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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2017 21:00:57 GMT
Coming back to the WE
Post tour
Do we really need this?
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Post by Marwood on Apr 5, 2017 21:10:37 GMT
Depends who's in it - I saw the Jill Halfpenny Menier version and have the box set of Mike Leigh's BBC productions so I'm not exactly in a rush to see it again, but it could be good fun if they avoid lowest common denominator casting.
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Post by Tibidabo on Apr 5, 2017 21:34:34 GMT
I also saw the dreadful Halfpenny version (West End) and all I can remember about it is wondering why she spent virtually the whole of the play side-on to the audience with her hair loose, thus obscuring her face.
But I would definitely see it again with the right cast.
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Post by mallardo on Apr 5, 2017 22:08:47 GMT
I also saw the dreadful Halfpenny version (West End) and all I can remember about it is wondering why she spent virtually the whole of the play side-on to the audience with her hair loose, thus obscuring her face. But I would definitely see it again with the right cast.
Dreadful? I loved that production. Whatever Ms Halfpenny was doing with her hair it worked for me.
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Post by Marwood on Apr 5, 2017 22:14:31 GMT
I couldn't remember who else was in the Halfpenny version and nearly said Joe Swash - it was of course Joe Absolom who was quite good from what I remember 😐😝
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Post by Tibidabo on Apr 5, 2017 22:16:34 GMT
I also saw the dreadful Halfpenny version (West End) and all I can remember about it is wondering why she spent virtually the whole of the play side-on to the audience with her hair loose, thus obscuring her face. But I would definitely see it again with the right cast.
Dreadful? I loved that production. Whatever Ms Halfpenny was doing with her hair it worked for me.
Sorry, I meant she was dreadful (maybe, in retrospect, the word dreadful is a bit harsh.) The production itself was fine and the other cast members really good - Natalie Casey stood out. But I can see that Ms Halfpenny's hair did for you what Luke Treadaway's floppy mop (by the end) did for me at Virginia Woolf so I truly do understand!  But I couldn't see her face and it detracted from her acting, which I really didn't think was particularly great. ETA: Loved Joe Absolom. Andy Nyman was also in it I think? |
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Post by sayers500 on Apr 5, 2017 22:23:23 GMT
Is this the Amanda Abbington one that's currently on tour?
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Post by stefy69 on Apr 6, 2017 6:58:45 GMT
I love Abigail's Party and I for one will certainly be going to see it
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Post by Deal J on Apr 6, 2017 11:24:27 GMT
Andy Nyman was also in it I think? Yes, he played Laurence. I thought he was brilliant, his character's building stress was very realistic! |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2017 11:32:58 GMT
Is this the Amanda Abbington one that's currently on tour? Yes it is! I was sorry I wasn't able to see it anywhere as I'm fond of her as an actress! |
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Post by stefy69 on Apr 6, 2017 11:38:22 GMT
Wonder which theatre it will be going to..... ?
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Post by Rory on Apr 6, 2017 11:49:20 GMT
Wonder which theatre it will be going to..... ? Next one free is the Vaudeville from 17th June and then Trafalgar Studios from 22nd July. |
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Post by Mark on Apr 6, 2017 12:39:57 GMT
Both would be good fits.
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Post by alece10 on Apr 6, 2017 14:01:53 GMT
Yes, he played Laurence. I thought he was brilliant, his character's building stress was very realistic! Natalie Casey was also in it and they used real Estee Lauder Youth Dew in the production. |
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Post by stefy69 on Apr 7, 2017 7:03:18 GMT
One of the funniest comments I've seen in a play review for a long time is in the WOS review of this : "..the sort of soiree you'd feign an attack of syphilis to avoid ", must admit made me laugh out loud !  |
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Post by Phantom of London on Apr 29, 2017 16:28:32 GMT
Saw this in Richmond this afternoon.
If you are a ATG member, they had a rush a hour before curtain, so my ticket that had a face value of £35, was £12 a real bargain.
Mike Leigh knows how to light the powder keg in a production that Amanda Abbington shone.
I haven't encountered Amanda before and she certainly held the piece together with great comic timing. I cringed at how people behaved in the 1970's with stuff we regard as basic now, do we really still behave like that, are people still that snooty? A holiday in Majorca has given way to a cruise in the Caribbean, that Ford Escort is now a Nissian Duke or a Mercedes. I found it hilarious because I could relate and pity the people whos life are fulfilled by being materialistic and this gives them a superiority - in short it is everything I despise.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 30, 2018 18:39:32 GMT
2019 tour starring Jodie Prenger  |
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Post by stefy69 on Oct 1, 2018 5:25:01 GMT
2019 tour starring Jodie Prenger Great news !  |
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Post by david on Mar 26, 2019 0:26:08 GMT
Just got back from watching it tonight at the Liverpool Playhouse. An absolutely brilliant piece of theatre with very strong performances from the cast of 5. Though it is Jodie Prenger as Beverly who steals the show and is able to make the character that Alison Steadman is synonymous with her own. Jodie gracefully manages to mix the comedy of the character with the more deeper psychological aspects of the character in the final scenes of the play. Though this is also true of the other cast as the play develops and the characters and their inter-relationships explored.
As the staging is done on a small set, this really helped in taking the simple idea of friends at a dinner party and using that to examine the different characters and their relationships both through the biting comedy, but also through the more darker elements of their relationships.
As it is set in the late 1970s, you do get some great costumes for the era. Though the constant on stage smoking through the entire performance might cause an issue for some people, particularly if you are in close proximity to the stage as you may get a waft of smoke for 2hrs.
The play might be 40 odd years old, but after what I have watched tonight, it still holds up and can deliver an impact even after all this time. Definitely worth a watch if the tour is in your neck if the woods. 4*
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Post by Dr Tom on Apr 3, 2019 21:17:53 GMT
Thought this was a really amusing period piece.
Not too full tonight in Dartford, but the cast still performed with gusto. Simple set with one room, partially concealed before the play starts. All the 1970s period features you could ask for. Some nice touches as the audience are filing in and waiting for the show to start like Jodie Prenger coming in to rearrange the cushions.
All the cast were good, especially Jodie, although her accent is a little difficult.
I’ve never seen this before and it certainly held my attention for 2 hours 15 minutes. Made me laugh out loud, which few comedies really do. And the woman in front of me was in hysterics throughout.
Dartford has a nice theatre, years since I’ve been there. Good rake and space in the Stalls too. If you like black comedy and don’t mind smoking on stage (in Dartford, the set was a long way back on the stage, so not noticeable), you should enjoy this.
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Post by Phantom of London on Apr 3, 2019 22:05:02 GMT
Saw this in Dartford on Tuesday.
Jodie Prenger accent kind of gyrates with me, but it kind of suited the character. As I said when I saw it inRichmond this plays characterisation is everything I deapise, where people are materialistic and pretentious, this could be make Mike Leigh’s play so appealing. I enjoyed this but wasn’t as good as the Richmond Theatre or Garrick Theatre.
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Post by anita on Apr 4, 2019 9:18:43 GMT
In Dartford yesterday afternoon there were 6 guide dog puppies in the audience - Not a peep out of them.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Apr 4, 2019 18:26:00 GMT
£15 tix with code ABIGAIL15 for the Opera House next week.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2019 0:13:34 GMT
In Dartford yesterday afternoon there were 6 guide dog puppies in the audience - Not a peep out of them. Time for a ‘(Whose a) Good Boy Behaviour at a Show’ thread? I’ll get my coat. |
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Post by Distant Dreamer... on Apr 5, 2019 7:05:14 GMT
Saw this in Dartford on Tuesday. Jodie Prenger accent kind of gyrates with me, but it kind of suited the character. As I said when I saw it inRichmond this plays characterisation is everything I deapise, where people are materialistic and pretentious, this could be make Mike Leigh’s play so appealing. I enjoyed this but wasn’t as good as the Richmond Theatre or Garrick Theatre. I saw this a while back and hated the accent that Jodie used. I also wasn't a fan on her take on the role which was actually quite vindictive, as opposed to causing pain ignorantly which is the take on the role I prefer. |
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Post by Jonnyboy on Apr 9, 2019 21:23:29 GMT
Not all the character portrayals in this are as good as some I’ve seen but Jodie nails it and is so good!
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But I couldn't see her face and it detracted from her acting, which I really didn't think was particularly great. 
