did I buy Rose’s forgiveness. If you’re going to go that grotesque then your villain needs to be a villain - you can’t hand-wave it away at the end. There needs to be consequences.
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186 posts
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Hex - NT
Dec 11, 2021 22:41:46 GMT
via mobile
Post by argon on Dec 11, 2021 22:41:46 GMT
"And I couldn’t work out why they decided Fairy has no wings" Went through my mind also, but she had wing stubs
Is there such a thing as a fallen Fairy like an Angel?
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Post by jennapatchell on Dec 12, 2021 1:13:56 GMT
Completely agree with everything above. Can't wait to see the features on this come press night.
I genuinely think the golden age of the NT is beyond far gone. During the Hytner era you had to snap up tickets during the first onsale day because the shows were usually fantastic. For some reason I still try snap them all up on opening day, but why? I think I need to stop coming unless I hear a show is actually good.
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4,047 posts
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Hex - NT
Dec 12, 2021 10:08:29 GMT
via mobile
Post by kathryn on Dec 12, 2021 10:08:29 GMT
"And I couldn’t work out why they decided Fairy has no wings" Went through my mind also, but she had wing stubs Is there such a thing as a fallen Fairy like an Angel? Yes, she has wing stubs, and the fact that she can’t fly is mentioned a couple of times by characters. But why?! What relevance to the story did that have?
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Post by mrbarnaby on Dec 12, 2021 12:12:53 GMT
This show sounds just horrendous.
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Post by fiyerorocher on Dec 12, 2021 19:38:54 GMT
"And I couldn’t work out why they decided Fairy has no wings" Went through my mind also, but she had wing stubs Is there such a thing as a fallen Fairy like an Angel? Yes, she has wing stubs, and the fact that she can’t fly is mentioned a couple of times by characters. But why?! What relevance to the story did that have? So they can abandon her in the air on a spinning wheel as she helplessly watches events below, presumably :') I really cannot tell why they needed to leave not one but TWO of their performers suspended in the air for extended periods of time.
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Post by mrnutz on Dec 13, 2021 12:25:35 GMT
Press night pushed back from 15th to 21st.
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Post by londonpostie on Dec 13, 2021 12:38:23 GMT
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on Dec 13, 2021 17:15:44 GMT
Is this musical based on the Rufus Norris version of "Sleeping Beauty", which was staged at Chichester in 2018? I didn't see that but everyone who did said it was very weird. I noted that when Chichester did "The Wizard of Oz" as its Christmas production the following year, the publicity stressed how traditional it was, which to me implied that "Sleeping Beauty" the previous year hadn't been well received.
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83 posts
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Hex - NT
Dec 14, 2021 14:39:45 GMT
via mobile
Post by justinj on Dec 14, 2021 14:39:45 GMT
Cancelled todays and tomorrow’s performances due to illness.
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7,562 posts
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Hex - NT
Dec 14, 2021 15:28:02 GMT
via mobile
Post by alece10 on Dec 14, 2021 15:28:02 GMT
I'm due to go on Thursday so will wait to hear about that.
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