|
Post by Fleance on Mar 23, 2021 20:02:15 GMT
Well with Ian McKellen playing Hamlet, what can we expect? Are they scouring the Italia Conti for a promising King Lear aged about 10 and a half? We must suspend judgement on McKellen until it has opened, but the apparently radical concept for the production is not matched by the prosaic nature of the director, venue, and the rest of the cast. I should say that in his prime McKellen was the best stage actor I've ever seen, bar none, so I'm generally well-disposed towards him. I still remember McKellen's early performances as The Wood Demon in Edinburgh; and as Doctor Faustus the following year. A memorable introduction for me, to a great actor.
|
|
|
Post by Jan on Mar 24, 2021 9:17:18 GMT
We must suspend judgement on McKellen until it has opened, but the apparently radical concept for the production is not matched by the prosaic nature of the director, venue, and the rest of the cast. I should say that in his prime McKellen was the best stage actor I've ever seen, bar none, so I'm generally well-disposed towards him. I still remember McKellen's early performances as The Wood Demon in Edinburgh; and as Doctor Faustus the following year. A memorable introduction for me, to a great actor. 1973 for The Wood Demon. I'd like to see that play but productions of it are very rare. I first saw McKellen in 1983 and by then many of his really great roles were already in the past: among them Macbeth, Richard II, Edward II, Face in The Alchemist along with several Shakespeare roles like Hamlet, Leontes, Romeo, Edgar, and Sir Toby.
|
|
5,593 posts
|
Post by lynette on Mar 24, 2021 14:23:03 GMT
I’ve only ever seen him ‘old’. I liked his Lear very much, at the courtyard theatre in Stratford.
|
|
|
Post by Fleance on Mar 24, 2021 15:28:41 GMT
I still remember McKellen's early performances as The Wood Demon in Edinburgh; and as Doctor Faustus the following year. A memorable introduction for me, to a great actor. 1973 for The Wood Demon. I'd like to see that play but productions of it are very rare. I first saw McKellen in 1983 and by then many of his really great roles were already in the past: among them Macbeth, Richard II, Edward II, Face in The Alchemist along with several Shakespeare roles like Hamlet, Leontes, Romeo, Edgar, and Sir Toby. You've inspired memories of the times I've seen him on stage (he has an excellent website to jog the memory): With the Actors Co. in Edinburgh: The Wood Demon, The Way of the World (as footman to Lady Wishfort), Dr. Faustus; Every Good Boy Deserves Favor; Pillars of the Community; Bent; Cowardice; Venice Preserv'd; Wild Honey; Coriolanus; The Duchess of Malfi; Henceforward; King Lear (Kent); Napoli Milionaria.
|
|
|
Post by Jan on Mar 24, 2021 20:22:30 GMT
Oh. You saw Cowardice. I thought it was only me. What a turkey that was.
|
|
351 posts
|
Post by cirque on Apr 6, 2021 17:47:55 GMT
Looks like RST won’t reopen until Christmas show. .disappointing .
|
|
|
Post by ThereWillBeSun on Apr 6, 2021 18:00:32 GMT
I’ve only ever seen him ‘old’. I liked his Lear very much, at the courtyard theatre in Stratford. Same - incredible. Broke my heart.
|
|
|
Post by Jan on Apr 7, 2021 7:26:54 GMT
Looks like RST won’t reopen until Christmas show. .disappointing . You always get the impression with them that actually staging productions is a minor inconvenience they could do without. This attitude started when they had the RST closed for redevelopment - they found that they could drastically reduce the number of plays they produced over several years but still get the same grants and no-one in ACE would complain. Their efforts during lockdown has followed this template, take the money on offer but produce relatively little in return. I believe they have had a full company of 35 actors and staff employed for the duration (the Comedy of Errors/Winters Tale company I suppose) but have done very little with them. Contrast with other venues who are desperate to reopen and have scheduled productions several times only to have to cancel them again but now will start again in the summer.
|
|
|
Post by Jan on Apr 21, 2021 10:42:05 GMT
The current situation with the RSC is unacceptable. I'm getting emails from all the theatres I follow giving their plans for opening soon. This includes venues like Chiswick Playhouse (formerly The Tabard) who got no money at all from the government support scheme despite applying but are running musical theatre events from May. But the RSC who literally got millions handed to them have no plans to do anything at all in any of their theatres until 14th October ? (albeit with a few outdoor performances of Comedy of Errors to be announced). It is not good enough.
|
|
4,966 posts
|
Post by TallPaul on Apr 21, 2021 11:09:07 GMT
The RSC's response to the pandemic was recently the subject of the In The Studio strand on the World Service. The BBC is to broadcasting what the RSC is to theatre, so it's probably far too chummy and uncritical, but at only 27 minutes long, it's worth a listen. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct1tcq
|
|
4,596 posts
|
Post by Someone in a tree on Apr 21, 2021 11:19:44 GMT
Out of interest has anyone written to RSC or ACE to complain?
|
|
|
Post by Jan on Apr 21, 2021 11:30:31 GMT
Out of interest has anyone written to RSC or ACE to complain? Based on my experience if you write to the RSC to complain about anything related to the AD's area of responsibility then they won't reply. I have had replies (but no action) from ACE on the RSC in the past. Good luck. I'm not in the habit of writing to complain. Once years ago I wrote with some mild criticism to the NT and Peter Hall replied personally.
|
|
4,596 posts
|
Post by Someone in a tree on Apr 21, 2021 12:13:31 GMT
Out of interest has anyone written to RSC or ACE to complain? Based on my experience if you write to the RSC to complain about anything related to the AD's area of responsibility then they won't reply. I have had replies (but no action) from ACE on the RSC in the past. Good luck. I'm not in the habit of writing to complain. Once years ago I wrote with some mild criticism to the NT and Peter Hall replied personally. Sounds very similar to ENO and ROH
|
|
351 posts
|
Post by cirque on Apr 21, 2021 13:40:09 GMT
So right. However in Stratford they have opened a Kindness shop to meet nice folks.
All a joke and unlike ROH and ENO.......nothing major on horizon.
A glorious company diminished by ineptitude . A focus on wokery and nothing else.
|
|
|
Post by Jan on Apr 21, 2021 16:21:19 GMT
Another example. Jermyn Street’s reopening programme is really great. Loads of events, short plays (new and old), one-man shows (including Michael Pennington), a Pinter fragment, poem readings (Shakespeare) some with an audience, some also on-line, literally something for everyone. I think the public launch is next week.
The RSC’s first thought ? Build a new outdoor theatre. No company in the country has ever been more obsessed by building new theatres than them. Programming events in them though ? Not so interested.
|
|
2,349 posts
|
Post by zahidf on Apr 22, 2021 6:41:47 GMT
Performances from July
|
|
351 posts
|
Post by cirque on Apr 22, 2021 16:27:48 GMT
Where Theatre Begins. Claim the RSC today......rather where it ends given the response by others.
Largely a community festival
Not for me.
|
|
|
Post by Jan on Apr 23, 2021 6:18:25 GMT
Reading about this outdoor theatre they've built it seems the RSC think no-one will want to go back into an indoor theatre until October. Every other theatre I follow thinks it will be in May. Let's see who is right.
Offering tickets for people to watch on-line rehearsals of Henry VI is an interesting approach to trying to recoup the millions of pounds they have to pay back on their Covid loan. On the whole the NT's idea of staging a musical every year looks a bit more likely to succeed. Still, it gets Henry VI crossed off the list so they can proceed with the full cycle of plays, I assume they're not going to actually stage the play properly now ?
|
|
|
Post by theatremad on Apr 23, 2021 8:51:01 GMT
Reading about this outdoor theatre they've built it seems the RSC think no-one will want to go back into an indoor theatre until October. Every other theatre I follow thinks it will be in May. Let's see who is right. Offering tickets for people to watch on-line rehearsals of Henry VI is an interesting approach to trying to recoup the millions of pounds they have to pay back on their Covid loan. On the whole the NT's idea of staging a musical every year looks a bit more likely to succeed. Still, it gets Henry VI crossed off the list so they can proceed with the full cycle of plays, I assume they're not going to actually stage the play properly now ? Tweet the RSC sent me when I asked about the staging of the Henry VI plays and Richard III going forward: "Our plan is to still stage Henry VI Part II, III & Richard III. We’re working on future plans for this & will share more info in the coming months - these plans have had to evolve from those we had back in early 2020. This will be the only opportunity to see Henry VI Part One."
|
|
|
Post by oxfordsimon on Apr 23, 2021 8:53:48 GMT
That is a ludicrous position for the RSC to take. The H6 plays make for great theatre if you see the whole narrative unfold. Chopping off part 1 in this way shows they don't understand at all.
Doran has to go
|
|
|
Post by Jan on Apr 23, 2021 9:33:24 GMT
That is a ludicrous position for the RSC to take. The H6 plays make for great theatre if you see the whole narrative unfold. Chopping off part 1 in this way shows they don't understand at all. Doran has to go My guess would be they’ll also combine II and III into a single play. Just a guess because R-III would be a RST show so H-VI would have to be moved from the originally planned Swan (?) where they normally consign plays they deem unpopular.
|
|
5,593 posts
|
Post by lynette on Apr 23, 2021 16:29:00 GMT
A generous couple have paid for the outdoor theatre, or made substantial contribution, not sure which. Very visible, tangible sort of thing. I’m not a buildings person tbh; I’m a person person. By that I mean invest in individuals and groups which do stuff, make stuff, show stuff. Other than to provide work for scaffolders I’m not sure why a theatre is necessary in the garden beside the two theatres and a few feet from the third they already have. You still need the toilets, the bar, the shepherding staff, so I’m wondering why not open the big theatre for fewer people? My instinct would be to rip out the seats and go full round in the big theatre ( or nearly round) and open out the foyers etc as much as possible. But Jan you can’t compare Jermyn St ( well, you can and I do) because JS doesn’t have the hundreds of staff to deal with so it is a more flexible, light on the feet set up. RSC is like a huge tanker, stuck in the Suez Canal...to be continued
|
|
|
Post by Jan on Apr 23, 2021 19:43:21 GMT
A generous couple have paid for the outdoor theatre, or made substantial contribution, not sure which. Very visible, tangible sort of thing.br] They’re building an entirely new outdoor theatre and only doing one production in it (Comedy of Errors). That is quite a squandering of resources.
|
|
5,593 posts
|
Post by lynette on Apr 24, 2021 13:32:19 GMT
A generous couple have paid for the outdoor theatre, or made substantial contribution, not sure which. Very visible, tangible sort of thing.br] They’re building an entirely new outdoor theatre and only doing one production in it (Comedy of Errors). That is quite a squandering of resources. I think the kind of flat pack they can bring out every summer and possibly transport to other locations for a season. Maybe. 😳
|
|
|
Post by Jan on Apr 24, 2021 20:56:59 GMT
They’re building an entirely new outdoor theatre and only doing one production in it (Comedy of Errors). That is quite a squandering of resources. I think the kind of flat pack they can bring out every summer and possibly transport to other locations for a season. Maybe. 😳 😂
|
|
4,966 posts
|
Post by TallPaul on Apr 25, 2021 8:12:56 GMT
The RSC's "staged for the screen" production of The Winter's Tale has its premiere tonight on BBC4, starting at 7pm. "Set across a span of 16 years, from the coronation to the moon landings..." I'm no expert, but I wasn't aware Bill had ever written about the space race! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000vkk7
|
|
|
Post by Jan on Apr 25, 2021 12:21:59 GMT
The RSC's "staged for the screen" production of The Winter's Tale has its premiere tonight on BBC4, starting at 7pm. "Set across a span of 16 years, from the coronation to the moon landings..." I'm no expert, but I wasn't aware Bill had ever written about the space race! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000vkk7We are also promised, of course, the spectre of the Nazis still looming over Europe. I like this type of production concept, what I don’t like at all is having it explained to me in advance.
|
|
|
Post by Fleance on Apr 25, 2021 19:01:33 GMT
I regret that the RSC have chosen Marquee TV for their international streaming, because Marquee is primarily a dance and music service. Those of us who don't have access to the BBC have to forgo RSC performances at the moment. There just isn't enough theater on that service for me.
|
|
5,593 posts
|
Post by lynette on Apr 25, 2021 22:02:06 GMT
Did we watch The Winter’s tale then? Spoilers: why didn't Leontes and Paulina look older after 16 years? Why did Autolycus shout? Apart from that not bad. I won’t dwell further.
|
|
|
Post by Jan on Apr 26, 2021 8:03:28 GMT
Did we watch The Winter’s tale then? Spoilers: why didn't Leontes and Paulina look older after 16 years? Why did Autolycus shout? Apart from that not bad. I won’t dwell further. I only lasted 10 minutes for the "live" version I'm afraid. It is on iPlayer so I skipped through a few other scenes just now. What is the point of filming a stage production which will never actually be produced on stage ? Pointless. It should have been re-directed for film. The NT's Romeo & Juliet made at least some attempt to do this. Just one example - we know that sets for the RST are always very sparse and boring because it is a thrust stage - big empty space and a few bits and pieces at the back - but why keep the planned stage set for the film ? It made it visually very very dull and static. Another symptom of this was some of the the actors projecting and emoting like crazy to reach the back row of the balcony - totally unnecessary - less is more on film.
|
|