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Post by jamb0r on Mar 3, 2023 12:42:47 GMT
Caught this again last night for my second visit, this time from the £20 seats right at the front (if anyone is looking for those, even though they were all showing as sold out for every remaining date when I checked last week they put some on sale during the Friday rush last week). It was amazing to get a different perspective - seeing from the circle gives you an overview of the amazing choreography but definitely felt more emotionally connected to the characters sitting right at the front.
This show has now firmly secured itself in my top 10 favourite musicals!
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614 posts
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Post by jamb0r on Feb 18, 2023 13:07:43 GMT
This event has already happened a couple of times. You can see videos of what to expect by looking up @musicaltheatreraves on TikTok
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614 posts
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Post by jamb0r on Feb 14, 2023 12:03:44 GMT
Surprised at 4 stars from the Standard and Stage. Thought it was easily bagging 5 stars! Aside from posters on this board (and a couple of critics), I haven't heard much praise for this show. You were at the same performance as me. Surely you saw and heard the audience reaction at the end? It was deafening from where I was sat! Do you not count that as 'praise'? Also I know nothing about Sheffield and thought the 'references' were easy enough to 'get' - they're not complicated and are few and far between. The characters, themes and stories are pretty universal. (5 stars just published by BroadwayWorld)
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Post by jamb0r on Feb 13, 2023 12:51:23 GMT
Can anyone who's seen this advice which row would be good to book? Am looking at either 3rd or 4th row in the stalls. Also I've noticed that ticket prices seem to be higher for certain sides of the stage––anyone know why this might be? As the theatre's in the round, I expected that it wouldn't matter which side I booked for This was well played to all 4 sides so I don't think there's really a bad view anywhere. There is 1 set piece on the stage which consists of a wall which is a few feet tall. This is in the corner of the stage which is nearest where seats A1 and A40 are (for anyone that saw As You Like It its the same place where the piano was). I am not sure if this would block any of the action, but you might want to look at sitting the opposite side. I was sat int he first balcony and the view from there was perfect. Also a couple of points that might be worth considering if looking to sit in the stalls: {Spoiler - click to view} 3 of the cast spend the majority of the show sat in regular seats amongst the audience, where they will have spotlights on them and stand and interact with the cast on stage. I personally was glad I wasn't sat next to them because they were projecting loudly and those sat around them were also in the spotlight. The seats that these 3 cast members sat in during the first performance were in the areas around: B5, A18 and E31. Also there is a rain effect for the last 10 minutes or so - it was quite heavy and I don't think those in the front row of the stalls got wet but I am not 100% certain. Oh and there were no programmes at the first performance. If anyone goes sometime soon and can report back if they have any in I would appreciate it, as I'd like to pick one up
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614 posts
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Post by jamb0r on Feb 11, 2023 23:33:09 GMT
Jodie Comer had the Olivier award in the bag but I’m not so sure after seeing Sophie Okonedo in this They won't be in the same year. Jodie will qualify for this year's awards and Sophie next year's. Olivier awards cut off is late Feb isn’t it? Opening night for this is on the 17th. Cut off for Oliviers last year was 22nd.
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614 posts
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Post by jamb0r on Feb 11, 2023 18:11:27 GMT
Well this was the second night in a row that I attended a first preview and had an amazing evening (with seeing Standing at the Sky’s Edge the night before). I was sure Jodie Comer had the Olivier award in the bag but I’m not so sure after seeing Sophie Okonedo in this - she was captivating and pretty terrifying and could be a serious contender. Excellent performances all round including Ben Daniels playing multiple roles expertly. I thought the 2 child actors also did an excellent job too in what are pretty harrowing parts. Very simple but effective staging. {Spoiler - click to view} I'm wishing I'd bought shares in whatever company is currently supplying the rain effects to everyone at the moment! It seems like every other play I see at the moment has rain in it! They’re offering £20 day seats in person at the box office for previews from 11am each day (not sure if they’ll be doing them after opening night too). I was first in the queue (arriving at 9:45) and got decent seats in the front row of the first balcony. There was about 10 people in the queue when the box office opened.
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Post by jamb0r on Feb 9, 2023 22:40:36 GMT
Was also there tonight and had a great £10 Friday Rush seat.
This was just WONDERFUL. I loved every second of it and didn’t want it to end! I feel like I could watch an entire series following the lives of these characters, they were so beautifully crafted.
Everything else about it (casting, lighting, performances) was just perfect for me and it filled the Olivier stage very well.
Can’t wait for a return visit already! 5 stars.
(I’ve just googled and found that Sainsburys stock Henderson’s Relish. Will definitely be looking out for it on my shop!)
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Post by jamb0r on Feb 6, 2023 12:30:13 GMT
Just checked and there's still loads of availability of the on stage seats for the West End run too.
Not sure why I decided to book on stage but couldn't resist. I've been listening to the audiobook the last couple of months and it is really, really grim! Are we going to need waterproof ponchos? I don't want my nice boots getting covered in blood.
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Post by jamb0r on Feb 6, 2023 12:18:57 GMT
Totally forgot about the on stage ticket release, so joined the queue late and was queue number 950 for getting tickets for Richmond. Took 10 minutes to get to the front and pretty much all of the on stage seating was still available? Not sure what was going on there! Easily got a front row £25 seat.
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Post by jamb0r on Feb 4, 2023 21:52:25 GMT
Had been weighing up whether to see this because I love Reece, Steven and Mark but abhor Frances’s opinions. Decided the best thing to do is the same thing I did when I won the Harry Potter lottery recently and go for it but also donate the cost of my ticket to a trans charity.
Glad I decided to do it (and was able to separate the art from the artist for a couple of hours) as I really enjoyed it! Maybe not quite as many belly laughs as others around me, but I was entertained throughout and thought Reece in particular was excellent.
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Post by jamb0r on Jan 31, 2023 11:21:28 GMT
I was there last night and left just thinking it was...fine.
I saw one of the few full performances in the previous run so I mostly knew what to expect. One of the main things that I loved compared to the previous run was the use of projections, I thought they really worked well for this. The choreography and performances were all also excellent. There are maybe 2 great standout numbers, but for the rest of it I just felt a bit bored? As has been mentioned before the pacing is totally off. It feels like nothing really happens in the plot for ages, then all of a sudden a hundred things happen at once. It's also not doing itself any favours by being so obviously 'inspired' by Hamilton that it's impossible not to compare the two throughout.
I was in the middle of the front row of the first circle and struggled to hear a lot of lyrics in the group numbers. Churchill's Mum's number in the first act I guess was hilarious based on the audience reaction but I couldn't tell you a single lyric that was sung.
It's still far too long, ran at about 2hr 50 last night. I can't see how they are going to cut anything else at this stage though if they've been worshipping it for this long and haven't been able to up until now.
Definitely feel like I got my £10 worth seeing those performances (especially Beverley), but I won't be rushing back. There was a full standing ovation at the end and the audience seemed to love it however.
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Post by jamb0r on Jan 25, 2023 23:50:21 GMT
What’s the reason they are giving for last night’s cancellation and tonight’s abandoned performance? Tonight we were just told ‘circumstances beyond our control’ We had a few covers on (including Mandela) but everything seemed to go fine in the first half
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Post by jamb0r on Jan 25, 2023 21:24:21 GMT
Well we only got act 1 tonight before it was cancelled. I was quite relieved because I was considering leaving at the interval anyway (which I NEVER do), at least now I guess I’ll get some money back!
I loved some of the harmonies in the big ensemble numbers but that was about it. The book, set and choreography were truly awful.
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614 posts
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Post by jamb0r on Jan 20, 2023 22:53:45 GMT
Looks like this is one of those rare shows that doesn't offer any kind of day seats/rush/lottery? Unless I'm missing something somewhere?
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614 posts
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Post by jamb0r on Jan 5, 2023 23:26:54 GMT
I also loved it! Maybe not 5 stars, but I belly laughed from start to finish
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Post by jamb0r on Dec 14, 2022 15:25:45 GMT
Well at least I’m on theme…
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Post by jamb0r on Dec 12, 2022 18:21:10 GMT
88 visits for me so far this year. The 5 I enjoyed the most:
Cruise Tammy Faye The P Word Jerusalem Moulin Rouge
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614 posts
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Post by jamb0r on Dec 12, 2022 13:03:01 GMT
I'm glad people were able to buy their 4th ticket, my first was dropped from my basket as it's all crashed. There was loads of availability for every date I was looking at just before it crashed. I would say most performances had at least 80% of tickets still available.
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Post by jamb0r on Dec 12, 2022 12:51:14 GMT
Am I right that the PwC tickets aren't on sale for a while yet? Finally through the queue but am not a huge fan of the Old Vic's prices so might try my luck with getting a £10 ticket! They go on sale 5 weeks before performances start. Sign up to their mailing list and you'll get a notification a week before they go on sale
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Post by jamb0r on Dec 12, 2022 12:38:55 GMT
I think the OV's payment system has fallen over! Yep, looks like the website has crashed just as I was making my 4th booking! Also loving the new Old Vic loyalty scheme, as I was making my third transaction (for closing night) it told me I had enough points for the ticket to be totally free! Very happy with that!
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Post by jamb0r on Dec 3, 2022 11:36:42 GMT
Absolutely adored this! For the first 5 or 10 minutes I thought it would going to be a bit of a slow slog, but then I fell in love with every single character and ended up finding myself sobbing at the sound of the pay phone ringing towards the end!
My 70 something year old musician parents adored it too, commenting continually on the talent of the performers. Being able to pick up a trumpet from complete cold and perfectly play a solo for example
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Post by jamb0r on Nov 24, 2022 14:08:40 GMT
Extra, final week now on sale 2nd - 7th Jan Thanks for this! Been checking regularly for a reasonably priced return but no luck. Managed to get something suitable in this new week!
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Post by jamb0r on Nov 24, 2022 10:25:14 GMT
In all the years I've been booking through this sale I don't think it's ever gone smoothly once. Managed to book some seats for Newsies on the date I wanted after trying for about 20 minutes. I don't know why they don't just put the Queue-IT system in place right from the start
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Post by jamb0r on Nov 19, 2022 8:34:51 GMT
So glad they’ve finally released a recording, I’ve had a few songs stuck in my head since seeing the show twice that I’ve been desperate to listen to again. I wasn’t expecting them to release a recording of the entire show (instead of just the songs) which was a nice surprise.
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Post by jamb0r on Nov 13, 2022 10:18:01 GMT
A wonderful first preview last night! The cast were all absolutely perfect and Owen Teale did an excellent job. Out of the 4 scrooges I’ve seen I thought his difference between angry and happy Scrooge is probably one of the most pronounced which heightened his performance. Tiny Tim was wonderful too! (Sorry I’m not sure of the actors name as there are no photos on the website).
It ran a bit short last night - advertised as 2 hours 25, but we were out in 2 hours 10. It didn’t feel like anything was missing or it was running too fast so not sure how that happened!
I was lucky enough to get the group of 6 seats in the front row on the side of the stage for my family which made the whole experience more magical, and the bargain of the century for £10 each!
So glad this show is back! It never fails to cheer me up and get in the Christmas spirit. I wanted to get home and put up my tree immediately!
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Post by jamb0r on Oct 25, 2022 21:21:08 GMT
There have been tickets regularly appearing for sale on the Almeida website a few hours before each show. I got a ticket for the Saturday matinee at about 10:30am. It’s worth checking it regularly throughout the day to avoid having to queue for a return.
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Post by jamb0r on Oct 22, 2022 21:08:03 GMT
This afternoon no-one clapped along to See You In Heaven - or really responded as if it was bows - until the cast started clapping the beat. I don’t think people quite realised that it was meant to be a bows number. The cast looked a bit disconcerted at the silence - there was clear relief on their faces when the audience stood right at the end. I am not sure that a bows number that is not a reprise works - I wanted to listen to and take in the song, which you can’t do when you are applauding bows. I was there this afternoon too and this felt SUPER awkward. You could really see the confusion on the casts face (especially Andrew and Katie) as to why no one was clapping. Other than that this was 5 stars for me too. The finalé number of act 1 surely had to earn Katie the Olivier on its own! She’s just incredible. Glad I’ve got a ticket for a return visit in a few weeks!
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Post by jamb0r on Oct 19, 2022 9:13:01 GMT
For anyone trying for day seats a couple of tips after my successful purchase this morning: If a date is sold out it doesn't allow you to click on the link for that date to see the actual seat map (the link will just say 'sold out'). This means that by the time the day seats become available by the time you've waited for the link to work the seats might all be gone. To get around this check regularly a few days in advance for the date that you are after, as sometimes single returned seats pop up which then enable the seat map to be seen, and you can save the URL/address of that page. Then on the actual day you can just go straight to the URL of the page even if the button for that date is showing as 'sold out' I kept clicking the 'refresh' button on the page (not using my browser's refresh button) every second since 9:55am, and the front row became available for purchase for £25 at 9:57 (Thank you Mark for your tip that they became available early when you were trying!). So definitely don't wait until 10am to try! EDIT: To go along with my first point, on the calendar tonight is showing as 'sold out' so you can't click on the link to see the seat plan, however if you go directly to the link to to today's performance you can see there are still some day seats left for tonight which I am presuming haven't been sold because most people can't access the actual page while the link on the calendar is showing as 'sold out'
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Post by jamb0r on Oct 16, 2022 6:41:48 GMT
What Rush seats for this are like? Anything at the front? Saw it back at Almeida, i think i would love to revisit and invite a friend, just looking for the better view for lesser price. I got Royal Circle row F on Friday. The view was great (didn’t feel too distant), the only restriction was I couldn’t see the drummer at the top of the stage
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Post by jamb0r on Oct 15, 2022 14:47:44 GMT
Going tonight - front row dayseat. Would you mind sharing any tips for getting the day seats? I’ve tried a couple of times this week but been unsuccessful. When I click on ‘check dates & book’ on the Barbican website the date has still shown as ‘sold out’ for a good few minutes after 10am (even with constant refreshing of the page) then eventually it turns into a clickable button but by the time I get in at about 10:06 there’s no day seats available, and even checking back regularly over the next 10 minutes they don’t show up. What time did the seats show up for you today? Am I doing something wrong? Or are they just selling out instantly? Thanks!
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