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Post by lynette on Dec 10, 2016 16:20:58 GMT
Well I suppose I will eat my words but, and with apologies to you Peggs, isn't the point of the ending supposed to be the absolute bloody, in both senses of the word, awfulness of her act in the face of such a repressed life? Blowing out your brains is a bit of a statement.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2016 19:27:19 GMT
I vividly remember the blood effect at the recent Old Vic production.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2016 19:58:08 GMT
I vividly remember the blood effect at the recent Old Vic production. Yes, even though I knew what was coming, that was a shock!
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Post by kathryn on Dec 10, 2016 22:57:51 GMT
Saw this tonight. Loved it. Just...loved it. I don't think I have the words to explain why...
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Post by talkstageytome on Dec 11, 2016 1:15:56 GMT
Happy to hear a positive review. I was so excited to book for this, and I'm still massively looking forward to it, but reactions on here haven't exactly been raves for the most part. Still, I'll make up my own mind of course, when I see it in Jan. Ruth Wilson and Rafe Spall are both actors I like a lot so I'm looking forward to seeing them, plus Hedda Gabler is one of my favourite plays!
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Post by Cardinal Pirelli on Dec 11, 2016 3:32:39 GMT
There's been a lot of very positive comment on twitter. I'm seeing it (and a handful of other shows to round off the year) the week after next.
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Post by kathryn on Dec 11, 2016 8:27:01 GMT
Ivo van Hove be either seems to make my heart pound and my breath stop, or leave me scratching my head and completely unmoved. This one very definitely was the former.
It's very different from the only other production of Hedda I've seen.
Ruth Wilson was as compelling as she was unsympathetic as Hedda. And she is very unsympathetic.
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Post by peggs on Dec 11, 2016 13:06:24 GMT
Well I suppose I will eat my words but, and with apologies to you Peggs, isn't the point of the ending supposed to be the absolute bloody, in both senses of the word, awfulness of her act in the face of such a repressed life? Blowing out your brains is a bit of a statement. Oh no of course and if a play going to be bloody the end suits me best and a non bloody end would lesson the impact for this play, it was more that I feared we'd got some extra bloodbath scenes else where in the play from what I'd read but I might have misunderstood that.
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Post by kathryn on Dec 11, 2016 14:56:37 GMT
The red stuff only appears at the end.
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Post by peggs on Dec 11, 2016 17:29:56 GMT
The red stuff only appears at the end. thanks, concerns averted
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Post by theatrelover123 on Dec 12, 2016 23:49:42 GMT
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Post by nash16 on Dec 13, 2016 0:09:21 GMT
There's been a lot of very positive comment on twitter. I'm seeing it (and a handful of other shows to round off the year) the week after next. People rarely say negative things about theatre shows on Twitter. Why is this? Is it because it's mostly public domain? I'm genuinely intrigued.
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Post by lonlad on Dec 13, 2016 1:33:20 GMT
A stunner - ranks with the v best of Ivo van Hove's prolific output and Rafe Spall in particular is scarily brilliant - but they're ALL good. What a year this has been for actresses, between McCrory, Piper, Glenda Jackson, the Donmar Shakespeare women, and now Wilson, who would have a third Olivier in her sights if the competition weren't so intense.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2016 8:17:07 GMT
There's been a lot of very positive comment on twitter. I'm seeing it (and a handful of other shows to round off the year) the week after next. People rarely say negative things about theatre shows on Twitter. Why is this? Is it because it's mostly public domain? I'm genuinely intrigued. I'd guess you don't have the right friends, I follow a wide circle of theatre fans and very few of us are civilised enough to hold back when we hate something. Though if you're interested, one of my friends very purposefully avoids commenting on a show she has hated because she knows it would be so easy for her comments to get to the cast and crew. So maybe some people fear confrontation, or maybe - as in the case of my friend - they realise that there is a real person on the other end of the Twitter account and thus don't say anything they wouldn't say to someone's face. Aaaaand I suppose for some people the realisation that the cast and crew could very easily find their tweet leads to their seeking approval from the cast and crew by loudly tweeting their approval first. (Also if you follow theatres and haven't muted their retweets, then you're going to get nothing but a neverending stream of "I SAW THIS PLAY AND IT WAS TERRIFIC BEST THING ALL YEAR OMG", especially the day after press night. That'll tip the balance like nobody's business.)
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2016 9:40:12 GMT
A stunner - ranks with the v best of Ivo van Hove's prolific output and Rafe Spall in particular is scarily brilliant - but they're ALL good. What a year this has been for actresses, between McCrory, Piper, Glenda Jackson, the Donmar Shakespeare women, and now Wilson, who would have a third Olivier in her sights if the competition weren't so intense. I'm not sure it's a particularly award winning performance from Ruth Wilson other than the fact that it's because she's playing Hedda Gabler. It's a bit like if you play Hamlet, you're more likely to be recognised with an award nomination because it's expected. She has a great stage presence but I felt the performance started on one note and didn't change that much throughout the play myself. A bit like McCrory in 'The Deep Blue Sea'. Do agree that Rafe Spall was good though - his character shift was done very well.
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Post by Cardinal Pirelli on Dec 13, 2016 10:10:02 GMT
There's been a lot of very positive comment on twitter. I'm seeing it (and a handful of other shows to round off the year) the week after next. People rarely say negative things about theatre shows on Twitter. Why is this? Is it because it's mostly public domain? I'm genuinely intrigued. They do, but on twitter the warning sign is a lack of any positive comment.
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Post by nash16 on Dec 14, 2016 9:20:13 GMT
Saw this last night. Impressed as always by Ruth Wilson. Not the most emotionally diverse Hedda I've seen, but has a beautiful way of playing and is exceptional in her silences, especially in the last act.
The big trouble we had was with the male casting. Chuk Iwuji is a great actor, but completely lost here. No sexual chemistry with Ms Wilson and he fails to bring any of the hedonism of Lovborg onto the stage, or out and out distress in the second half act.
Also, Rafe Spall looked too much like he was acting, to be creepy/bad. It doesn't seem to come naturally to him and you can see his funny bones aching to come out, but he knows it's wrong for this part. So he tried his hardest, but it all looks too effortful, not just in delivery, but also in movement (watch the way he walks). I didn't believe him for a sec on, especially when he suddenly turned master manipulator at the end. That could also be down to the fact that van Hove goes very heavy handed, almost knocking the audience over the head to make sure we now know that Hedda is under his control. It's done in quite a sick way too, which you could say works, but in another dimension just looks beyond demeaning and a step too far.
The repetition of the the Joni Mitchell song is also way to obvious. I'm surprised van Hove is this slightly condescending to his audience.
Wilson survives both these men though to come out trumps, with Sinead Matthews and Kyle Soller also adding value.
The onstage maid doesn't work, not does the whole walking through the audience thing. Reviewers have said there is no door in the room, Hedda is so trapped. But there IS a door in the far corner of the stage, at least the outline of one. Why did no one use that?
Richard Eyre's production is still the the best I've seen, but this one was interesting. And Ruth Wilson deserves the plaudits. It's just a shame they miscast two vital parts so badly.
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Post by nash16 on Dec 14, 2016 9:21:18 GMT
People rarely say negative things about theatre shows on Twitter. Why is this? Is it because it's mostly public domain? I'm genuinely intrigued. I'd guess you don't have the right friends, I follow a wide circle of theatre fans and very few of us are civilised enough to hold back when we hate something. Though if you're interested, one of my friends very purposefully avoids commenting on a show she has hated because she knows it would be so easy for her comments to get to the cast and crew. So maybe some people fear confrontation, or maybe - as in the case of my friend - they realise that there is a real person on the other end of the Twitter account and thus don't say anything they wouldn't say to someone's face. Aaaaand I suppose for some people the realisation that the cast and crew could very easily find their tweet leads to their seeking approval from the cast and crew by loudly tweeting their approval first. (Also if you follow theatres and haven't muted their retweets, then you're going to get nothing but a neverending stream of "I SAW THIS PLAY AND IT WAS TERRIFIC BEST THING ALL YEAR OMG", especially the day after press night. That'll tip the balance like nobody's business.) "I guess you don't have the right friends" ??
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2016 9:42:00 GMT
Twitter friends, obviously. Surely that was implicit!
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Post by nash16 on Dec 14, 2016 9:51:43 GMT
Twitter friends, obviously. Surely that was implicit! Ah, ok, I don't really call people I follow on Twitter "friends", I just follow them for their opinions. Probably where we got mixed up. My 50+ age is showing.
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Post by infofreako on Dec 22, 2016 23:43:38 GMT
Baz suggests theyre looking to transfer this to the West End
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 0:47:58 GMT
Baz suggests theyre looking to transfer this to the West End How interesting However I don't think it has the commercial appeal of A View From the Bridge I saw this last night and would award it a good 4 star rating Is is also possibly the strongest overall cast I have seen for this play However it really does present Hedda Gabler in a very obscure and unconventional form and there are gaps due to the generic staging methods the director insists on using They have an intercom system with a video Yet they write letters as a standard method of communication I thought the acting was excellent but some of the concepts like the use of the song 4 times and the stapling of the flowers are a bit too obvious and rather pretentious Compared the the Hedda at the Almeida this is not a complete production and overall I preferred Eve Best to Ruth Wilson yet the latter actress is also wonderful and sitting in the front row I was enthralled by her facial expressions The Richard Eyre staging was also a compete theatrical experience rather than a concept production The overall effect here is still powerful and Rafe Spall is quite remarkable although borders on a pantomime villain at times Interestingly the director has been having his native work shown at the Barbican for ages and these plays are usually superior to the work that is done for the more commercial venues
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 0:53:25 GMT
In fact I have seen the following Hedda Gablers
Ruth Wilson Martha plimpton Eve best Rosamund pike
All offered very different but excellent interpretations
I also saw the first half of Sheridan smith And anyone who has seen the above proper actresses will know how one dimensional and awful her take on it was I think she famously said she had never heard of the play nor read it before playing her
Her attempt was laughable when you compare it to actresses capable of true acting and anyone who sees the NT version will surely agree
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Post by Jon on Dec 23, 2016 1:12:03 GMT
Baz suggests theyre looking to transfer this to the West End Wonder what theatre? Most are booked up until the Spring.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 1:25:23 GMT
Baz suggests theyre looking to transfer this to the West End Wonder what theatre? Most are booked up until the Spring. If this does transfer Good for them It has to be the least mainstream thing since The Nether And would perhaps also become the most credible thing also since that play It could go the the Noel Coward The sooner the better
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 1:33:18 GMT
Wonder what theatre? Most are booked up until the Spring. If this does transfer Good for them It has to be the least mainstream thing since The Nether And would perhaps also become the most credible thing also since that play It could go the the Noel Coward The sooner the better Inspector Calls wraps up around the time this finishes at the NT. Likely?
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Post by nash16 on Dec 23, 2016 20:34:19 GMT
If this does transfer Good for them It has to be the least mainstream thing since The Nether And would perhaps also become the most credible thing also since that play It could go the the Noel Coward The sooner the better Inspector Calls wraps up around the time this finishes at the NT. Likely? Ruth Wilson will be off filming as soon as the extended run ends in March, so doubt a transfer is possible at all.
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Post by Phantom of London on Dec 23, 2016 22:46:31 GMT
Don't you think that an Inspector Calls will extend? It is a popular piece.
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Post by popcultureboy on Dec 24, 2016 8:17:20 GMT
If a transfer happens, it's clear from the article it won't be immediate. It could take 6-8 months for all their diaries to align again.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2016 14:31:46 GMT
If this does transfer Good for them It has to be the least mainstream thing since The Nether And would perhaps also become the most credible thing also since that play It could go the the Noel Coward The sooner the better Inspector Calls wraps up around the time this finishes at the NT. Likely? An Inspector Calls keeps extending its run. It's going very well, lots of schools visiting because every school studied the text. I mean it's one of the few shows on GILT to completely sell out its run. What theatres are available for this? Noel Coward springs to mind but they keep extending Half a Sixpence
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