279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Jun 4, 2020 14:35:53 GMT
Good to see The Old Vic's sponsor is supporting this run. There is a note on the booking info page:
5. PwC £10 Previews All PwC £10 Previews tickets will be available across all performances and these will be released from the general onsale on Wed 10 Jun at 12 noon and everyone will have the same opportunity to access them.
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on May 30, 2020 16:16:02 GMT
Two way streaming with the audience for an edition of The Infinite Monkey Cage: The Infinite Monkey Cage, Radio 4's highly popular and entertaining science/comedy show returns in a brand new format for lockdown! Professor Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince are joined by some very well known celebrity science enthusiasts, and scientists, for a witty irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes, in the first ever trial of a BBC remote virtual audience event! Tickets for this special recording are limited and will be allocated by random draw. You can register at any time until 10pm on Sunday 31 May. Successful applicants will be invited to watch and listen to this live recording using Zoom, allowing you to see and hear the presenters and panelists. In order for the BBC to be able to record your reactions throughout, you will also be given access to our Virtual Audience Recording system, which will need to be opened in an up-to-date version of Google Chrome on a PC or Mac (tablets and phones are not currently supported). In an exciting first for BBC Shows, you will be able to hear reaction from all other audience members live, so we hope that even though you are probably sitting at home, we can try and recreate the feeling that you’re part of a live audience! Audience members will be encouraged to react in the same way you would in a theatre - laugh, applaud and react whenever you want to, and when we mix everything together it will sound amazing! www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/infinite-monkey-cage-virtual-1june20
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Apr 29, 2020 14:53:01 GMT
I am going to the JW3 event on Sunday evening. I just received a reminder email from them. It’s just up the road from me- I could literally walk there. I am looking forward to it though I predict I could be in the minority of gentiles at the event. There is now a recording of this event on YouTube (it's kosher, not a bootleg). Not super quality being from a fixed camera and microphone at the back of the auditorium but ok.
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Mar 25, 2020 23:59:48 GMT
It is 10.50pm and I thought I would go on the Boots website to check if they have any hand sanitizer in stock. I am being held in a queue! EDIT: Now 11.57 and the queue progress bar has not yet reached a quarter of the way along. I hope they are keeping us two metres apart in the queue.
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Mar 25, 2020 22:52:06 GMT
It is 10.50pm and I thought I would go on the Boots website to check if they have any hand sanitizer in stock. I am being held in a queue!
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Mar 25, 2020 16:55:34 GMT
The current design works so well for the audience. Unless anything in the Swan is reaching the end of its life the only improvement I would like to see is a slightly better rake for the seating?
It would be cynical to suggest that this could be just one of those unnecessary projects that allow those at the top to go to lots of meetings, make big decisions, and feel very important. So I had better not.
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Mar 23, 2020 19:46:28 GMT
Just had an email from National Rail Enquiries as I am on their mailing list. Looks like those Advance tickets we bought for our cancelled theatre trips can now be refunded.
"On Friday we announced that there will be reduced train services from Monday 23 March.
It is recommended not to travel unless it’s essential. Today, train companies have updated their refund policies for train tickets by offering fee-free refunds on all national ticket types, bought before 0700 Monday 23 March.
There will be no refund fee applied to Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak, Anytime and even Advance tickets, which are usually non-refundable. For Advance tickets, please apply before the departure of the first reserved train printed on the ticket. For more information on the updated refund policies please visit National Rail.
To request a refund, please contact the train company or retailer that sold your original ticket. "
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Mar 21, 2020 11:57:26 GMT
If you have an advance ticket it is worth checking if your booked train will actually run as the train companies are operating reduced timetables from next week. The National Conditions of Travel seem to indicate you can get a full refund if the train does not run:
30. YOUR RIGHT TO A REFUND IF YOUR TRAIN IS DISRUPTED AND YOU CHOOSE NOT TO TRAVEL 30.1. If the train you intended to use is cancelled, delayed, or your reservation will not be honoured, and you decide not to travel, you may return the unused Ticket to the original retailer or Train Company from whom it was purchased, where you will be given a full refund with no administration fee being charged. This Condition applies to all Tickets, including Tickets (such as Advance Tickets) that are otherwise non-refundable, and also applies if you have begun your journey but are unable to complete it due to delay or cancellations and return to your point of origin. 23 30.2. When applying for a refund under this Condition you will need to state the date, time and station where you would otherwise have started your journey from. You must write to the Train Company to notify them of your claim within 28 days of the date that you intended to travel.
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Mar 19, 2020 12:07:32 GMT
SouthEastern Railway are doing the right thing.
"Under normal circumstances Advance tickets are not refundable, but we have temporarily waived this rule and Advance tickets will now be fully refundable and we will not charge you an admin fee for this service."
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Mar 18, 2020 17:59:33 GMT
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Mar 17, 2020 20:50:36 GMT
Youtube has many old editions of "Play For Today" and "Armchair Theatre" etc. I recommend Peter Hall's "No Man's Land" with John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson and a very young Michael Kitchen
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Mar 15, 2020 11:38:59 GMT
I am sorry you did not have a better experience asfound. I was at yesterdays performance and found this to be outstanding theatrical experience. I had a stalls row D seat but was lucky enough to relocate to some empty seats and ended up centre row H and this obviously made all the difference.
I did find this to be a somewhat uneven production. At times some of the scenes just seemed a little clumsy and not too well written (the free programme credits thirteen people with the text). Other scenes were very moving with beautiful movement and stunning visual effects. Scenes in other languages were mostly not a problem as they used surtitles above the centre stage which were clear and not too high. However there was one scene which used a simultaneous translator on stage and I found this difficult to follow - for me this became a bit of a jumble of voices.
And, yes, the glitches were unnecessary and annoying.
This was one of those productions where the good bits more than made up for the weaker moments. I would gladly see this again - but only from an equally good seat.
At the interval I went up to the Olivier stalls level to eat my sandwich and watched and listened to the first ten minutes or so of "The Visit" on the monitors. Not really fair to judge a play on the first few minutes but the I am not tempted to see any more. The dialogue did seem somewhat unnatural and obvious.
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Mar 4, 2020 14:18:08 GMT
Hertford Theatre is fairly local to me so I thought I would support this amateur production from Ware Operatic. I went to the opening of a week long run of the show last night not expecting too much but was pleasantly surprised to find this to be highly enjoyable production.
Ok maybe the main attribute of some of the performers in the chorus may have been the enthusiasm with which they approached there roles but this did not seem to matter much as they contributed well to a production that as a whole worked very successfully and the leads were indeed rather good. A particularly stand out performance was that of the chap playing Billy Crocker - I found myself checking the programme to verify that he was indeed an amateur and not a professional hired in for the role.
Well supported by an eleven piece orchestra in a really pleasant small theatre I would recommend this.
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Mar 2, 2020 13:51:13 GMT
I forgot the PwC tickets were being released today. Have just been given queue number 12617.......
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Feb 28, 2020 10:05:30 GMT
General booking just opened and the site has crashed.
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Feb 27, 2020 13:27:24 GMT
This is showing as limited availability or sold out for most dates despite not going on general sale until Sunday. Does anyone know if this will be based on the 'friends' allocation or is it total allocation? General booking opens SATURDAY 29 February 09:00
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Feb 27, 2020 9:21:12 GMT
Painless priority members booking this morning. Was about 110 in the queue and had completed my purchases by 08.45. Both the Lyttelton and the Olivier had a better selection of front £20 seats than they had for the £15 ones with more near the centre of the front stalls available than before. Front row seats were available in both auditoriums. I got the impression that perhaps fewer seats are being held back for the next level bookers than before.
For the dates I looked at in the Olivier all the side block circle seats and the centre block back three rows are £20. The Circle centre block front row was £56, second row £46 and the next two rows £36. Stalls row D was £66 with the £86 seats being a central block starting a few rows back.
If I remember correctly I think only the back couple of rows in the Lyttelton circle were £20.
A busy booking week this week. RSC members booking last Monday was quick and easy. I just hope the Bridge tomorrow and Chichester on Saturday prove equally stress free.
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Feb 26, 2020 17:40:59 GMT
Saw it lat night, enjoyed it. Great cast. Wish I'd read through this thread in detail before booking my seats. We have 'our' seats at Almedia, they are suppose to be restricted view as there's a pillar in the way but they have never been an issue. *sigh* This stage configuration lined up two pillars basically blocking the centre of the stage, so it was for a change a very restricted view. Oh well, live and learn. Do think I might keep an eye on Rush tickets for anything there. People seem to be doing well out of them. You had bad luck there. I had a £10 restricted view seat D11 which was about midway at the side of the stage. Although I had a pillar in front of me (slightly stage side) thanks to the way the play is staged I found it hardly bothered me at all and I had a mostly excellent view. Most of the time I had a good view of all the actors and with nobody behind me could easily move my head slightly when an actor was in line with the pillar. Full marks to the FOH staff who offered to seat the two standees near me as a few people had not returned after the interval.
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Feb 6, 2020 14:18:08 GMT
If you missed the Park Theatre event there is another chance to catch Stephen at JW3 in Finchley next Sunday. There appear to be tickets at £22 still available. STEPHEN SCHWARTZ IN CONVERSATION "Award-winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz talks about his career from the 70's when Pippin, Godspell and The Magic Show were running concurrently on Broadway to Children Of Eden, megahit Wicked and the forthcoming Prince Of Egypt - an evening of song and chat not to be missed. Schwartz will be joined on stage by by West End stars Michael D. Xavier (Sunset Boulevard/Phantom Of The Opera) and Caroline Sheen (Les Miserables/9 to 5)." www.jw3.org.uk/event/stephen-schwartz-conversation#.XjweoTH7Ts1
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Jan 20, 2020 16:34:00 GMT
This evening (one of a series of musical theatre In Conversations) took place in a well tiered 270 seat auditorium with what looked to be a full house. The front row being at stage/ground level. Piano stage right, conversation chairs stage left and Maria sang centre stage. I was sitting 2nd row centre. A perfect seat as Maria sang just directly in front of me. The first hour consisted of Neil Marcus asking questions about her experience with each of the composers in turn and Maria spoke at length about how they met and he memorable experiences and sang a couple of their songs. Sorry I cannot remember which ones - the short term memory for detail is not so good these days! I also cannot remember the name of her accompanist who sang a number from something he is writing for Theatre Clwyd and Chichester. Maria also mentioned her time at the National in Ghetto and sang a song from that and mentioned how her father told her that her Grandmother was born in Vilnius where the Ghetto was. (I was lucky enough to have seen that production in 1989).
Maria was sipping lemon and honey as she had a cold which fortunately only had a slight effect on her singing voice.
There followed about twenty minutes of Q&A (sensible knowledgeable questions!) and then a couple more songs finishing with "Children Will Listen".
A very enjoyable evening. Ninety minutes over far too quickly, but at least it meant I could get one of the last Overground trains before the replacement bus service took over!
I have to mention the loos. Unisex, all cubicles and spotlessly clean.
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Jan 18, 2020 12:02:32 GMT
I think a Gold Rail Card can make some journey on Oyster cost as little as £1 With my gold rail card every off-peak journey between zone 1 & Heathrow is £1. It's a pleasant surprise every time because I always think it must be a fluke Does your Gold Rail Card includes zone 1? If so that would explain it.
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Jan 17, 2020 20:00:29 GMT
Thought I would mention yet another route that can be considered when booking trains to Leeds. For my particular journey travelling up on a Friday this looks to be cheaper for me than LNER for the outward journey.
Grand Central London Kings Cross to Wakefield Kirkgate Advance £13.50 Northern Trains Wakefield Kirkgate to Leeds Std single £4.30 (or £5.60 Return)
As the second leg is an anytime ticket there are no worries about missing a connection.
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Jan 16, 2020 19:30:14 GMT
A cup of tea, a smoked salmon beigel and an evening with Maria Friedman. Really looking forward to this at JW3 in Finchley this Sunday 19th January. "Four-time Olivier Award winning actor and director Maria Friedman (most recently seen as Golde in Fiddler On The Roof in the West End) talks to Global Jewish Conversations Series Producer Neil Marcus about her working relationship with a range of incredible composers and lyricists including Stephen Sondheim, (West Side Story) Marvin Hamlisch (A Chorus Line) and Adam Guettel ( composer of The Light In The Piazza and grandson of the late Richard Rodgers). Along the way she sings some of her favourite songs created by these formidable songwriters." www.jw3.org.uk/event/maria-friedman-conversation#.XiC4S252vs0
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Jan 13, 2020 17:06:26 GMT
Sorry Mods, but I'm hijacking the thread again with important train information! If you still need to book your train tickets, Dawnstar , then they are finally "Due to be released Tuesday 14 January." £103 for a single to travel by train from Stevenage to Leeds on a Saturday is just ridiculous but conversely an advance can be had on a weekday for as little as £13.90. One is extortionate, the other a bargain. I don't think any other country has such extremes of pricing. It suits me as I know the ticketing system inside out and always buy cheapest but it isn't really fair. Agreed that it is not fair, although for Saturdays they do sell Super Off-Peak Singles for £52.50. Note the LNER web site lets you set up an "Early Bird Ticket Alert". I have set this up for my trip to see the show on 15th May. There is also an alert set up available at www.thetrainline.com/ticketalert although I have found this to be not always reliable for weekend journeys.
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Jan 3, 2020 16:52:29 GMT
This made me laugh. (I hope the authors of this Facebook posting do not mind my reposting it).
27 December 2019 at 04:50 Just finished watching/surviving "CATS: The Movie" with friends. I'm not even going to try and review it. Instead, I am just going to share random observations from throughout the film: - Audience of roughly 25 people. For "Cats," apparently this is a packed house. - The first cats appear onscreen. Holy crap. I have never done acid. Is this what it feels like? -THIS MOVIE HAS DANCING COCKROACHES. WHY GOD? AND WHY DO THEY HAVE FACES? - 10 minutes in, someone down the aisle actually cried out "No, no, please stop." I am not making that up. - "Rum Tum Tugger": This is the first time I have ever seen Jason Derulo start a song without singing his own name at the start of the song. Suddenly the universe feels out of balance. - We are 25 minutes into this movie, and Rebel Wilson's line of "Stop milking it" has arrived 24 minutes too late. - Oh, Jennifer Hudson, you deserve better than this. - Oh, James Corden, you don't. - ... aaaaaand James Corden just did a crotch-hit joke. - How did they talk the cast into this? Seriously, Dame Judi Dench looks pissed off and ready to fire her agent from the moment she enters. - Also -- is Old Deuteronomy the 'Cats" version of Buffalo Bill in "Silence of the Lambs?" Because she is wearing a fur coat. Which means she is wearing the skin of another cat. Which means ... we need to put some lotion in the basket. - As soon as Rumpleteaser appeared, I flashed back to "Team America: World Police." Suddenly that monologue about going backstage at "Cats" is far more disturbing. - Why. Is. There. So. Much. Licking? - Finally, 45 minutes in, the cat orgy begins. - This is the weirdest way to start an orgy I have ever seen. And I've seen "Eyes Wide Shut." - Wait. Is that cat wearing pants? - TAYLOR SWIFT, WHERE ARE YOU? WE CAME TO THIS MOVIE FOR YOU, BUT SO FAR ALL I SEE ARE BLANK SPACES - The cats have shoes. And are breakdancing. I don't know what anything means anymore. - Jennifer Hudson is singing and emoting her heart out on "Memory,' and trying her best to bring some actual gravitas to this movie. If only someone would give her a snot rag. Seriously. Guys. Get her a tissue, for the love of god. - Sir Ian McKellan. Lapping milk out of a bowl in the closet. I ... I don't even know what to say. - The scale of the cats in this movie makes no sense. One minute the cats are half the height of a human doorway. Next they are so small that they are tap-dancing IN ROWS while standing on the rails of a railway track. Are they two feet tall, or two inches? I question the science here. - Despite all the madness going on, the lead actress in all this is rather striking. She's even kinda hot OH MY GOD THIS MOVIE IS MESSING WITH MY BRAIN - Taylor Swift is finally here. Riding in on the DreamWorks logo while spraying catnip glitter. No, I did not make that up. - Why does Taylor-Cat have giant cat-boobs? None of the other cats do. I have even more questions about the science going on here. - I was not prepared for the Idris Elba/Taylor Swift cat-suit sex dance. - I kid you not -- by now, this audience is treating the movie like Rocky Horror and yelling things at the screen. "Try again!" they shout at Mister Mistoffeles, after his fourth straight attempt at magic fails. And when he finally pulls the magic feat off, the whole theater bursts into applause and hooting. - Covered in fur and snarling, Ian McKellan just pushed another cat off of a boat. Someone in the audience yells "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" Whole theater loses it. - Jennifer Hudson, what are you doing? You.are giving a sincere, genuine, heartfelt performance. Good for you, except ... Look around! No one else got the memo! For God's sake, you just sang your heart out and Judi Dench's response is to start RUBBING HER HEAD ON YOU - Again, not making that last one up! - Hey, what the sh*t? There is an actor in the background who they forgot to put cat hair on! Just some random pre-CGI dude! Did we not get the update patch on our version of the movie? Or does this mean they have to do ANOTHER fix? God, those poor bastards in animation. They probably never want to see another dancing cat-person as long as they live. - A few years ago, Idris Elba complained that he hated working on the Avengers movies because he felt they were beneath his dignity. That just popped into my head as I watched him.dangling from Jennifer Hudson's birdcage while wearing a skintight fur suit and growling. No reason. - DAME JUDI DENCH, STOP BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL, IT'S CREEPING ME OUT WHEN YOU STARE AT ME LIKE THAT WHILE LECTURING ME THAT A CAT IS NOT A DOG - At last, the credits. Wait -- "Produced by Amblin Entertainment?" Steven Spielberg ... knew? He knew this movie was happening? And didn't try to stop it? - The movie got a standing ovation. Holy sh*t. People were chanting "Cats are not dogs!" - Now we want to see if there is a post-credit scene that has dogs. The world needs an Andrew Lloyd Webber Shared Cinematic Universe. - I wonder if this is what it felt like for the very first audiences to ever see "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." - If this becomes the next Rocky Horror, I don't even want to think about the props that will.be thrown at the screen. Surely milk, catnip and Taylor Swift CDs will be involved. - It is over. And all I want to do is go home, pet and cuddle Jackie, Danica and Max, and beg for their forgiveness. I hope they do not kill me in my sleep for my species having inflicted this film upon theirs. - And yet at the same time, I am strangely impressed by the sheer bollocks that it must have taken to put something this totally bonkers on the screen. For all its faults -- and oh, there are so.many faults -- there is a certain charm.in a movie that waves its freak flag without an ounce of shame. - Still, I am going to see some really weird sh*t in my dreams for many nights to come, thanks to this experience. Thanks so much for that, Tom Hooper.
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Dec 29, 2019 20:09:50 GMT
There is currently (7.00pm Sunday 28 Dec) a very interesting programme on Radio 2 about the original Cats production.
"First Cast. A two hour documentary "Big names and big songs combine in this revealing re-union. Presented by Ben Thompson, stars and creative driving forces of the original production of Cats share their memories".
Well worth a listen when it be available on iPlayer (or BBC sounds or whatever they call it now).
Next Sunday has Matt Lucas hosting a special recording of Les Miserables in concert. I hope this is a sign of more musicals themed programmes in the future.
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Nov 15, 2019 16:28:42 GMT
Hopefully the programmes will have a good variety of music and not just a cycle of obvious tracks from a computerised playout system.
Some of their more ambitious programming looks promising. From their web site.....
Magic at the Musicals will broadcast The Olivier Awards live in full, cover West End Live – produced by Westminster City Council and Official London Theatre - in Trafalgar Square and broadcast its own event, Magic at the Musicals Live from the Royal Albert Hall in May 2020.
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Nov 6, 2019 14:18:45 GMT
The Wicker Husband is at the Watermill Theatre Thu 12 Mar 2020 - Sat 04 Apr 2020 This is by the same writer, Darren Clarke, as the Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. Some of the music can be sampled here www.darrenclarkmusic.co.uk/the-wicker-husband.htmlSounds promising. I hope it tours to a theatre more accessible by public transport.
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Oct 20, 2019 17:25:13 GMT
This evening the women took over the mixed gender ‘Gents’ at the Lyric Hammersmith. Walked in and 3 women were waiting for the 1 cubicle, decided to not use the urinals and used the upstairs toilet, not sure what would have happened if I had the inclination to use the urinals, could it be potentially considered indecent exposure. (legitimised flashing opportunity for those inclined?) A few months ago when I went to the upstairs (what used to be Gents) loo at the Royal Court there were two young women at the mirror fiddling with their makeup. The urinals are opposite the mirrors. I am getting on a bit and the old prostate means it can sometimes take several minutes to empty my bladder. Fortunately the cubicle was free and I used that. Had I had to use the urinal, and being unsure of the sightlines, I did wonder if the what may be considered to be over-long length of time I had my aged member pointing at the porcelain night indeed be considered as indecent behaviour, if not exposure. Perhaps such toilets need to have a trigger (todger?) warning.
|
|
279 posts
|
Post by fossil on Oct 18, 2019 16:27:03 GMT
It's a fascinating slice of 1970s life with some amazing casts. I love the scenes of post-industrial but pre-redevelopment London and elsewhere you get in some of these films: even something fairly rubbish like the circus horror on the other week had a great opening filmed around Tower Bridge and the shabby docklands. Keep an eye out for 'The Small World of Sammy Lee' which they've shown from time to time and is a nice slice of late 50s/early 60s Soho. You might want to check out BBC iPlayer for a wonderfully nostalgic (well nostalgic for an ancient like me!) John Betjeman Monitor film showing views of 50s London. His other films are worth a look as well. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/group/p025jt33
|
|