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Post by Jan on Jan 31, 2020 16:31:58 GMT
However it is a version of an existing play, subject (as explained up the thread) to various restrictions by the author's literary executors, which probably preclude the introduction of new characters and plot, which in its original translation apparently runs less than three hours. This raises the grim possibility that episodes of dance have been interpolated into it.
I did not know that Peter Brook had directed this play in UK and USA in the late 50s. As long as there are no puppets I don't care how often they break into a dance-off x I quite like a puppet - I remember the Greg Doran Midsummer Nights Dream where they did the Indian boy as a life-sized puppet and it was quite striking. On the other hand about 40 years ago I saw a production of Dr Faustus where all the devils and associated visions were hand-puppets. That was pretty bad. It was in some strange Jacobean-style theatre space on the South Bank somewhere, don’t think it’s there any more.
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Post by Fleance on Jan 31, 2020 16:38:17 GMT
As long as there are no puppets I don't care how often they break into a dance-off x I quite like a puppet - I remember the Greg Doran Midsummer Nights Dream where they did the Indian boy as a life-sized puppet and it was quite striking. On the other hand about 40 years ago I saw a production of Dr Faustus where all the devils and associated visions were hand-puppets. That was pretty bad. It was in some strange Jacobean-style theatre space on the South Bank somewhere, don’t think it’s there any more. I thought I didn't like puppets, until I saw The James Plays II: Day of the Innocents.
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Post by intoanewlife on Jan 31, 2020 16:50:19 GMT
As long as there are no puppets I don't care how often they break into a dance-off x I quite like a puppet - I remember the Greg Doran Midsummer Nights Dream where they did the Indian boy as a life-sized puppet and it was quite striking. On the other hand about 40 years ago I saw a production of Dr Faustus where all the devils and associated visions were hand-puppets. That was pretty bad. It was in some strange Jacobean-style theatre space on the South Bank somewhere, don’t think it’s there any more. I take it you missed My Brilliant Friend...
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Post by Cardinal Pirelli on Jan 31, 2020 16:55:47 GMT
Puppetry has been much more central to other theatre cultures, especially Asia and Africa. As such, it’s long been seen as ‘other’ and un-British and that visual theatricality was relegated to being secondary to imagery via the spoken word. I think the globalisation of the British theatre culture has been a real strength of ours in the last forty/fifty years or so, though. Puppets shouldn’t just be thought of as ‘for kids’, there is profundity amidst the playfulness.
Anyway, regarding the length, maybe Kushner’s kept what he was obligated to and then added to it. There is no way that the original stretches to four hours on its own.
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Post by intoanewlife on Jan 31, 2020 17:07:26 GMT
Puppetry has been much more central to other theatre cultures, especially Asia and Africa. As such, it’s long been seen as ‘other’ and un-British and that visual theatricality was relegated to being secondary to imagery via the spoken word. I think the globalisation of the British theatre culture has been a real strength of ours in the last forty/fifty years or so, though. Puppets shouldn’t just be thought of as ‘for kids’, there is profundity amidst the playfulness. Anyway, regarding the length, maybe Kushner’s kept what he was obligated to and then added to it. There is no way that the original stretches to four hours on its own. I don't mind it when it is well done, but this yellow thing is apparently a baby with a fully grown man attached to its head via a handle...
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Post by barelyathletic on Jan 31, 2020 17:16:48 GMT
As long as there are no puppets I don't care how often they break into a dance-off x I quite like a puppet - I remember the Greg Doran Midsummer Nights Dream where they did the Indian boy as a life-sized puppet and it was quite striking. On the other hand about 40 years ago I saw a production of Dr Faustus where all the devils and associated visions were hand-puppets. That was pretty bad. It was in some strange Jacobean-style theatre space on the South Bank somewhere, don’t think it’s there any more. Possibly The Bear Gardens Museum, Sam Wanamaker's base for his Globe project. I directed a show there about forty years ago. Luckily, not Dr Faustus.
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Jan 31, 2020 19:24:53 GMT
I saw an incredibly moving play about two South African gay men in the Cottesloe years ago that was performed entirely by puppets.
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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 Feb 1, 2020 8:32:23 GMT
As long as there are no puppets I don't care how often they break into a dance-off x I quite like a puppet - I remember the Greg Doran Midsummer Nights Dream where they did the Indian boy as a life-sized puppet and it was quite striking. On the other hand about 40 years ago I saw a production of Dr Faustus where all the devils and associated visions were hand-puppets. That was pretty bad. It was in some strange Jacobean-style theatre space on the South Bank somewhere, don’t think it’s there any more. I saw a hand puppet version of Doctor Faustus around that time too, in Chesterfield. Wonder if it was the same one.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2020 9:01:27 GMT
Slightly concerning the usual first preview Twitter gush fest hasn’t materialised.....praise for Lesley and the sets and costumes but that’s about it.........
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Post by johnnyutah on Feb 1, 2020 10:21:18 GMT
Slightly concerning the usual first preview Twitter gush fest hasn’t materialised.....praise for Lesley and the sets and costumes but that’s about it.........
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2020 10:30:55 GMT
Thank you for illustrating my point 😁😁
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Post by crabtree on Feb 1, 2020 10:32:07 GMT
Someone please, please do the Kander and ebb masterpiece version of this - short, surreal, and utterly heartbreaking
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Post by partytentdown on Feb 1, 2020 10:55:52 GMT
Standing by to cancel ticket unless someone quickly convinces me otherwise...
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Post by efox1989 on Feb 1, 2020 14:10:45 GMT
Also saw some good feedback on Instagram. I did see someone tweet that although they liked it, it was long and they felt things could be cut and the ending was anticlimatic they would be interested to see it with cuts after Previews.
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Post by Jan on Feb 1, 2020 15:43:42 GMT
Possibly The Bear Gardens Museum, Sam Wanamaker's base for his Globe project. I directed a show there about forty years ago. Luckily, not Dr Faustus. Yes that’s exactly where it was - thanks for jogging my memory.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2020 15:56:01 GMT
Everyone should quickly overreact to reports from an initial preview or two.
Cancel your tickets. Protest in the streets. Express dismay on social media.
And for heaven's sake ... clutch thy pearls tightly.
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Post by partytentdown on Feb 1, 2020 16:12:20 GMT
Everyone should quickly overreact to reports from an initial preview or two. Cancel your tickets. Protest in the streets. Express dismay on social media. And for heaven's sake ... clutch thy pearls tightly. This person clearly didn't sit through Macbeth.
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Post by Jan on Feb 1, 2020 18:15:47 GMT
Everyone should quickly overreact to reports from an initial preview or two. Cancel your tickets. Protest in the streets. Express dismay on social media. And for heaven's sake ... clutch thy pearls tightly. Fortunately no-one has done any of those things then. In my experience early word-of-mouth of NT productions is invariably correct, it is unusual in that respect. Let’s see.
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Post by lynette on Feb 1, 2020 18:30:22 GMT
Who is Biggins Wayne?
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Post by Cardinal Pirelli on Feb 1, 2020 18:53:35 GMT
Well, I may be looking in the wrong place but searching twitter for both the NT and the play title and the only negative comment is the one posted earlier. Bit of a lovefest for Lesley Manville though (it is a great part).
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Feb 1, 2020 18:58:54 GMT
Well, I may be looking in the wrong place but searching twitter for both the NT and the play title and the only negative comment is the one posted earlier. Bit of a lovefest for Lesley Manville though (it is a great part). She's also just brilliant in everything I've seen her in.
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Post by scarpia on Feb 1, 2020 20:56:09 GMT
Looking forward to this; but can anyone explain to me what has happened to the NT's pricing recently? I've missed three recent productions there as I felt the prices were far too high for what is a subsidised theatre, and comparing it to prices I paid for NT productions only around 5 years ago.
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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 Feb 1, 2020 21:17:00 GMT
On the other hand about 40 years ago I saw a production of Dr Faustus where all the devils and associated visions were hand-puppets. That was pretty bad. It was in some strange Jacobean-style theatre space on the South Bank somewhere, don’t think it’s there any more. Digging around a bit there is a long tradition of Faust puppet plays wepa.unima.org/en/faust/
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Post by crowblack on Feb 1, 2020 21:30:42 GMT
there is a long tradition of Faust puppet plays If I had Matthew Sweet's 'theatre time machine', one of my stops would be to see whatever it was a very young Peter Lorre was doing with Richard Teschner's puppet theatre in Vienna. The images I've seen of the puppets themselves are quite stunning.
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Post by Polly1 on Feb 1, 2020 21:39:32 GMT
Looking forward to this; but can anyone explain to me what has happened to the NT's pricing recently? I've missed three recent productions there as I felt the prices were far too high for what is a subsidised theatre, and comparing it to prices I paid for NT productions only around 5 years ago. After the loss of the Travelex sponsorship, they had to make money elsewhere to maintain some cheap seats, so they've made the "best" central stalls into premium-priced ones. I think that's the party line, but all prices are very much in line with commercial productions now.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2020 2:53:50 GMT
Everyone should quickly overreact to reports from an initial preview or two. Cancel your tickets. Protest in the streets. Express dismay on social media. And for heaven's sake ... clutch thy pearls tightly. Fortunately no-one has done any of those things then. In my experience early word-of-mouth of NT productions is invariably correct, it is unusual in that respect. Let’s see. It was sarcasm.
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Post by dlevi on Feb 2, 2020 6:04:03 GMT
Looking forward to this; but can anyone explain to me what has happened to the NT's pricing recently? I've missed three recent productions there as I felt the prices were far too high for what is a subsidised theatre, and comparing it to prices I paid for NT productions only around 5 years ago. After the loss of the Travelex sponsorship, they had to make money elsewhere to maintain some cheap seats, so they've made the "best" central stalls into premium-priced ones. I think that's the party line, but all prices are very much in line with commercial productions now. The prices have been steadily creeping up over the past couple of years and while it is basically in keeping with commercial pricing, it is getting a bit out of control - especially in the Dorfman. The expansion of the food activities into the area near the bookstore is indicative of that, as is the expansion of what the bookstore sells - can postcards of Big Ben be far behind? All of this though is beside the point - the programming itself is off balance. There were plenty of empty seats in the past year especially the rather long run of Peer Gynt ( which should've been taken off early). I know its a constant discussion of what should a National Theatre be - I know they need to serve everyone but I think that Rufus in wishing to be more democratic in the programming choices and the decision making process is losing whatever his vision of a National Theatre was, which got him the job in the first place. (That said, their audience outreach initiative for Three Sisters appears to be working, at the matinee I attended I think at least 50% of the near capacity audience was Black. And that hasn't been the case in the past. )
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Post by showgirl on Feb 2, 2020 6:14:40 GMT
It's great if the NT's outreach is working and recent plays like Barber Shop Chronicles, Nine Night and The Three Sisters have clearly helped attract audience members from one under-represented group. The conundrum however is surely how the NT can build on this interest whilst balancing it with the need to maintain/raise prices and increase income?
I'm sure some of the NT's target groups have benefited from the usual ticket offers as I've received some myself (eg from Afridiziak - well worth signing up with if you haven't already), but as a long-term regular I am attending less and generally only when I can still get a £15 ticket in the front stalls of the Lyttelton or (rarely alas) Olivier, or an offer/Friday Rush for the Dorfman. I may splurge occasionally on the seniors' midweek matinee deal for a well-reviewed longer production, purely for comfort, but the NT isn't gaining more income from me and in fact is losing it if inflation is factored in. So who are the people who can both afford to pay more and are willing to do so and are there enough of them to sustain the new pricing model long-term?
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Post by sf on Feb 2, 2020 9:01:09 GMT
Everyone should quickly overreact to reports from an initial preview or two. Cancel your tickets. Protest in the streets. Express dismay on social media. And for heaven's sake ... clutch thy pearls tightly.
I haven't cancelled my ticket, but I have rebooked - only because I don't think I'd get the best out of a rather heavy show that's four hours long if I see it the day after I've done a twelve-hour flight across nine time zones. I want to see it, not sleep through it.
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Post by callum on Feb 2, 2020 10:01:14 GMT
So who are the people who can both afford to pay more and are willing to do so and are there enough of them to sustain the new pricing model long-term? NT would think it’s the younger student audience who stay in London even after they’ve used Entry Pass for a few years, become affluent young professionals and then start acquiring a bit of dosh in their mid-late twenties. Whether this is true or not I have no idea...!
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