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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2016 8:02:04 GMT
So when did good old Sir Kenny B turn into Eddie Izzard?
This one bored me I'm afraid. Even the cast seemed to be a bit half hearted. KB and Greta Scacchi were the best of the bunch, wasn't sold on Gawn Grainger at all and Sophie McShera was just so wet. The second act was interminable. A few laughs but rather dull on the whole.
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Post by Ruby Sue on Aug 25, 2016 9:22:12 GMT
We were there last night as well & agreed KB carried the show & have to admit when watching Gawn Grainger kept thinking about how John Hurt would have been in the role. The second act was very heavy after the first so did feel exhausted by the end of it! It almost felt like it was to contradict the cheeky chappy/show man image he portrays for the first half.
It finished at about 5 past ten last night.
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Post by patterdalepip on Aug 26, 2016 6:27:30 GMT
I'm afraid I bailed at the interval. It felt interminably long and Sophie Mcsh*te was appalling. She looked like a rabbit in a head light
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Post by meso77 on Aug 26, 2016 9:32:38 GMT
Just back from a 10 show trip to London, this was definitely the worst. Managed to make it to the end, but agree with other comments, just dull and even a decent performance from Ken couldn't save it.
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Post by mallardo on Aug 26, 2016 9:38:43 GMT
I'm kind of amazed at the reaction to this. I've always thought it was John Osborne's best play and the one production I've seen of it - at the Old Vic with Robert Lindsay - was excellent.
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Post by stefy69 on Aug 26, 2016 10:01:53 GMT
I'm kind of amazed at the reaction to this. I've always thought it was John Osborne's best play and the one production I've seen of it - at the Old Vic with Robert Lindsay - was excellent. Echo that sentiment mallard, also the Laurence Olivier film version is very very good too.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2016 10:44:31 GMT
Even the best writing can struggle to overcome a dull production though, and it sounds like this one has the boredom aspect more than covered.
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Post by partytentdown on Aug 26, 2016 10:46:57 GMT
Should I be bailing on my booked tickets next week then? Life's too short.
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Post by Honoured Guest on Aug 26, 2016 10:51:07 GMT
Is this the sort of old play that would be better staged in a perspex box underwater at the Young Vic?
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Post by lynette on Aug 26, 2016 17:34:51 GMT
Is this the sort of old play that would be better staged in a perspex box underwater at the Young Vic? Just for you HG they have a Perspex box in King Lear at RSC. Go see.
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Post by Honoured Guest on Aug 26, 2016 17:36:46 GMT
Just for you HG they have a Perspex box in King Lear at RSC. Go see. And King Lear also has a 24-strong unpaid community cast so that's two attractions for me. However, as it's Shakespeare, ...
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Post by lynette on Aug 26, 2016 19:28:01 GMT
I didn't know about the community cast. What do they do? There are a few bodies hanging about but nowhere near 24. I'd say 6 max.
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Post by Honoured Guest on Aug 26, 2016 19:53:28 GMT
They're a part of Lear's retinue of a hundred.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2016 20:00:10 GMT
Knights and vagabonds, in two teams of 12.
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Post by martin1965 on Aug 26, 2016 20:37:37 GMT
I didn't know about the community cast. What do they do? There are a few bodies hanging about but nowhere near 24. I'd say 6 max. Did you not see them mentioned in the prog Lynette? RSC made bit of a hoohah before the first performance that they had a group of locals to make up Lear's retinue.
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Post by Honoured Guest on Aug 26, 2016 20:39:40 GMT
The programme must still be upstairs.
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Post by lynette on Aug 26, 2016 20:46:44 GMT
The programme must still be upstairs. And not in the same building! I'll have a look for it and read the info. To be honest I didn't register anything remarkable. I do remember thinking that they would need a lot of people at the Barbican so perhaps I was reacting to the number on the stage. Some of the staging was a bit Barbicanesque too.
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Post by peggs on Aug 26, 2016 20:48:35 GMT
Is this the sort of old play that would be better staged in a perspex box underwater at the Young Vic? Just for you HG they have a Perspex box in King Lear at RSC. Go see. Have seen the photo, why is he sitting on top of that? Off topic i know but my back row seat for the entertainer is sounding even less appealing so need distracting.
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Post by lynette on Aug 26, 2016 20:52:00 GMT
Knights and vagabonds, in two teams of 12. I didn't like the vagabonds in the mock trial scene. Didn't make sense to me but I think it was supposed to be like the people in that wonderful An Inspector Calls, the poor masses who are unseen by the rich et etc. But to me the point of the scene is in the comment of the Fool- I took it for a joint stool, that is, the King is imagining his daughters. But having them does provide a talking point ( 20 mins in car on way home)
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Post by lynette on Aug 26, 2016 20:54:35 GMT
Just for you HG they have a Perspex box in King Lear at RSC. Go see. Have seen the photo, why is he sitting on top of that? Off topic i know but my back row seat for the entertainer is sounding even less appealing so need distracting. Do you mean the box in Lear? Well, it shows off the amazing techie stuff they have now cos it goes up and down and backwards. Other than that I'm not sure why it is there.
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Post by peggs on Aug 26, 2016 21:02:47 GMT
Have seen the photo, why is he sitting on top of that? Off topic i know but my back row seat for the entertainer is sounding even less appealing so need distracting. Do you mean the box in Lear? Well, it shows off the amazing techie stuff they have now cos it goes up and down and backwards. Other than that I'm not sure why it is there. I did yes, thanks. Sounds amazing
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Post by Snciole on Aug 27, 2016 22:46:06 GMT
Add me to the people who thought this was a dull production. It felt like it had been directed by different people. I thought Kenneth Branagh's Archie shone most when doing the music hall bit, even if he does look like Eddie Izzard now but he didn't look that right for the part. An American lady next to me asked if he had work done because he was just too polished with his cyclist's legs and smooth skin.
The issue is that it isn't sure how to blend the musical and drama elements well and it all feels a bit of mess. Greta Scacchi looks and sounds like she did her own better homework away from the rehearsal, such bland performances from McShera-whose character Jean screams about Archie's lack of emotion whilst being monotone throughout and Gawn Grainger, who just is not exceptional in an unexceptional part of Billy. I also felt that the story wasn't very clear, perhaps it has dated or it is Osborne but people came and went with no explanation of who they were and why the audience should care.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2016 10:42:03 GMT
Ooh I'm glad I'm not the only one getting an Eddie Izzard vibe from him!
I thought it was a solid production, I didn't see the Robert Lindsay one, which seems to be the benchmark to compare on. But all round thought it was a good production of a play that has possibly dated a bit now. I did love the chance to see Kenny B at work, and agree he really shone in the music hall moments. I was also at times really confused about the story/who was related to who and who wasn't, but in all honesty I was tired and it was hot, so that could be my fault.
Also from the back of the stalls Kenneth Brannagh really shows up the rest of the cast in terms of PROJECTION DARLINGS. (Seriously I struggled to hear most of the others at times)
But I will say, Kenny B has aged wonderfully, and if it wasn't already hot I might have been fanning myself with my programme anyway.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2016 18:34:44 GMT
Sounds like Ken's finally listening to criticism; in the first three plays of this season he was in, he was the one consistently inaudible cast member.
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Post by Marwood on Aug 29, 2016 23:08:25 GMT
I thought Ken was perfectly audible in The Painkiller - alas, it was still about as funny as that remake of Are You Being Served.
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Post by Snciole on Aug 30, 2016 16:20:16 GMT
Slightly off-topic but who is the sexy voiced man who does the turn of your mobile announcement at Garrick and used to do NT Live trailers...
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2016 23:36:15 GMT
Guardian 3* Telegraph 4* Stage 4*
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Post by lonlad on Aug 31, 2016 0:05:06 GMT
Times 2* The Arts Desk 3*
I would give it 3 --- second act a lot livelier than the first - quite a few walkouts, it seemed, up in the Circle -- not a patch on the Lindsay/Ferris production
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Post by showgirl on Aug 31, 2016 4:15:20 GMT
Libby Purves (Theatrecat) 3*
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Post by stefy69 on Aug 31, 2016 6:43:49 GMT
Off to see this tomorrow and so looking forward to it, loved the film and love KB...
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