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Post by nick on Nov 25, 2023 15:01:51 GMT
Next time anyone wants to know what heather looks like, please ask a northerner. I could have dismissed Brigadoon within seconds. But what if the image had been put together by a southerner? Then it could still be Brigadoon. (Says a Northerner relocated southwards)
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Post by nick on Nov 21, 2023 19:49:02 GMT
so soon after the Playhouse production? I saw this at the Menier and it was magical. I'd be up for another production particularly a more 'opened up' one after the intimacy of the Menier. And I don't suppose they come more open than Regent Park.
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Post by nick on Oct 24, 2023 15:51:21 GMT
Although having seen her latest statement it’s looking like a problem between her and Gio. That’s a great shame. And unprofessional in my opinion. You have to get on with the people you’re working with. Its a fact of life that you won’t always see eye to eye. Where’s this new statement? It looked like they got on really well so would be surprised if it’s due to him. But the original legal statement is quite telling about something. Here’s the Birmingham Mail’s report. No mention of Giovanni in her thanks www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/showbiz-tv/bbc-strictly-come-dancings-amanda-27971078.amp
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Post by nick on Oct 24, 2023 12:54:28 GMT
Although having seen her latest statement it’s looking like a problem between her and Gio. That’s a great shame.
And unprofessional in my opinion. You have to get on with the people you’re working with. Its a fact of life that you won’t always see eye to eye.
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Post by nick on Oct 24, 2023 12:36:52 GMT
This is most unfortunate. I believe that no one will truly know what happened except Amanda, Giovanni and the BBC producers and legal department. If the problem was Giovanni and something he did or said, then I hope the right sort of action is taken to prevent this sort of thing (whatever it was) from happening again and putting off any contestants from taking part in the future. If it was Amanda, then she needs to be aware of the Terms & Condition of the contract she signed. Either way, both the BBC and the show do not any scandal and will quickly brush this under the carpet and move on, focusing on the remaining contestants. This is only conjecture on my part, but Amanda was getting a lot of stick on social media which, I imagine, was not expected by either the BBC or Amanda. I think anyone's mental health would take a hit under those circumstances. I'm not sure I'd be able to continue such a high profile job under those circumstances. Nor would I expect my employer to expect me to.
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Post by nick on Oct 19, 2023 19:12:45 GMT
If people can go commando and still do up their trouser zips then they're not going to worry about a few chest hairs.
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Post by nick on Oct 1, 2023 17:10:44 GMT
I find myself in Manchester (nowhere near the conference) so impulse bought a ticket for Casting The Runes at the Robert Bolt Theatre in Sale. £10 for a 65 minute show. No idea what to expect but fingers crossed. watersidearts.org/whats-on/3296-casting-the-runes/
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Post by nick on Aug 17, 2023 20:58:44 GMT
Steve, am I right in thinking you haven’t seen the original series? If not then you should as your criticism makes me think you’d enjoy it. It is a character piece and the original Little Ladies are given space to develop as character and imo are well cast. I loved the three leads in this version but they don’t have the time (or the modern book is lacking) to make their characters shine. They’re also all great stage performers and singers whereas in the tv series Anna and particularly Q are not great singers unlike the incomparable Julie Covington.
In my opinion the book tries too hard to give edited highlights of the tv series and loses the heart of the original. I love the original but I feel Chloe Moss needed to reshape more forcefully it for the stage and modern audiences. There are faint sparks of her original voice in the latter parts when she deviates from the original story (after Roxy appears). I wonder if the production was hampered by having the original writer around. There was a Radio 4 feature with him, Andy McKay (the original composer), Chloe and Rula Lenska and I felt he dominated the conversation more then he should have done.
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Post by nick on Aug 14, 2023 7:25:01 GMT
I'm going a little off topic here but to me, the revivals only make sense when they improve on the previous production or bring something very fresh to it. Can't fully agree with this. There's a new generation of theatregoers growing up all the time. Revivals can be too often but there's no reason why something can't be revived every (say) 20 years for that audience. I enjoyed seeing Oh What a Lovely War revived at Theatre Royal Stratford which was close to the original. I wasn't born when the original was staged.
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Post by nick on Aug 11, 2023 4:07:28 GMT
Angela Lansbury was English so she wasn't putting on an accent. And go wash your mouth out for saying it was "dodgy". 😀 Eh? Isn’t she putting on a cockerney accent rather than her usual English accent? And it does sound not quite right.
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Post by nick on Aug 10, 2023 22:41:00 GMT
Could anyone who've seen it please let me know if Sam Barnett is singing a lot in this? He is the only draw for me, but now reading the reviews I’m not sure if it’s even worth it.. He only sings one song as a solo (I’ve forgotten which one - Sugar Mountain I think). He does a very good job of it.
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Post by nick on Aug 10, 2023 22:39:25 GMT
Just been to see this. Looking at the programme posted in the Julie Covington Facebook group there’s been at least one change - Loony Tunes was dropped. Also no Good Behaviour at the end as, I guess, an encore.
I enjoyed it. It a whistle stop tour of the tv series with a few additions to make it a little more current.
The songs are mixed right up from the tv series with some original Little Ladies songs being sung by other members of the cast.
Glen Miller is Missing is in totally the wrong place (the reason why it appears in the tv series has been totally removed so it’s strangely slotted in presumably because it’s a good song).
They’ve changed the plot considerably from the point Roxy appears. But it’s not a bad change. I think in some ways the writer has tried too hard to stick to the original and it was refreshing to see her trying to be different.
The three leads are such good singers but it feels like Carly (Anna) has the best voice which rather undermines an important plot point.
The actress playing the small role of Gloria stole her part of the show for me. But there were no weak links in the cast IMO.
Well worth a visit.
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Post by nick on Jul 28, 2023 16:47:17 GMT
Just returned from seeing it tonight. Show finished a couple of minutes past 10pm but it went up a few minutes late. We were definitely out before the SoM which when I went the other week finished about 1015pm. Well the show was OK, not one I’d wish to see again, very loud as it very much a rock concert set up. The 3 leads; Zizzi Strallen, Carly Bawden and Angela Marie Hurst put in solid performances, but on the whole the show just didn’t seem to grab me. The costumes were badly fitted, the wigs were poor and I left without being able to recall a single tune. I must admit I was a Rock Follies fan when it was on the TV. It’s a fairly long drive for me @1hr 30mins, was it worth it? Probably not, but there again the SoM wasn’t worth it either. Just an OK show Oh dear. Mind you badly fitting costumes and wigs reminds me of the tv series. I used to think it was a gorgeous high quality production but my last few rewatches have highlighted how cheap it all looks. Most notably the on stage performances that clearly weren’t filmed on stage. I’m still a big fan. Re recalling tunes, I assume they use songs from the tv show? For me they’re a major draw. Did you feel they were poorly presented on stage or did you find the songs themselves forgettable?
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Post by nick on Jul 23, 2023 22:06:14 GMT
Is/was there only WSS and A Chorus Line that are choreographically ‘protected’? Do any other shows have any sort of covenant on performing the original choreo? I’ve got something in the back of my head that there’s some control over parts of Pippin. But I could be totally wrong.
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Post by nick on Jul 12, 2023 20:04:53 GMT
I've been watching some ancient New Faces from the 1970s which try to be what you describe and, apart from being a fascinating time capsule, it isn't very interesting. Each to his own. I remember watching New Faces and Opportunity Knocks, and they were both far more enjoyable than any of the tiresome contrived nonsense we have today, although New Faces did always have a Cowell-esque bad-cop judge who would often be critical just for the sake if it. The irony is that the acts now are generally of a much higher quality. But today's acts themselves are only on for about a quarter of the running time. If they could ditch all the fake padding, talent shows might be worth watching. As it is, I'd much rather see a variety show in a theatre. Actually many episodes of New Faces DON'T have a Cowell character (I assume you mean Micky Most and/or Tony Hatch). They're all too nicey nicey in the few I've looked at. At his best Simon's criticisms are highly constructive. There's little development of the acts on New Faces - often their second appearance is worse than their first as they used their best material first time round. Somebody mentioned Fame Academy upthread. For me that was the best talent show format. We saw the acts develop and improve over the run and the production was more supportive but didn't hold back from positive criticism. But clearly it didn't find enough of an audience.
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Post by nick on Jul 11, 2023 17:57:38 GMT
If any tv producer is looking for an idea, I tell you what would appeal to me: - A talent show that actually recognises and showcases undiscovered talent. What I am totally turned off by are: - Shows with a clear, producer-driven narrative; - Competitor back stories; - Untalented competitors being put to air just so that they be mocked and laughed at; - Manufactured/contrived jeopardy; - Major dramas being made out of minor issues; - Judges delivering pre-scripted witty lines as though they had just thought of them; - Judges pretending to be wowed and shocked by proceedings that they have already been briefed about; - Judges with an agenda; - Judges voicing "opinions" just to stand out; - Fancy fast vision editing, just because you can, but which means you struggle to actually see what's going on, and miss key bits of a performance; - Creating the impression that it's perfectly acceptable for audience members to sing along, heckle, shout, talk to each other during performances, clap mid-performance at the slightest thing, and start the final applause several seconds before the act has finished. It's not really any surprise that ratings for tv talent shows are in decline. Most people have long-since cottoned on to the formulaic production values and have tuned out bored. I've been watching some ancient New Faces from the 1970s which try to be what you describe and, apart from being a fascinating time capsule, it isn't very interesting.
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Post by nick on Jun 11, 2023 15:07:14 GMT
ID cards was the point of my reply. DWP is another discussion. Ah yes as you say another discussion. Historically the uk has been reluctant to introduce ID cards for reasons of personal freedom. That may change in the future. Personally I think we are sleepwalking into de facto ID cards mostly on our phones. But not for this thread perhaps.
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Post by nick on Jun 11, 2023 6:22:17 GMT
Ah well we’re not so keen on ID cards in the uk. Is that issued by a doctor? Ah you say “office” I guess using doctors letters? Our “office”, the DWP, has such a terrible reputation they really really wouldn’t be trusted to do it correctly.
Speaking on behalf of a nation is quite the presumption.
Speaking as someone who has dealt directly with the DWP on disability issues on two occasions. And has kept a keen interest on their comings and goings, they are a disgrace. People have committed suicide while trying to go through the PIP or DLA process and trying to jump the hurdles the DWP put in the way. My wife had a breakdown after 12 months of battling them. From “you deserve nothing” to an independent tribunals assessment that she should be awarded maximum for life (as it’s a lifelong condition). I will accept that things have slightly improved after a number of court cases but it’s not a good department.
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Post by nick on Jun 5, 2023 18:55:05 GMT
Thanks
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Post by nick on Jun 4, 2023 8:45:33 GMT
Here in Germany you get a special "ID" with your photo and some other data along with just how bad your disability is and to what kind of help this entitles you. For example, mine states that I have 70% hearing loss (which was once officially determined by the right office). I can book tickets for theatres, sports stuff etc with an Acccess discount and when you enter the venue, you need to show that ID to prove your entitlement. Well, theatres actually rarely check, but the football stadium ALWAYS demands proof (probably because it's more liable to being abused, dunno). When I applied for Access discounts in London, the German ID has always been accepted for proof too. Ah well we’re not so keen on ID cards in the uk. Is that issued by a doctor? Ah you say “office” I guess using doctors letters? Our “office”, the DWP, has such a terrible reputation they really really wouldn’t be trusted to do it correctly. There’s an interesting debate between personal freedom and stopping illegal/dubious activity. I fall on the personal freedom side myself. Been quite a conversation here recently with the new requirement for identification to vote.
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Post by nick on Jun 3, 2023 17:07:44 GMT
I think asking for proof may be discriminatory in law. The legal definition of disabled is " physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day- to-day activities." and it is perfectly possible to fit the bill without actually holding any proof.
How do you prove disability? Blue Badge? PIP or other benefit? Doctors letters? Not everyone has the first two and Doctors letters can be embarrassing and confidential.
I can't remember ever being asked by a theatre but then my wife turning up in a wheelchair usually gives it away.
The system is open to abuse. Just buy a wheelchair and enjoy the benefits. Not likely to happen.
On a related note, my wife has a fully trained official assistance dog and, again, it is discriminatory to ask for proof. So it is possible to buy an assistance dog coat for your pooch and swan in to Ikea (We wouldn't take him to the theatre - not fair on him).
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Post by nick on May 28, 2023 7:06:20 GMT
My wife is a wheelchair user (not full time thankfully) with a Blue Badge. Both her and my son are autistic. We feel quite lucky because things are so much better than they used to be.
I find that we put an awful lot of planning into trips to make them happen. Check out the theatre website for access details, usually check out Theatre Monkey site (as she needs to be seated looking to the left and not the right), phoning to book instead of booking online, checking out parking in the area, transporting the wheelchair and various cushions, arriving early for toilet trips and to reduce anxiety (for me as much as her!), checking how the chair will be looked after during the show (she usually transfers to a seat).
There cannot be spontaneity for theatre trips. Mind you that's probably true for most people these days.
On the other hand there are positives. The Blue Badge is such a boon - we used the tube for a while but it was a nightmare for a wheelchair. Now we can go in to London and usually park close by. Sometimes I can go for free as her carer. We often get to interact with staff and they're usually lovely people.
For us though theatre trips are special and exhausting. As young people we would go to the theatre perhaps every fortnight or so but that has changed. We really have to want to see the show to use our energy to arrange it.
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Post by nick on May 22, 2023 18:02:56 GMT
Thanks for the heads up londonmzfitz. 3 tickets booked for the July date. I missed out last time he toured here.
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Post by nick on May 15, 2023 6:11:23 GMT
Role cast. Probably announced in the coming week or so. Thanks. So it's me being a little impatient. Was ever so.
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Post by nick on May 14, 2023 15:40:35 GMT
So I'm still wondering who is playing the Julie Covington role, Dee.
10 weeks until it opens. I don't suppose they'll have started rehearsing yet but surely the major decisons have been taken? Perhaps somebody more knowledgable than me might have an idea?
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Post by nick on Apr 26, 2023 17:24:25 GMT
If there's a third season around 80s musicals, I would like to warmly invite you....Schmanadu 🤣🤣 Schmarlight Express Les Schmiserables Schmats Little Schmop of Horrors Schmonday in the Park with George The Schmantom of the Opera Schmiss Schmaigon Much as I like the last one, i think you win.
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Post by nick on Apr 21, 2023 10:42:50 GMT
And why not focus on the amazing play you’ve just seen and tell Jodie you enjoyed that. Going with a negative about something she finished work on a couple of years ago just seems rude. Reminds me of my Mum saying to me as a kid ‘If you can’t say anything nice then don’t say anything at all’ ! Yes your mum's perfectly correct. Mum's usually are.
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Post by nick on Apr 20, 2023 15:58:47 GMT
I'm not sure not liking the ending of Killing Eve is bad behaviour, maybe odd behaviour to tell Jodie Comer directly but since it happened at stage door and not during Prima Facie, I think it can get a free pass. I think i would say something like “Jodie you were brilliant and the best thing in Killing Eve. Shame the ending was disappointing” Just saying i didn’t like the ending feels a bit mean spirited imo. But then I’m a teacher and sweetening criticism is second nature.
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Post by nick on Apr 10, 2023 10:21:07 GMT
I think I'm inclined to put too much of a positive spin on things but I see a world that is trying to make us more comfortable - nice seats, able to take drinks in, relaxed performances for those who need them, facilities for the disabled etc. And this is a good thing.
Unfortunately this gives the more selfish in society space to take the p**s.
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Post by nick on Mar 26, 2023 14:17:55 GMT
Yes a phone is the last item to use to take discreet photos, with its big screen lighting up as you lift it and probably on automatic flash.
So locking away phones will only deter casual photographers but a stern warning would probably work almost as well as a deterrent.
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