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Post by lou105 on Dec 21, 2018 13:55:23 GMT
I've gone for the ones that jumped out at me when I read through my list, but it was tricky. In alphabetical order:
Chess Company Grinning Man Madness of King George III (Nottingham) Summer and Smoke
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Post by n1david on Dec 21, 2018 13:58:52 GMT
I'm hoping someone is going to compile these at the end of the Festive Season...
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Post by wickedgrin on Dec 21, 2018 15:20:18 GMT
Top show by a mile - Company!
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Post by Polly1 on Dec 21, 2018 15:57:20 GMT
Not seen a lot this year but here goes: 1. Lehman Trilogy 2. Pressure 3. An Octoroon 4. St. Nicholas 5. The Great Wave
Honourable mention to the RADA production of Linda, featuring an astonishing performance from Bea Svistunenko (remember the name).
Favourite night of the year - John Wilson Bernstein concert at Snape Maltings.
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Post by n1david on Dec 21, 2018 16:14:04 GMT
I'm hoping someone is going to compile these at the end of the Festive Season... Thank you so much for volunteering @dallerdice, the whole board appreciates it. Maybe if you wait until the 31st and start then? Who is @dallerdice ?
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Post by jaqs on Dec 21, 2018 16:19:19 GMT
1st West side story prom Then in no particular order
Heathers Company 42nd Street Nativity
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2018 16:24:15 GMT
2. The Grinning Man (pity there isn't a full soundtrack for this. Louis Maskell was wonderful!) Whats missing from the soundtrack they released? All the spoken book in between songs?
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Post by duncan on Dec 21, 2018 16:42:42 GMT
For me,
Fanny and Alexander - stunning play, empty theatre. Ken - wonderfully told tale of a theatrical genius/idiot The Great Wave - astounding! ear for eye - mesmerising middle Witness for the Prosecution - nice location
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Post by Cardinal Pirelli on Dec 21, 2018 17:57:04 GMT
Not in any order of preference, but... 1. Pressure (I have now got hold of J.M.Stagg's book about that forecast, and will read it over Christmas. That's how involved I got with the story!) 2. The Grinning Man (pity there isn't a full soundtrack for this. Louis Maskell was wonderful!) 3. Network (a bold staging, I felt very involved in the story, and a fantastic, moving performance from Bryan Cranston. NT live-type broadcast from NYC, anyone?) 4. Lieutenant of Inishmore (bloody, but outrageously funny, with a great central performance from Aiden Turner) 5. Red (great to see Alfred Molina on stage) and.... I loved Jamie Ballard's version of Harry Potter. My favourite of the 3. There is a full cast recording of 'The Grinning Man' (not the five song promo available earlier), it was recorded live in the theatre.
castalbums.org/recordings/Grinning-Man-The-2018-Original-London-Cast/39370/
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Post by Being Alive on Dec 22, 2018 1:43:55 GMT
1. My Fair Lady (NY) 2. Hello Dolly (NY) 3. Company (Gielgud) 4. Fun Home ( Young Vic) 5. The Inheritance (Young Vic)
Incredible year of theatre.
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Post by poster J on Dec 22, 2018 9:28:37 GMT
Ignoring productions I'd already seen before this year then:
1. The Band's Visit 2. The King and I 3. To Kill A Mockingbird 4. Once on This Island 5. King Lear
If I were to include shows I have already seen before, then Hamilton would slot in at number 1, pushing the others down and King Lear out of the top 5, and 42nd Street would be 5th or 6th.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2018 12:56:10 GMT
1. Fun Home 2. Seawall 3. Company 4. The Encounter 5. The Inheritance
I had several other plays I had rated five stars at the time of seeing (The Birthday Party, The Writer, Red, RSC Macbeth and Jamie) but they haven’t stayed with me like the ones I listed. I would give my eyeteeth to see Fun Home and The Encounter again, I doubt either will happen though. We’re going to buy Seawall and watch over Christmas. Company is booked for January and reflecting on this list makes me realise I need to see The Inheritance again before it closes. I’ve had a lovely theatre year, and it has been made all the better by being a memeber of this board. So thank you.
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Post by Rory on Dec 22, 2018 13:17:45 GMT
1. The Inheritance (Young Vic) 2. Company (Gielgud) 3. Hamilton (Victoria Palace) 4. Consent (Harold Pinter) 5. Summer and Smoke (Duke of York's)
Very sorry not to have seen Fun Home and The York Realist, and even more sorry these didn't have a further life. It seems wrong somehow.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2018 13:27:41 GMT
The York Realist did have a further life. Sheffield counts.
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Post by TallPaul on Dec 22, 2018 13:35:36 GMT
Long time since anyone dahn sarf has said that!!! Almost as many people saw The York Realist in a single performance at the world-famous Crucible Theatre as in the entire run at the Donmar.
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Post by Rory on Dec 22, 2018 15:15:43 GMT
Ok mea culpa I forgot about Sheffield. I meant West End.
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Post by David J on Dec 22, 2018 18:30:21 GMT
I've still got a few more shows to see so this could change. (PS I will post my top 10s in the Your 2018 thread early next year. I am not letting my yearly Best of spreadsheet go to waste. Yes I am that obsessed!!!)
- Company
- Pinter 1 - The Press Conference/New World Order/Mountain Language (I don't include the President and the Officer, One for the Road and Ashes to Ashes)
- The Grinning Man
- The Wild Duck (Okay it wasn't perfect, but that visceral and shocking second act is still stuck in my mind so I am going to include it here)
- Julius Caesar (Bridge Theatre)
2018 was a mixed for me. There was a lack of new plays that stood out for me, and it hasn't been a great year for Shakespeare. However there were some outstanding revivals, both plays and musicals. Some of which I see have been mentioned by others on this thread. This has also been a surprisingly great year for new British musicals.
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Post by theatremad on Dec 22, 2018 18:31:37 GMT
1) Miss Littlewood (RSC) 2) Mrs Rich (RSC) 3) Follies (NT) 4) Company (West End) 5) Imperium (Swan Run)/A Christmas Carol (RSC original run)
Very difficult on last one both were fab. Pinter 1-4 just deserve their own list
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2018 18:33:12 GMT
I think it says a lot about the current state of things that two of the best Shakespeares of the year were Pericles at the National and Twelfth Night at the Young Vic.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2018 18:37:39 GMT
My favourites were:
1. SIIIIIIIX (by a mile) 2. Mary Stuart 5. Madness of King George 5. Frost/Nixon 5. Queen Margaret
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Post by wannabedirector on Dec 22, 2018 22:10:44 GMT
Based on what I’ve seen this year (rather than plays that premiered this year) I’d say that my top five, in no particular order is: Network The Ferryman (got round to seeing this really, really late) The Lehman Trilogy The Wild Duck The Inheritance I’ve still got one more to go for 2018 (SRB’s Richard II on New Years Eve), but I’d say it’s been a solid theatre going year, all of that top five were incredible in my opinion, with some other great shows unlucky to miss out on that top five (namely An Octoroon and Nine Night).
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Post by poster J on Dec 23, 2018 12:53:26 GMT
Oh I forgot about The Ferryman! That would probably replace King Lear in my top 5 now I've been reminded about it and remembered that it was this year I saw it...
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2018 13:37:34 GMT
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Post by catcat100 on Dec 23, 2018 18:46:03 GMT
Really difficult to pick a top 5 from the 90 I saw in my first year of theatre going and can't put them in any order but here goes King & I - Palladium Swan Lake - ROH Great Wave - Dorfman Fun Home - Young Vic Wild Duck - Almeida
Other notables that I gave 5 stars to Amadeus - Olivier Network - Lyttleton Farinelli & the King - NY Wicked - Both Victoria Apollo & tour Twelth Night - Young Vic Jungle - Playhouse Pericles - Olivier Summer & Smoke - Duke of Yorks Sweat - Donmar So many more got 4.5.
Really looking forward to my second year.
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Post by littlesally on Dec 23, 2018 23:35:36 GMT
1 The Inheritance 2 Fun Home 3 Company 4Julius Caesar 5 Caroline or Change
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Post by happytobehere on Dec 24, 2018 11:30:07 GMT
My first year as a regular theatre-goer and i’ve loved it!
1) The Inheritance 2) Bat Out Of Hell 3) Hamilton 4) Harry Potter and the Cursed Child 5) Book of Mormon
I’m seeing Hadestown and Six early next year and I have a hunch they’ll be on my 2019 list! I’m also hoping to see more plays next year and branch out a bit more.
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Post by eatbigsea on Dec 24, 2018 15:12:27 GMT
1) Company 2) The Lehman Trilogy 3) Ring Cycle (ROH) 4) Sweat 5) Chess
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Post by Deleted on Dec 25, 2018 10:36:50 GMT
Top 5 for me in no particular order: 1. Bat Out Of Hell 2. New version Starlight Express (Bochum, Germany) 3. Miss Saigon UK tour 4. Sunset Boulevard UK tour 5. Les Miserables UK tour
So all stuff that seen before, and reckon 2019 gonna be similarly predictable: 1. New Joseph 2. Barbican JCS 3. Open Air Evita 4. Bochum Starlight (that is every year's No 1 for me if I'm honest!) 5. Les Mis tour again (Manc, Brum, Liverpool and Southampton in the diary so far; hoping for Bristol too)
I do see every major new musical in London though and promise I am open (and indeed waiting) to be blown away by something new! Not sure at this stage where that will come from though....
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Post by perfectspy on Dec 25, 2018 11:22:34 GMT
My Top Five (I still have three booked before the year is out)
1 - The Exorcist @phoenix
2 - Nightfall @bridge
3 - The Great Wave @national
4 - The Dog Beneath The Sky @jermyn St
5 - Harold and Maude @charing Cross
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Post by Mark on Dec 25, 2018 12:24:53 GMT
Of the new shows I saw: The Inheritance Company Heathers Mean Girls Spongebob
Honorary mentions to Come From Away and Hello, Dolly! which I'd seen last year and saw each twice again this year
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