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Post by cirque on Jul 1, 2019 17:22:31 GMT
As a company employing a huge number of artists on two sites with a complex infrastructure its important to consider this company alongside our other biggies in the field of Shakespeare.Wonder if anyone can report on their work...have not seen it yet.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jul 1, 2019 17:33:00 GMT
Their prices - at least for Blenheim - are ridiculous.
£15 for groundlings... going up to £70+
I have no idea how sales are going, but Blenheim is not an easy location unless you are with a car. And if you have a car, why choose Blenheim over Stratford?
Nice idea, but the prices are just not attractive
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Post by NeilVHughes on Jul 1, 2019 19:02:28 GMT
Will be attending the York Pop Up again in a few week’s time.
Four Shakespeare plays over a weekend along with a City break in one of my favourite places makes it more than worthwhile. (Ambling back to the Hotel through historic York after dark via a few hostelries is highly recommended)
Looked into the Blenheim pop up but it just does not make sense, too remote from anywhere to make a weekend combination of Theatre and recreation, being last year’s York plays which were just not special enough it just does not justify the outlay and drive there and back.
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Post by learfan on Jul 1, 2019 19:36:47 GMT
Their prices - at least for Blenheim - are ridiculous. £15 for groundlings... going up to £70+ I have no idea how sales are going, but Blenheim is not an easy location unless you are with a car. And if you have a car, why choose Blenheim over Stratford? Nice idea, but the prices are just not attractive I wondered about that too, Blenheim is impossible without a car. The York location seems better. I see there will be a season next year too, hopefully the programme will be more attractive to me.
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Post by Jan on Jul 1, 2019 19:47:37 GMT
There are some decent directors involved in this. Glad to see Philip Franks is back working after he had to pull out of directing the Pennington (second) King Lear a couple of years ago due (I think) to ill health.
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Post by lynette on Jul 1, 2019 19:56:47 GMT
Nice news Philip Franks, always seems such a pleasant chap and has done some good work
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Post by nash16 on Jul 1, 2019 22:08:21 GMT
There are some decent directors involved in this. Glad to see Philip Franks is back working after he had to pull out of directing the Pennington (second) King Lear a couple of years ago due (I think) to ill health. He's been in Witness for the Prosecution for a year until recently. Great actor and director.
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Post by Jan on Jul 2, 2019 5:38:42 GMT
There are some decent directors involved in this. Glad to see Philip Franks is back working after he had to pull out of directing the Pennington (second) King Lear a couple of years ago due (I think) to ill health. He's been in Witness for the Prosecution for a year until recently. Great actor and director. I think I first saw him in Trevor Nunn's absolutely brilliant All's Well That Ends Well that was so good it transferred to Broadway. Imagine that.
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Post by demelza on Jul 4, 2019 22:04:47 GMT
Travelling up to see Hamlet in a month's time. Wasn't intending on seeing another production of Hamlet (I saw 3 within a space of a year in 2016/17) but I could hardly miss an opportunity to see David Oakes in the role! And the costumes look absolutely incredible!
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Post by lou105 on Jul 5, 2019 6:28:42 GMT
I thought about going in York last year but nothing really persuaded me to pay the prices..This year I was intrigued at the prospect of Suzy Cooper, of York pantomime fame, playing Lady Macbeth, but I've just realised she's at Blenheim. I feel a bit bad not supporting a local venture but just a bit underwhelmed.
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Xanderl
Member
Not always very high value in terms of ticket yield or donations
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Post by Xanderl on Jul 5, 2019 9:09:13 GMT
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jul 13, 2019 23:31:17 GMT
£10 for the programme at Blenheim...
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Post by learfan on Jul 14, 2019 5:12:55 GMT
Crikey! Is it a season one though? With such a short run, it probably doesn't make sense to do ones for individual plays.
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Post by demelza on Jul 14, 2019 22:07:38 GMT
Crikey! Is it a season one though? With such a short run, it probably doesn't make sense to do ones for individual plays. I believe the programmes are for the whole season
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jul 14, 2019 22:20:50 GMT
It is for the whole season
They are doing 2 print runs - the first with rehearsal shots and then a second printing with production shots.
£10 is ok if you are going to 3 or 4 of the shows - but not for a one off visit.
This is a very expensive endeavour for the casual theatregoer
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349 posts
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Post by cirque on Jul 19, 2019 13:56:56 GMT
off to play Manila in September which again seems to suggest this is a large scale Shakespeare operation-receiving good notices and audience feedback.Wonder if Blenheim location and evening trips from Oxford has effect on RSC potential audiences.Seems to be a demand for this semi-immersive sort of work and hope the next year continues to build the momentum. Hear that Stratford business not great this season and I dont see how this can really pick up with only one Shakespeare in Swan until March-unless,of course,Boy In The Dress is a blockbuster with West End possibilities.
Maybe Shakespeares Rose is right to focus on a core repertoire and offer variety and excitement.Certainly dont get that from RSC.....Measure is best of a very poor main house season.Only hope someone in power can reverse the decline.....
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Post by learfan on Jul 19, 2019 16:33:43 GMT
off to play Manila in September which again seems to suggest this is a large scale Shakespeare operation-receiving good notices and audience feedback.Wonder if Blenheim location and evening trips from Oxford has effect on RSC potential audiences.Seems to be a demand for this semi-immersive sort of work and hope the next year continues to build the momentum. Hear that Stratford business not great this season and I dont see how this can really pick up with only one Shakespeare in Swan until March-unless,of course,Boy In The Dress is a blockbuster with West End possibilities. Maybe Shakespeares Rose is right to focus on a core repertoire and offer variety and excitement.Certainly dont get that from RSC.....Measure is best of a very poor main house season.Only hope someone in power can reverse the decline..... Doubt this has any effect on the RSC, too short a season for one thing. The reviews ive seen thus far have been respectable.
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Post by lynette on Jul 20, 2019 5:41:26 GMT
I would like to see something of this season but am a little daunted by possibility of discomfort! If it is anything like The Globe I would need a physiotherapist to accompany me. Not to mention the toilet facilities which tend to be across a field in these temporary situations. So if anyone can reassure me that this would be a comfortable evening with chocolate covered nuts and Pimms I’d give it a go.
Totally agree re RSC. Only King John is very worrying. And there are other Williams shows going on over Xmas I see in provincial venues. So Dress isn’t even exclusive. When you are thinking of a show for the kids you don’t necessarily consider shlepping to Stratford your best option. And Matilda was something new and launched ‘soft ‘ I seem to remember.
Anyway forgive this ‘aside’ Let me know if you know more of how the Blenheim thing works. Ta
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Post by lynette on Jul 20, 2019 5:42:05 GMT
Sorry, Walliams
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Post by NeilVHughes on Jul 20, 2019 6:33:43 GMT
lynette , just about to catch the train to York, believe the Blenheim set up is exactly the same, will get back to you later in case there have been any changes from last year. One thing there is definitely no wood, more like the old Tricycle scaffolding on steroids.
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Post by NeilVHughes on Jul 20, 2019 16:48:05 GMT
Same set up as last year.
A walled ye olde space with a similar footprint to the Globe, the toilets are your standard portakabin loos which were positioned immediately to the sides right next to the Theatre.
The seating layout is the same as the Globe, 3 levels and a Groundling space.
The seats are your single sport stadium folding plastic types with a back, so no sharing a bench.
As the Blenheim space is by the same company would assume the layout will be the same.
Off to a good start with HenryV, an excellent battle scene and enjoyed it much more than the current Globe production.
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Post by lynette on Jul 21, 2019 17:08:10 GMT
Thanks Neil, I like the individual chairs and locality of the loos 😂😂 I’ll see what’s on when we can get there.
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Post by Latecomer on Jul 30, 2019 18:17:48 GMT
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Jul 30, 2019 20:59:26 GMT
Going to Blenheim Saturday, pop up theatre looked good a few weeks back.
Typical, I choose the week Countryfile Live is being hosted by Blenheim. Be loads of gammon there
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jul 30, 2019 22:08:10 GMT
It does add to the traffic congestion. Might be worth factoring in time for that. All those 4x4s...
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Xanderl
Member
Not always very high value in terms of ticket yield or donations
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Post by Xanderl on Jul 31, 2019 18:11:09 GMT
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Aug 3, 2019 19:06:16 GMT
To complete the traffic updates, Blenheim have sorted the Countryfile traffic. Good behaviour by a venue today getting in or out.
Arrived early, walk round the estate and lunch in town.
Theatre setup was good. Quite a lot of scaffolding but a great concept.
Saw Midsummers Night Dream. A very entertaining afternoon at the theatre with a very acrobatic Puck.
Top marks to the front of house steward in my section. I like to 'self police' phone use but she was eagle eyed and lightning quick. One was the seat in front of me but I saw nothing until she had intervened.
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4,951 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Aug 13, 2019 13:45:56 GMT
As I was in York yesterday, I swung by. (Does anyone really say swing/swung by?)
I can't comment on the quality of the productions, but the theatre, and especially 'Shakespeare's Village', is all a bit embarrassing. Though in fairness, that part of York has been an embarrassment for years. In the words of an American(?) visitor, "That's supposed to be the Globe?" "No." and "No."
It's quite difficult (and dangerous) to reach, via a busy car park that's full of potholes, and even a short shower led to rivers running through the bark chippings. Goodness knows what happens during prolonged rain. The goldfish's fate worried me the most. Perhaps that's why there only seems to be one?
And the less said about the shop mannequin in the stocks, complete with mop cap, the better!
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Post by rockinrobin on Aug 15, 2019 9:35:23 GMT
Saw Hamlet last night. The weather was truly awful (and so was the overwhelming smell of chips) but much fun was had - there's a lot of humour in this production. It is, at the same time, very... elegant. The costumes are beautiful, the music is also great. And in my humble opinion David Oakes has the most impressive thighs in the history of theatre.
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Post by demelza on Aug 16, 2019 21:00:03 GMT
I was also at Wednesday's performance of Hamlet (sadly in seats and not in the groundlings as my mum really didn't fancy standing for three hours) and absolutely loved it! It was my fourth production of Hamlet, having previously seen the RSC prod with Paapa Essiedu, the Almeida prod with Andrew Scott and the Kenneth Branagh/Tom Hiddleston vanity project at RADA (the less said about that last one, the better) and I think that this one might have pipped the Almeida to being my favourite - and that's not just my preference for David Oakes speaking! I loved that this was more traditionally staged, and as others have said, the costume design is brilliant. I won't be forgetting the Ghost of Old Hamlet in his shroud for a while! I may be very bias, but I thought that David Oakes was an incredible Hamlet, and walked that fine line between hamming up Hamlet's pretence of madness too much and just the right amount. I also really enjoyed Richard Standing's turn as Claudius, a role that I have previously found to be quite dull. Shoutouts also go out to Serena Manteghi as Ophelia and Anthony Bunsee as Player King. If York wasn't so far away from where I live I would definitely consider making a return visit to see Hamlet again, and try to fit in the other plays as well as I didn't get the chance.
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