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Post by Jonnyboy on Aug 25, 2017 8:27:14 GMT
The best scene was the Brick/Big Daddy scene, so god know why they decided to ruin it by having annoying ginger kids interrupt things every 2 minutes And the 'ginger' is relevant because...?
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Post by zahidf on Aug 25, 2017 8:36:32 GMT
The best scene was the Brick/Big Daddy scene, so god know why they decided to ruin it by having annoying ginger kids interrupt things every 2 minutes And the 'ginger' is relevant because...? Oh, one of the characters mentioned it as a characteristic in a line, so was using their words
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Post by Jonnyboy on Aug 25, 2017 8:49:52 GMT
Fair enough, I'd forgotten!
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Xanderl
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Not always very high value in terms of ticket yield or donations
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Post by Xanderl on Aug 25, 2017 9:41:09 GMT
I really enjoyed this, probably helped by paying £20 for a great seat. Basically exactly the kind of set, cast and production you'd expect at the Young Vic so not sure why this went straight to the West End. Possible theory - they initially planned a YV WE season with Yerma followed by this transferring from a Young Vic run
If you're going for restricted view seats, admirers of Mr O'Connell will do best to ensure they have a good view of the right hand side of the stage as you look at it.
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Post by zahidf on Aug 25, 2017 12:01:22 GMT
I really enjoyed this, probably helped by paying £20 for a great seat. Basically exactly the kind of set, cast and production you'd expect at the Young Vic so not sure why this went straight to the West End. Possible theory - they initially planned a YV WE season with Yerma followed by this transferring from a Young Vic run If you're going for restricted view seats, admirers of Mr O'Connell will do best to ensure they have a good view of the right hand side of the stage as you look at it. It seems to be selling really well, so I suspect commercial reasons dictated a west end run!
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Xanderl
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Not always very high value in terms of ticket yield or donations
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Post by Xanderl on Aug 25, 2017 12:08:38 GMT
Yep, seemed full last night with a fairly young audience who had presumably paid full price
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Post by Mr Crummles on Aug 27, 2017 17:55:20 GMT
I am forever indebted to Ben Brantley for his review of the current production of A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. I was going to give it a miss, after everything I had read about it. Mr. Brantley, I big thank you. I had seen many productions of ACOAHTR (six at least, including the film). I always felt it was the only, of all Tennessee William’s main plays, that failed to achieve that painful level of gut-wrenching pathos the playwright is famous for. In all its previous incarnations, the play felt to me more like a worn-out melodrama, a melodrama with something incandescent buried at its core, but which somehow failed to explode and propagate. I was somehow always reminded of those old dramatic Italian paintings scattered in old museums which are covered with a thick crust of many layers of dirt. Hidden behind all that, you know there is something glorious and magnificent. You can sense it’s there, but you cannot fully enjoy it in that dimmed, reduced state. Once the masterpiece is cleaned and restored, you are frankly sick with a sense of beauty that it’s almost unbearable to experience. The vibrant colours of the human flesh, the full radiance of every little detail that compose the drama is even more intense that you could originally surmise. Human beings are predators, not very much different from those wild animals seen on BBC or National Geographic documentaries. They seem to be always hunting or being hunted. Men are, however, predators afflicted with a conscience and moral sense. I think this is the painful truth the play observes and that this new staging goes to great lengths to emphasise. Maggie is aware of that truth, and so is Big Daddy. The tragedy of Brick is that he is not. Morally outraged and disgusted with the destructive lies – the mendacity - he sees everywhere around him, lies he cannot himself understand, but only feel, he spends the play washing himself, showering listless, in an almost stupefied state, as if to cleanse and purge his soul. He can’t understand that the idealised bond he had with his mate and kindred spirit, Skipper, could have been so utterly corrupted and disfigured by the laws that moulded his own understanding of things and brought it all to a tragic end. I thought the acting was, without exception, excellent. Jack O’Donnell was the most tormented Brick I have ever seen on stage (followed closely perhaps by a stunned and slightly cynical Adrian Lester). He had pain written all over his face, which made his despair for the long-to-come click even more understandable. I really hope to see him in another play. Sienna Miller was an unusually intelligent Maggie. And Colm Meany, an unexpectedly human Big Daddy. The final scene between Big Daddy and Brick was sublimely tender and extremely touching, and reminded me of another great moment of filial love in the current version of Hamlet. If only Brick had managed to check his tongue, communication between them might finally have been possible. Finally – I have already written much more than I originally intended-, I especially appreciated the way the firecrackers were used to punctuate and heighten the drama.
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Post by rockinrobin on Aug 30, 2017 8:41:20 GMT
I wasn't tempted by this but a friend of mine told me to go - and I did last night. And I loved it. Not a life-changing experience but a very good show. I love Tennessee Williams so I was a bit afraid of watching this - it's easy to turn a great play into a rubbish show. I am happy to report my fears were needless. In my humble opinion Jack O'Connell steals every scene he is in - not because of his bum (although of course you get a chance to stare at it for 10 minutes). He has a wonderfully husky voice but more importantly - he has great charisma and you immediately root for his broken, sad character who hopelessly seeks solace in whisky. His scenes with Colm Meaney (also fantastic) broke my heart a little bit...
And oh - we all know what happens if there's a shotgun on stage. Apparently the same rule applies to a crutch...
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Post by michalnowicki on Aug 30, 2017 11:18:04 GMT
And oh - we all know what happens if there's a shotgun on stage. Apparently the same rule applies to a crutch... I am probably super thick, but this went right over my head. What happens if there's a shotgun on stage?
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Post by n1david on Aug 30, 2017 12:00:12 GMT
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Post by michalnowicki on Aug 30, 2017 12:47:49 GMT
Thanks so much! Every day is a school day!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2017 23:08:38 GMT
Well. There's some lovely accents on show here. Shame none of them hit anywhere near Mississippi.
Jack O'Connell almost heads there via Peckham and downtown Melbourne but he's got a delicious body and he shows it off so frequently that I'm happy to forgive him. I'm pleased to confirm that even from further back in the stalls I had no need of my binoculars. Oh my. I must say that normally I'd have been disappointed when he put on some clothes but he looked so fetching in his white silk pyjamas that I quite acquiesced. To be fair to him, he really does kick into gear from the second act and gives rather a wonderful performance.
Sienna Miller, God loves a trier however I don't know if she'd read the play before tonight but I very much doubt it. Having said that, I very much liked her sparkly frock. Liza Minnelli would like it back at the end of the run though. Some very gratuitous nudity from her though.
Lisa Palfrey as Big Mama was terrific too. Simple set. A couple of kids who clearly screwed up the audition for 'Annie' and ended up round the corner and some dedicated crutch acting from Jack to appreciate too. And crotch acting too while we're at it.
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Post by Honoured Guest on Aug 31, 2017 8:49:45 GMT
Lisa Palfrey as Big Mama was terrific too. Hasn't she withdrawn due to a surgical emergency with her appendix?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2017 10:13:20 GMT
Lisa Palfrey as Big Mama was terrific too. Hasn't she withdrawn due to a surgical emergency with her appendix? Has she? She's still in the programme. Well whoever is standing in for her was smashing.
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Post by Honoured Guest on Aug 31, 2017 10:20:54 GMT
Hasn't she withdrawn due to a surgical emergency with her appendix? Has she? She's still in the programme. Well whoever is standing in for her was smashing. You were right in your first post! Lisa Palfrey tweeted yesterday: "Big Mama's back in town" so you were lucky to see her back after a week's recovery from her emergency appendectomy!
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Post by michalnowicki on Aug 31, 2017 18:37:41 GMT
Looks like we'll get an NT Live of the Cat!
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Post by theatremadness on Aug 31, 2017 18:44:16 GMT
Wow....didn't realise there was so much demand! Thinking aloud; will there ever have been so much full-frontal nudity in an NT Live before? And considering how these filmed performances can 'live on'...!
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Post by n1david on Aug 31, 2017 19:12:16 GMT
Wow....didn't realise there was so much demand! Thinking aloud; will there ever have been so much full-frontal nudity in an NT Live before? And considering how these filmed performances can 'live on'...! Although remember the NT Live Frankensteins had loincloths, which they didn't on unfilmed nights, for exactly that reason...
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Post by theatremadness on Aug 31, 2017 19:23:06 GMT
Wow....didn't realise there was so much demand! Thinking aloud; will there ever have been so much full-frontal nudity in an NT Live before? And considering how these filmed performances can 'live on'...! Although remember the NT Live Frankensteins had loincloths, which they didn't on unfilmed nights, for exactly that reason... Ah! That's interesting, as I haven't seen Frankenstein. Will be interested to see how they get around it for this, if that's their plan. Not that it's the most important thing about the production & screening, of course.....
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Post by Rory on Aug 31, 2017 22:15:26 GMT
Well hopefully the live capture will preserve the whole spirit of the production as it is being seen by audiences. If they have faith in their artistic decision to have nudity in the show in the first place then they should have the courage of their convictions for the NT Live. Loincloths be damned!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2017 23:01:24 GMT
EDIT: Didn't realise NTLive was announced before Baz tweeted it - apologies!
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Post by nash16 on Aug 31, 2017 23:45:43 GMT
Wow....didn't realise there was so much demand! Thinking aloud; will there ever have been so much full-frontal nudity in an NT Live before? And considering how these filmed performances can 'live on'...! Based on past NTLive's with nudity (thinking Frankenstein here when B & JL had to wear a weird sort of y fronts), they won't be allowed to be naked as it reduces sales to certain countries. The big schlong will be wrapped up one fears.
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Post by Honoured Guest on Sept 2, 2017 10:32:31 GMT
Both Frankensteins were live NT Lives.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof will be shown several months after recording. It can be pixellated for "certain territories".
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Post by crabtree on Sept 2, 2017 11:04:44 GMT
The Chekhov gun is a great rule of drama - like a superhero having a talent, he has to use somewhere along the way. Or with Dorothy's friend singing about only having a heart, they have to follow that through. In the original Half Sixpence, as I remember, they ignored this rule. Kipps went on about having money to burn and buying a banjo. well he had money to burn, but methinks the banjo was forgotten. Or, linking this idea to this production loosely, in the film boogie nights they witter on about Dirk Diggler's, er, talent. We would have felt cheated if there had been ne'er a glimpse. And a piano on stage has to get played. And as for loinclothgate with Cat, I guess subtle camera angles will be the answer, sadly.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2017 14:43:05 GMT
I mean, I'm enjoying it thus far. Ita a fantastic text and the production is great to look at in the design aspects. Jack is the standout of the two leads, which I kinda expected based on word of mouth. Though he doesn't say much, he is fully in character throughout, you cant help but watch him. It helps to he is pretty much naked in the shower, or in a towel on the bed the whole time. Its a great performance, with him really going for it in the final scene of Act I, it was great. Sienna, credit and respect where due, it's a star vehicle role that doesn't demand too much acting wise but having to remember a whole act which is pretty much monologue and she never leaves the stage, its impressive! Accent is good, she's consistently in character, she looks great and when she gets her boobs out, they look great too. I'm enjoying it.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2017 16:24:44 GMT
Not too much to add, I enjoyed it, a perfectly respectable production of a stellar play. The cast are good all around, Jack is stellar, truly fantastic. A nice afternoon
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Post by michalnowicki on Sept 2, 2017 20:19:41 GMT
And as for loinclothgate with Cat Every time I see the word "loincloth" I read it as "lioncloth".
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Post by bee on Sept 3, 2017 7:36:03 GMT
I saw this yesterday afternoon. On the whole I thought it was very good. Siena Miller, Jack O'Connell and Colm Meaney were very impressive. I'm not sure the nudity was really necessary but it didn't bother me. I did think the final act dragged on a bit, but that might have been because by that point my ability to maintain interest in the play was starting to be overwhelmed by the pain in my legs, caused by the medieval torture device which passes for a seat on the dress circle.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2017 16:38:38 GMT
Watching the show and sitting at the interval, I couldn't help but think how its a good production, but it is pretty much sold out for the entire run, or just single seats left and I just wish that those people were going to something a bit, well, better quite frankly. Apologia has struggled selling, but I thought it was much better than this and deserves much more!
I'm also somewhat surprised that it has done so well, as Sienna and Jack, yes they are names, but they are not A List, first class style names at the moment, so its amazing these two have managed to sell out a run. Although granted its a name playwright and play in a small theatre so that comes into play too.
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Post by Honoured Guest on Sept 3, 2017 17:56:08 GMT
Sienna and Jack, yes they are names, but they are not A List, first class style names at the moment, so its amazing these two have managed to sell out a run. Is there are a universal A list anymore? Jack O'Connell is as A list as you can get for some people, and Sienna Miller also has her fans!
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