256 posts
|
Post by emsworthian on Apr 22, 2016 6:33:12 GMT
Harry Melling was the Fool when I saw it at Chichester. He was very good.
|
|
|
Post by Nicholas on Apr 22, 2016 12:28:52 GMT
Hmm. Not sure about this one. King Lear’s a man whose politics come second to a complacent leeching off of the family wealth; who resorts to unnecessary anger, petty ad hominem insults and madness when it is suggested the necessary cutbacks happen to his way of life; whose country disintegrates due to his placing of inept acquaintances in major positions of power; and who instigates a massive, unnecessary and devastating division of nationhood and unity.
All Glenda Jackson’s got to draw on for this is five years watching David Cameron at work.
I jest, of course. Lear only had one fool.
P.S. Very interesting interview with Glenda Jackson about this here - www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03rn2gd
P.P.S. Are the full dates out yet? Glenda’s one of my fave actresses, and if it runs a couple of months it might coincide with my birthday! Though, thinking about it, might not be the best play to celebrate getting older, as we, unburdened, crawl towards death.
P.P.P.S. And, of course, it’s not the first time she’s played a Shakespearean male role:
|
|
1,858 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Apr 22, 2016 14:27:22 GMT
I'm keeping stumm on the subject of kazoos and wazoos in case I get accused of kazooism/wazooism.
|
|
1,175 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by joem on Apr 23, 2016 18:36:24 GMT
How have I missed this thread???
Only seen her once on stage, in a play called "Rose" in 1980 written I think by TV's ubiquitous Andrew Davies???
My view, especially for those who haven't seen her on stage, is that when a legend reappears on stage after an absence of over twenty years you'd have to be pretty dumb to miss it. If you're a theatre lover that is.
I can recall Anthony Hopkins doing Lear, his spit landing on me as I was sitting in the front row at the National, and of course the recent Simon Russell Beale. Both were worthy efforts. The earlier version had (then) relative unknowns as Billy Nighy and Douglas Hodge in the cast. Probably my least favourite Shakespeare tragedy.
But I'll certainly try and see this!
|
|
2,502 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by n1david on Apr 28, 2016 22:44:10 GMT
Rhys Ifans as the Fool. Oh dear.
Priority tix for OldVic members Noon on Wed.Seats Gen release May31
(source: @bazbam twitter)
|
|
|
Post by Honoured Guest on Apr 29, 2016 9:40:45 GMT
|
|
2,502 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by n1david on Apr 29, 2016 9:43:04 GMT
I've never seen him on stage but I find him very difficult to watch on film. Not a fan. But I am ready to be reeducated if his role in this works.
|
|
2,502 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by n1david on May 4, 2016 10:21:47 GMT
Jane Horrocks as Regan. Let's hope she doesn't sing.
|
|
|
Post by Honoured Guest on May 4, 2016 10:24:18 GMT
Jane Horrocks as Regan. Let's hope she doesn't sing. Elaine Paige as Trump. Let's hope she doesn't laugh.
|
|
2,502 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by n1david on May 4, 2016 11:15:05 GMT
Priority booking now open: Wed 4 May – Production Partners | Artistic Director’s Circle Thu 5 May – Producer’s Circle Fri 6 May – Benefactors Mon 9 May – Patrons Tue 10 May – Premium Associates Fri 13 May – Associates Mon 16 May – Premium Friends Tue 19 May – Friends Tue 31 May – GENERAL BOOKING
TICKETS: £12, £16, £21, £30, £55, £65 For information regarding Premium Seats please call the box office
Tue 25 Oct – Sat 3 Dec 2016
Mon – Sat 7.30pm; Wed & Sat 2.30pm [Please note there are no matinee performances on 26 Oct, 2 Nov, 5 Nov, 9 Nov, 16 Nov, 26 Nov, 30 Nov and no evening performance Sat 29 Oct.]
|
|
617 posts
|
Post by loureviews on May 16, 2016 11:20:06 GMT
Got my ticket super quick today. Front stalls. Loads gone in early booking periods.
Looking forward to this.
|
|
5,495 posts
|
Post by Baemax on May 16, 2016 13:00:50 GMT
33 performances in total, only 5 on Saturdays, and only one Saturday with both a matinee and an evening performance. I'm beginning to feel like I should spoil myself with a membership rather than trusting that I'll be fine as usual...
|
|
923 posts
|
Post by Snciole on May 16, 2016 13:23:33 GMT
I increased mine to a priority friends in a panic (booking stalls for 6 people, JAYSUS!) but I think it should be fine with just a Friends booking for Thursday.
|
|
|
Post by mosiemo on Oct 13, 2016 12:17:48 GMT
Just had an email from the Old Vic confirming the running time for this - 3 hours 30 minutes so the start has been shifted back to 7pm for evening perfs and 1pm for matinees.....
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2016 12:21:17 GMT
Well. Just had an email from the Old Vic to say that rehearsals are going well for 'King Lear'. So well in fact that the show is currently running at approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes. Yes kids, you read that right. 3 Hours. And 30 Minutes.
So it'll all be starting at 7pm instead so that we're all out by the following morning. And starting at 1pm for the matinee.
I'll just put it out there. Glenda Jackson is 80 years old. 80. Years. Old.
EDIT: Didn't realise there was a separate thread for 'King Lear'. Head there for the news folks. Nothing to see here.
|
|
|
Post by Honoured Guest on Oct 13, 2016 12:25:16 GMT
You people are all such lightweights. When Glenda Jackson played Cleopatra at Stratford in the late 70s, in Peter Brook's production, it ended at 12.15am every night.
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Oct 13, 2016 12:41:36 GMT
Heavens! Miss Jackson is 80! I do hope she has the stamina for this! How many matiness is she doing? A two show day sounds really tough at that age with that running time!
|
|
32 posts
|
Post by deadyankee on Oct 13, 2016 12:49:40 GMT
Just had an email from the Old Vic confirming the running time for this - 3 hours 30 minutes so the start has been shifted back to 7pm for evening perfs and 1pm for matinees..... Disappointing news. Can't make 1pm on the day I'm in London so have had to cancel my booking.
|
|
137 posts
|
Post by jason71 on Oct 13, 2016 13:09:07 GMT
They say three and half hours, but expect it get shorter after a couple of shows
|
|
5,495 posts
|
Post by Baemax on Oct 13, 2016 13:14:50 GMT
You people are all such lightweights. When Glenda Jackson played Cleopatra at Stratford in the late 70s, in Peter Brook's production, it ended at 12.15am every night. Fine if you've got a cosy Stratford B&B booked a ten minute walk from the theatre, not so fine if it's in London and you've got to get back to Marylebone for your last train 'cos the night tube hasn't made it as far as zone 9 yet. Also that sounds like a horrendous running time for Antony & Cleopatra too. If a director can't keep the pace up, then you're going to lose audiences for more reasons than just "it's a bit long and I have a dainty bottom". I have an extremely undainty bottom, but I get bored by self-indulgent running times just like anyone else.
|
|
|
Post by Honoured Guest on Oct 13, 2016 13:24:23 GMT
Yes, it was a full production, in a time when the RSC employed world-class directors. Whose main priority was to serve the play, not to "keep the pace up"!
Only a small proportion of the Stratford audience is staying in a local B&B. Many more have a longer journey home.
|
|
5,495 posts
|
Post by Baemax on Oct 13, 2016 13:39:41 GMT
You're going to have to explain how "keeping the pace up" isn't the same thing as "serving the play". A play is telling a story to an audience - some arrogant practitioners may refuse to believe this, but the audience are a very important part of theatre. Letting the pace drop will bore people. It will make the story difficult to follow. It will render conversations nonsensical. A glacially-paced play may be satisfying for the director to explore all their ideas, or for the actors to have plenty of time to show off in, but it's incredibly self-indulgent and doesn't "serve the play" anything like as much as taking it back to the most basic "let's tell a story" idea that underpins all theatre.
|
|
|
Post by Honoured Guest on Oct 13, 2016 13:44:47 GMT
I can't be bothered to read a five-line paragraph.
It's so incredibly self-indulgent.
|
|
|
Post by Jan on Oct 13, 2016 14:19:21 GMT
Running time turns out to be subjective, some one hour halfs are painfully tedious but some of two hours fly by. I recall one of the Nicholas Nickelby plays was 2hrs both before and after the interval. Trev's peerless Othello was over 4hrs. Lears of over 3.5 hrs are common.
|
|
1,119 posts
|
Post by martin1965 on Oct 13, 2016 15:59:30 GMT
Am going to this on 23 Nov. Dont get fuss about running time. Its King Lear, what did you expect?
|
|
|
Post by Honoured Guest on Oct 13, 2016 16:39:21 GMT
Dont get fuss about running time. Its King Lear, what did you expect? Apparently, they expected it to be done "at pace". But Glenda Jackson's characters think before they speak, so the Old Vic has now decided to allow her the usual time for King Lear.
|
|
|
Post by Honoured Guest on Oct 13, 2016 16:43:55 GMT
I recall one of the Nicholas Nickelby plays was 2hrs both before and after the interval. Trev's peerless Othello was over 4hrs. Lears of over 3.5 hrs are common. Yes, part 2 of Nick Nick started at 7.00 and ended after 11.45 (and the previews were substantially longer). And I remember that Othello at The Other Place ending at 11.45pm, but definitely not seeming a moment overlong.
|
|
1,936 posts
|
Post by wickedgrin on Oct 13, 2016 17:07:33 GMT
Yes, Lear is a long play unless cuts are made. I am amazed they did not realise this from the beginning! Expect plenty of latecomers! Great for the "Bad Behaviour" thread!
|
|
Xanderl
Member
Not always very high value in terms of ticket yield or donations
|
Post by Xanderl on Oct 13, 2016 17:11:28 GMT
Yes, amazed it wasn't timed like this from the start. I'm seeing an evening show so the half hour shift is no big deal, but the 90 minute change for the matinee is pretty major if people have already made travel plans
|
|
371 posts
|
Post by popcultureboy on Oct 13, 2016 22:52:34 GMT
Heavens! Miss Jackson is 80! I do hope she has the stamina for this! How many matiness is she doing? A two show day sounds really tough at that age with that running time! There are only two 2 show days in the whole run, 19th and 23rd November. At least that part of the scheduling they paid attention to.
|
|