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Post by David J on Mar 4, 2023 20:55:11 GMT
I noticed when booking the vortex that they have a message up about holding back the back/balcony seats in the main theatre unless there’s demand
I did notice at orient express that there were plenty of empty seats. I don’t even think mother goose was sold out the night I went
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Post by David J on Mar 4, 2023 18:47:13 GMT
Well I decided to see the ‘new’ phantom this afternoon.
I agree some of the sets look smaller or at least don’t fill the stage. The Ill muto bed with the black void around it for one, with piangi poking his head out at times.
Otherwise it’s generally the same show. The neon lightning bolt has gone but the wobbling manuquins remain. I miss the atmospheric lighting, though I must say I like the added shilouettes when the phantom and Christine are on the bridge.
I have no real attachment to the show compared to les Mis so I’m more accepting of the staging
But yeah, what is up with the auctioneer appearing as a chorus member but still in his previous costume. If this is permanent I’m just baffled. Just makes me want to ask, why would a chorus member rehearse dressed like he’s off to a night at the opera himself
To paraphrase a wise woman to go on without your right costume may be regarded as a misfortune; to go on twice looks like carelessness; to go on all the time looks like you’re trying to be funny but failing.
The added levity and reduced music diminishes the show for me but the audience enjoyed it. Also they’ve sped up the slow moments that feel jarring
Earl Carpenter is the reason to see this show. He makes the role sound effortless. He may not be not on JOJs level vocally but he sounds angelic and his acting sells this phantom. Fatherly but reclused and enjoys his moments of mania. The closest to a sympathetic phantom for me
Holly Anne Hull and Matt Blaker were second best. Not outstanding but I enjoyed their All I ask of you
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Post by David J on Mar 2, 2023 17:39:01 GMT
This puts me in mind of the Watermill Theatre’s production of watership down, a book I find has similarities to lord of the rings but on a smaller scale
How the watermill can go from that to lord of the rings in terms of staging and scale will certainly be interesting
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Post by David J on Mar 2, 2023 15:31:52 GMT
Ambitious is an understatement for the Watermill Theatre... This will be the musical reduced to the actor-musician set up they always do. The website says only the start and end will be staged in the gardens so basically Hobbiton outdoors. Everything else will be reduced to that small theatre
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Post by David J on Feb 13, 2023 6:53:38 GMT
Trevor Nunn's King Lear with Ian McKellen, Frances Barber, Sylvester McCoy, William Gaunt, Jonathan Hyde, John Heffernan
Gregory Doran's 2008 ensemble doing A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet and Love's Labour's Lost - David Tennant, Patrick Stewart, Penny Downie, Oliver Ford Davies, Mariah Gale, Edward Bennet, Peter de Jersey, Joe Dixon
Michael Boyd's Histories Ensemble with Jonathan Slinger, Clive Wood, Geoffrey Streatfield, Katy Stephens, Chuk Iwuji, Richard Cordery, Lex Shrapnel, Patrice Naiambana to name a few
Gregory Dorans 2012 Julius Caesar with Ray Fearon, Joseph Patterson, Joseph Mydell, Adjoa Andoh
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Post by David J on Feb 3, 2023 14:58:59 GMT
There's a great series by youtube channel Red Letter Media called Best of the Worst where they watch and talk about a bunch of B movies or crappy videos. Hilarious with the occasional reoccuring guest stars like Home Alone's Macaulay Culkin in the below video. You get to see some unintentionally hilarious bad movies that are worthy of watching with your mates.
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Post by David J on Jan 13, 2023 15:07:55 GMT
Didn’t realise it at the time but looking at the program when I got home, I saw that the Goose King and the goat were played by Adam Brown, who played Ori in The Hobbit series of films: is he the first/only actor from the Lord Of The Rings/Hobbit films that McKellen has worked with on stage? Sylvestor McCoy played the Fool the first time Ian played King Lear in 2007
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Post by David J on Jan 3, 2023 15:10:03 GMT
That's what I felt about the show. Sian Phillips, Judi Dench, Julia McKenzie, and Petula Clark were certainly past their prime but they knew how to act rather than just sing. Damian Lewis and Haydn Gwynne too, though I must say they've got impressive voices, whilst Imelda Staunton has still got it. A friend of mine watched it with me and he's not a one for musicals because he finds performers just like to sing and play big but not from a place of truth. And he felt a lot of the other cast members were doing that. Though he thought Michael Ball had been taking acting lessons since he saw him as Sweeney Todd in Chichester. I didn't think much of Sonia Freedman's singing as Mrs Lovett in the Proms concert and here I thought she sounded worse and tended to overact. Which isn't a bad thing in itself but the names I mentioned showed how you do it. I've never seen Bernadette Peters live, only watched videos of her, so my unbiased point of view is her voice isn't what it used to be and her acting consisted of that blank look as karloscar describes. I think you mean Maria Friedman, Sonia's a theatre producer who by her own admission can't sing. Oh, and I was thinking 'please put the right sister's name' Can one of those two change up their name or something
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Post by David J on Jan 3, 2023 14:35:03 GMT
That's what I felt about the show. Sian Phillips, Judi Dench, Julia McKenzie, and Petula Clark were certainly past their prime but they knew how to act rather than just sing. Damian Lewis and Haydn Gwynne too, though I must say they've got impressive voices, whilst Imelda Staunton has still got it. A friend of mine watched it with me and he's not a one for musicals because he finds performers just like to sing and play big but not from a place of truth. And he felt a lot of the other cast members were doing that.
Though he thought Michael Ball had been taking acting lessons since he saw him as Sweeney Todd in Chichester. I didn't think much of Sonia Freedman's singing as Mrs Lovett in the Proms concert and here I thought she sounded worse and tended to overact.
Which isn't a bad thing in itself but the names I mentioned showed how you do it. I've never seen Bernadette Peters live, only watched videos of her, so my unbiased point of view is her voice isn't what it used to be and her acting consisted of that blank look as karloscar describes.
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Post by David J on Dec 27, 2022 11:16:19 GMT
Wasn't an amazing year for me too. Top 5 Shows- John Owen Jones Concert
- Into the Woods (Bath)
- The Southbury Child (Chichester/Bridge Theatre)
- Zorro (Charing Cross Theatre)
- Crazy for You (Chichester)
Honourable Mentions
- Jack and the Beanstalk (Palladium)
- A Christmas Carol (Old Vic)
- A Streetcar Named Desire (Almeida)
- Treasure Island (La Navet Bete company)
- The Unfriend (Chichester)
- Lea Salogna Concert
- Wickies: The Vanishing Men of Eilean Mor (Park Theatre)
- Prima Facie
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears (Mayflower Theatre)
- Anyone Can Whistle (Southwark Playhouse)
Left at the Interval
- The Glass Menagerie (Manchester Royal Exchange) - found it too pretentious and unengaging
- Paradise Now (Bush Theatre) - Felt I saw a different show to everyone else. Script only raised titters of laughter (apart from the easily pleased woman next to me) and the cast were acting like they were each in a different show
Worst
- The Homecoming
- Back to the Future
- Jerusalem - not sorry. Mark Rylance definetly the best thing about the show and I got the mythic Britain stuff. But it did not need to be over three hours long and didn’t find Rooster Byron a relatable character to be hanging out with that long. Even preferred The Ferryman to this.
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Post by David J on Dec 27, 2022 10:42:34 GMT
Saw Goldilocks and the Three Bears at the Mayflower
Sadly Jason Donovan was off due to illness. Apparently something had been going through the cast with Faye Brookes off once last week, and it was a last minute decision for Jason. His understudy did his best at short notice. Even threw off one of his own items during 12 Days of Christmas to which the others mocked him. But there was a noticeable hole in proceedings.
Even Richard Caddell sounded hoarse to me. The show last night lacked a bit of oomph overall.
Enjoyed sooty and sweep, the visuals and liked the balancing act chap. Less the roller skating couple. I know they need to spend time getting harnesses on and off and readying themselves for each act but there were lulls in the pacing consequently.
3/5 stars
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Post by David J on Dec 24, 2022 21:10:52 GMT
- The final scene could do with some changes - perhaps lose the tableaux/rain/movement and stage it more conventionally. Or give more time for the actual spoken parts. - This was much better than the effective but overly loud/dizzying Young Vic production with Gillian Anderson, but the Donmar production with Rachel Weisz and Ruth Wilson remains the high point for me. Agree on both fronts. My friend, seeing the play for the first time, got the gist of what was going on but the transition into the last scene could have been tighter and clearer and the slow-mo stuff was unecessary. But better than the the Young Vic set turning at high speed by the end which was disorientating to a fault
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Post by David J on Dec 23, 2022 21:34:13 GMT
I enjoyed this a lot.
Patsy Ferran once again excelled. She remembered the lines and she made the moments when she was turning the pages to the right spot look part of her character. Naturalistic as ever and held you attention.
The other stellar performance came from Dwane Walcott. Gave a naturally soft and grounded performance as the mild tempered Mitch. He and Patsy shone when it was just them alone
The others ranged from fine to good, but didn’t meet th level of the two I mentioned. Paul Mescal’s range only went so far playing macho and angry.
Fracknells directing choices had their moments. The cast were in-synch when they were doing actions on and around the stage. The rain doesn’t add much to proceedings and the physical stuff from the young actor felt pointless
3.75 stars
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Post by David J on Dec 14, 2022 14:44:09 GMT
Without spoiling anything, I would also not recommend stage left to anyone afraid of loud noises! You mean the audience's left? Not being picky, but 'stage left' sets off my actor's mind
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Post by David J on Nov 23, 2022 18:28:58 GMT
This issue is rampant in all forms of media. Dozens of youtubers and people who is not part of the mainstream media discuss it
The funny thing is that media and people on social media will praise actors, writers, directors etc of certain races, gender, and so forth who do the right things. But the moment they express a view that is not acceptable by them they are deemed a heathen.
You can only look at J.k. Rowling for example. Many of us praised her once for making dumbledore gay and hermione black in the play. Now the tone is different
Theatre companies, film studios, video game companies media outlets and other forms of media say they advocate for diversity but what they mean is they advocate diverse people who think, say and write the right things
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Post by David J on Nov 20, 2022 12:27:37 GMT
You know my first thought was the wicked witch has an interesting choice of wand until I realised it was a purple broomstick
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Post by David J on Nov 4, 2022 15:11:58 GMT
Ah ok thank you Does anyone have recommendations on good places to sit? Looking at theatremonkey it seems a bit of a minefield and a case where even premium prices don't necessarily equal a good view The end seats in rows a-c in the dress circle are an absolute steal They’re not top price because of the safety bar in front of the aisles that will be in your field of vision but really it’s so narrow that you forget it’s there I always get a seat there
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Post by David J on Oct 27, 2022 15:12:38 GMT
His King Lear is one of the best performances I've ever seen. The only Lear I shed a tear for at the end. Tread the fine line between a stubborn king and an ailing old father. Only Frank Langella came close for me
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Post by David J on Oct 14, 2022 1:08:04 GMT
I genuinely forget Matilda involves Telekinesis every time I see it. Or how in the musical she has the ability to tell a story that conveniently happened in real life. As if she can read people's minds and learn their backstory without knowing whose it is. And by the way does the film try to improve on that contrived plot twist?
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Post by David J on Sept 29, 2022 22:01:07 GMT
Just saw a repeat screening.
I fall under the brilliant performance, flawed play camp.
Jodie Comer makes this performance undoubtedly.
It's like two plays in one. It starts strong, as we follow her characters life and I enjoyed her quick paced narration. And we gradually see the issues surrounding sexual assault cases seep through. Bold, but character driven and at times nuanced. Just how I like it
Then it turns into the 'issue play' I dread really. And I've seen better 'issue plays'. On one hand I like how we get to see the torment the character goes through. But it comes to a point where the play has nowhere else to go as it hammers this through. And in that moment when Jodie looks out at the audience and talks about the statistics, Tess becomes Suzie Miller's mouthpiece.
It's perhaps a drawback of a one character play that we can't take a step back for a breather and see this from another character's perspective. Say the mother's for an instance
I felt the length of the play at times. There are sections I enjoyed initially, such as Tess' narration of her case at the beginning, but goes on for too long. I'd tune out and be jolted by the sudden leaps back and forth in time.
4 stars for Jodie Comer. 2.5 for the play.
So 3.25 stars over all
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Post by David J on Sept 26, 2022 10:35:23 GMT
I like the layout of the theatre but it looks bland aesthetically and dark in the corridors and auditorium. Not enough variety of colour. Cold and uninviting
Maybe too modern
I mean the National may look like a concrete bunker but they’ve put the effort in to add flourishes to it over the years. That’s what I think this theatre desperately needs. More character. Make you feel more welcome there
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Post by David J on Sept 17, 2022 18:50:51 GMT
Interesting really.
As Artistic Director at Chichester Daniel Evans hasn't made the greatest impact. But then again he had big shoes to fill after Jonathan Church.
And the output Chichester has made was generally better than what the RSC has done in the last 5 years. So I can give Daniel Evans a chance.
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Post by David J on Sept 6, 2022 19:22:28 GMT
I remember If Your Mother Were Here. Confusing the first time I saw that. By the time the musical finished in the west end they had tried improving it, but otherwise it felt completely unnecessary and comes out of nowhere
Like even if his biological mother had died at no point do we feel Charlie misses her
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Post by David J on Sept 5, 2022 10:58:22 GMT
The cellist was off with COVID on Saturday John told us. Made a thing of asking is anyone plays a cello and an audience member said they like limoncello, to which he said we have a cultured audience in
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Post by David J on Sept 3, 2022 22:17:55 GMT
Just saw Music of the Night at New Mills. What a treat it was.
Not only a brilliant singer as usual but a very funny guy. The show was half songs and half banter with the audience, with some jabs at two certain singers whose last names begin with 'B'. Even had a moment when he was pleased to hear an old lady who came from Burry Port, Wales, like him.
The songs he sang included This is the Moment, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, something from 'Nine', Maria, Evermore, Till I Hear You Sing, Music of the Night, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Why God Why, Anthem, Loosing My Mind (well half of it whilst the guy on the keyboard whose name escapes me sung the first half), Al Jonson's Sunny Boy, I'd Rather Be Sailing from A New Brain, Tell my Father from Frank Wildhorn's Civil War, Stars, I Dreamed a Dream and Bring Him Home, and a song based on Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood
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Post by David J on Aug 31, 2022 16:31:59 GMT
Need to do a review but saw this on Saturday afternoon. The bird came out of the proscenium by the way
It’s not as bad as the witches transformed costume but Cinderella’s Princes wig and beard looked weird as well. Certainly fitted his personality but not his look, or everyone else’s for that matter
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Post by David J on Aug 25, 2022 22:07:36 GMT
Ooh, Jonathan Slinger...
Do I want to trek all the way to Kingston again?
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Post by David J on Aug 24, 2022 12:33:27 GMT
The one's I'd bring back would be:
Michael Boyd's Henry VI trilogy. Throw in Richard II as well.
Maria Aberg's As You Like It
Trevor Nunn/Ian McKellan King Lear
Gregory Doran's African Julius Caesar, Midsummer Night's Dream and Love's Labours Lost. Throw in Hamlet except with Andrew Scott, Juliet Stevenson and Jessica Brown Findlay. (Note these these are all shows he did before taking over)
David Farr's Winter's Tale
Rupert Goold's Merchant of Venice and Romeo and Juliet
I've seen an archive recording of Deborah Warner's Titus Andronicus and that would be something I'd go and see live.
Otherwise the 2016 production of The Rover, David Farr's The Homecoming, the Wolf Hall plays, The Orphan of Zhao (with an all asian cast)
Maybe even the Wooster Group's Troilus and Cressida
*ducks*
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Post by David J on Aug 17, 2022 9:18:54 GMT
I wish I saw Les Mis at the Palace Theatre with the big set and orchestra. I still liked how intimate the show felt in the Queens Theatre but watching youtube videos I can only imagine the scale of the original-original
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Post by David J on Aug 16, 2022 17:12:45 GMT
This is what happens when you push to re-appropriate or cast plays to please every gender, race and so on. There will always be one or a few groups who won't be happy with some of your decisions.
Change the gender of a historic figure that women look up to? Yeah, that's going to rile some people up.
When will companies realize that trying to represent and cater to everyone as their mantra is not achievable.
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