1,093 posts
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Apr 14, 2017 10:12:08 GMT
Must miss for me. Glad I got fed up with the Almeida site and didn't get tix.
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93 posts
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Post by harlow on Apr 15, 2017 11:46:48 GMT
I had thought to miss this although I'm interested to see a new James Graham after This House but Richard Coyle and Bertie Carvel tipped it for me. Booked.
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1,119 posts
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Post by martin1965 on Apr 15, 2017 11:57:43 GMT
All very topical following the latest farrago involving the City of Liverpool!
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748 posts
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Post by rumbledoll on May 16, 2017 21:34:06 GMT
For anyone short of a ticket - they've released more seats today (side of stalls, front rows).
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137 posts
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Post by jason71 on Jun 17, 2017 17:02:40 GMT
Is anybody going to this tonight?
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Post by profquatermass on Jun 19, 2017 12:29:46 GMT
I saw it. I was underwhelmed but then I didn't think This House was as brilliant as most people thought. If you liked that, you'll probably like this too as it uses a lot of the same tricks. It's pretty long - over three hours though since it started late I'm not sure exactly. To be honest, I didn't think the story was that interesting...
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1,465 posts
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Post by foxa on Jun 23, 2017 15:20:41 GMT
I'm going to see this tonight - I'm not getting a sense of there being a lot of excitement about this play....
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2,946 posts
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Post by crowblack on Jun 23, 2017 16:59:27 GMT
The subject's quite interesting, but the cast looks great.
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2,706 posts
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Post by Cardinal Pirelli on Jun 23, 2017 17:11:39 GMT
Word on twitter is incredibly enthusiastic. Up there with Angels in America and The Ferryman. Do a search for 'Ink' 'Almeidatheatre'. Weird how nobody here has see it yet, though.
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2,946 posts
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Post by crowblack on Jun 23, 2017 17:52:13 GMT
Sounds good from Twitter. I'm off to see it later in July with the post-show discussion.
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1,465 posts
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Post by foxa on Jun 23, 2017 23:38:06 GMT
I was there tonight one seat over from Baz Bamigboye who is a very warm, supportive audience member.
I wouldn't put this up with Angels or Ferryman - there was terrific stuff in it, particularly in the second half, but it was very uneven - and the first half felt long (one scene in particular fell flat.) I felt I learned a lot about how The Sun newspaper became what it is, and about the editor Larry Lamb (good perf from Richard Coyle), but despite a sound performance from Bertie Carvel, Murdoch remained, to me, an absolute enigma, which was frustrating. The structure is quite odd - a very episodic first act and then the second act is dominated by two important news stories/features that caused the breakthrough in The Sun's circulation. The set is good and there is some inventive staging. There was a terrific moment from Geoffrey Freshwater.
I think I'd be around three and a half stars on this - but I imagine others will go for 4. It was warmly received at the end.
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40 posts
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Post by dave72 on Jun 24, 2017 1:18:09 GMT
I was there tonight one seat over from Baz Bamigboye who is a very warm, supportive audience member. I wouldn't put this up with Angels or Ferryman - there was terrific stuff in it, particularly in the second half, but it was very uneven - and the first half felt long (one scene in particular fell flat.) I felt I learned a lot about how The Sun newspaper became what it is, and about the editor Larry Lamb (good perf from Richard Coyle), but despite a sound performance from Bertie Carvel, Murdoch remained, to me, an absolute enigma, which was frustrating. The structure is quite odd - a very episodic first act and then the second act is dominated by two important news stories/features that caused the breakthrough in The Sun's circulation. The set is good and there is some inventive staging. There was a terrific moment from Geoffrey Freshwater. I think I'd be around three and a half stars on this - but I imagine others will go for 4. It was warmly received at the end. I saw it on Monday, and agree completely with this. It felt more like a docudrama than a satisfyingly shaped narrative: lots of information, almost over-explanatory at times, and the various episodic subplots came and went without adding up to much. I enjoyed the performances, and the piece as a whole has lots of Gooldian razzle-dazzle, but I never felt particularly engaged emotionally. Surprisingly to me, Murdoch is a pretty subsidiary figure to Larry Lamb--I think Graham may have been going for a sort of Faustian-bargain take (with Murdoch as Mephistopheles), but it never quite paid off dramatically.
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1,465 posts
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Post by foxa on Jun 24, 2017 8:10:04 GMT
I think you are right, dave72, I think Murdoch as Mephistopheles is probably what he was going for - that makes more sense of his role and explains his ability to control others (shown explicitly at one point but then sort of dropped later on.)
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2017 9:31:59 GMT
It's a terrible shame
Although James Graham is such a kindly person
His plays have become so boring
As people have commented
Like a docu-drama rather than a play
His early plays were so full of love and feeling and explored relationships so well
But I can't help think he has aged a bit before his time
And has settled comfortably into his armchair prematurely
I also think he would benefit from challenging himself
And writing about things outside of his comfort zone
Watching his plays is like seeing Miss Marple
It's all the same
And there is little real emotion
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2,946 posts
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Post by crowblack on Jun 24, 2017 9:50:48 GMT
I presume it'll be tightened up during previews (there seem to be a lot!)
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2,706 posts
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Post by Cardinal Pirelli on Jun 24, 2017 10:02:04 GMT
Docudrama was, long before it reached screens, a theatrical form called documentary theatre. A big influence on Brecht was Piscator in whose plays politics was dissected and represented whilst the US, for once, was up with the times (mostly as they were in dire straits in the thirties) and created 'living newspapers', partly prompted by Roosevelt's Federal Theatre Project. I hadn't thought of Graham as being the heir of this important strand of playwrighting but he does base his plays scrupulously on truth, not forcing unwarranted emotional identification.
Given that we seem to be replaying the thirties in a number of ways, it makes sense that we have Graham's approach rather than the judgmental certainties of Hare.
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1,465 posts
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Post by foxa on Jun 24, 2017 14:33:23 GMT
On a different subject - I think I had my first sighting of the Almeida usher who has been attracting some positive attention for some time - looks like a coltish Damian Lewis? Actually all the front of house staff were sharp last night and the box office folk were very helpful. I had an extra ticket and was wondering if I should bother trying to return it, etc, and they kindly suggested taking back both tickets and switching me to a much better seat - one over from Baz! Win-win for everyone. Well, maybe not BB.)
I am equal parts shy and friendly but I talked to Baz at the interval who, though perhaps a little surprised, was very nice - just as you'd expect. I think he's a good thing - I know it's his job - but he is genuinely so supportive of the arts.
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5,495 posts
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Post by Baemax on Jun 24, 2017 16:14:01 GMT
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5 posts
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Post by luna on Jun 24, 2017 17:38:08 GMT
I saw this today. It's not something that would usually interest me and I only booked it for Bertie but I'm glad I did as I really enjoyed it. I liked the use of levels in the set, there were a good lot of laughs and the cast were great.
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Post by herculesmulligan on Jun 28, 2017 7:09:55 GMT
Anyone got a running time for this at all? Thanks.
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Post by popcultureboy on Jun 28, 2017 7:20:03 GMT
It was their press night last night, same day as Lady Day which is a bit of an awkward fight for review space... Will be interested to read reviews today, am going next week.
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1,465 posts
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Post by foxa on Jun 28, 2017 8:36:50 GMT
Running times - when I saw it, it was about three hours with a twenty minute interval, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a little shorter now.
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3,458 posts
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Post by showgirl on Jun 28, 2017 8:53:59 GMT
I've read 3 positive bloggers' reviews and the most recent (Revstan's, if anyone wants to check) said 2 h 30.
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2,946 posts
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Post by crowblack on Jun 28, 2017 15:08:43 GMT
Reviews looking very good for this (though I'm not reading the details yet because I'm seeing it late July)
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2,946 posts
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Post by crowblack on Jun 28, 2017 22:32:42 GMT
Btw Radio 4 Start the Week had an item on Ink this week (or was it last week?) - I haven't checked iPlayer yet but my Mum told me.
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1,465 posts
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Post by foxa on Jun 29, 2017 8:01:38 GMT
Btw Radio 4 Start the Week had an item on Ink this week (or was it last week?) - I haven't checked iPlayer yet but my Mum told me. If it was the one I heard, it was Bertie Carvel being interviewed alongside someone not involved with the play. Bertie seemed uncomfortable because he obviously didn't want to get political - and yet it is such a political topic.
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2,946 posts
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Post by crowblack on Jun 29, 2017 8:47:42 GMT
Bertie seemed uncomfortable because he obviously didn't want to get political I'll give it a listen. I once went on Woman's Hour (live, terrified I'd swear because I'm very sweary) and before I went in I was instructed by a man with a clipboard not to say anything remotely political and that was back when the BBC wasn't as much under pressure/threat as it is now.
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Post by pochard on Jul 3, 2017 17:51:14 GMT
I saw this on Friday, it finished at 10.25pm.
Never thought I'd hear myself say this in any context, but there wasn't enough Murdoch! Really enjoyed Bertie Carvel's portrayal but the character did stay too much in the shadows. Richard Coyle was excellent, and I enjoyed the deliberate focus on the print run/unions as exoticism, but I found the second half harder going. The kidnapping story wasn't familiar and it didn't really draw me in as much as it could have done (it didn't feel dramatically prepared for). Loved the set.
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3,458 posts
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Post by showgirl on Jul 3, 2017 18:29:53 GMT
Whereas I remember the kidnapping (and the outcome) from childhood, but had (or even have!) little or no awareness of what was going on in the newspaper world, so both elements should make interesting viewing for me. My OH is bound to know all about everything already, so I hope I can keep up with the development in case he expects me to discuss the content in an informed fashion afterwards...
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Post by Rory on Jul 3, 2017 18:47:46 GMT
Glowing comments from Saturday Review on Radio 4.
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