1,016 posts
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Post by andrew on Sept 13, 2018 21:44:08 GMT
I really didn't like it. I just sat there slightly bewildered and mostly bored. Hiran Abeysekera is clearly a great actor, and I wish Donald Sumpter had more to do in it, but there just wasn't anything in this that was interesting or entertaining.
And a word of warning - I sat in the bench seating which affords an immersive view, although obviously is mildly uncomfortable. I'm not complaining, but clearly one or two people were writhing about in various stages of joint-based agony from this position.
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1,316 posts
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Post by tmesis on Sept 14, 2018 16:12:06 GMT
I really didn't like it. I just sat there slightly bewildered and mostly bored. Hiran Abeysekera is clearly a great actor, and I wish Donald Sumpter had more to do in it, but there just wasn't anything in this that was interesting or entertaining. And a word of warning - I sat in the bench seating which affords an immersive view, although obviously is mildly uncomfortable. I'm not complaining, but clearly one or two people were writhing about in various stages of joint-based agony from this position. Oh dear! I'm going Saturday night and I'm on the bench. |
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885 posts
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Post by lonlad on Sept 14, 2018 22:42:57 GMT
The reviews from Edinburgh were uniformly dreadful, so caveat emptor. A shame, for obvious reasons.
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371 posts
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Post by popcultureboy on Sept 15, 2018 0:09:32 GMT
A friend went tonight, all excited, and was still fuming at how much he hated it several hours after curtain down. I'll give it a miss I think.
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2,536 posts
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Post by n1david on Sept 15, 2018 7:55:35 GMT
I cancelled after Peter Brook had to drop out of the platform afterwards, as after the Edinburgh reviews I was interested in how he would talk about the play. But the NT called earlier this week to say he’d suffered a bereavement and would I like my money back, and I took the opportunity to cancel the play too. Sounds like a lucky escape...
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1,848 posts
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Post by NeilVHughes on Sept 15, 2018 8:39:45 GMT
Like Salome and St George and the Dragon last year, despite the wise words on this board still went.
What is it with ‘Car Crash’ Theatre that still pulls me in despite my better judgement, especially as the National is one of the easiest to return.
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1,316 posts
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Post by tmesis on Sept 15, 2018 20:36:16 GMT
Well I was dreading this (bum-numbing bench and all) but I loved it. It was inexplicably compelling and Hiram Abeysekera as The Prisoner gives a magnetic and strangely endearing performance.
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2,349 posts
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Post by zahidf on Sept 18, 2018 11:01:28 GMT
2 stars from time out, 2 stars from evening standard
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404 posts
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Post by dlevi on Sept 20, 2018 18:10:26 GMT
A sad afternoon. At least it was short. But Peter Brook in striving for simplicity has sucked all the oxygen out of the theatre. Oh well.
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Post by wannabedirector on Sept 20, 2018 18:46:26 GMT
A sad afternoon. At least it was short. But Peter Brook in striving for simplicity has sucked all the oxygen out of the theatre. Oh well. Was also there this afternoon. I didn’t think that it was terrible, but it’s defintely not the best thing I’ve ever seen. The Nash changed my seat from one in the valley to one in the pit (without telling me which might annoy some people but I wasn’t too fussed), a nice little surprise in an otherwise underwhelming afternoon. The idea is one that could work really well on stage, but this didn’t work for me. Although it was only an hour and a bit there were times where I hoped it would end, the first half or so wasn’t too bad but after that it just dragged. It’s a real shame because Peter Brook is such a legend in the theatre world, The Empty Space is my favourite theatre book of all time, but this didn’t live up to expectations. |
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3,088 posts
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Post by david on Sept 21, 2018 21:27:05 GMT
Having watched this tonight, for me hands down this was the poorest piece of theatre I have seen this year. I didn’t see the point of it or what it was trying to achieve and at 75mins, time really did drag. It really didn’t help that any heart and soul that there may of been there in the text has somehow managed to be ripped out, and quite honestly I’m more angry at myself for not taking more notice of earlier posts and skipping this.
I’ve never come out of a theatre before tonight totally frustrated at a production that delivered so little.The fact at times my mind did start to wander to how else I might have spent a more productive evening. Though I’m sure there where some people in tonight’s audience who may of got something out of this.
Performance wise, I thought Donald Sumpter and Hiran Abeysekera did well. Though I would of loved to have seen more of Donald who for me is wasted in this production.
Having a bench seat certainly made for an interesting immersive theatre viewing experience. It was definitely manageable for the 75mins.
Overall, not a great night at the theatre. Oh well, you can’t win them all.
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