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Post by caa on Mar 15, 2024 23:00:24 GMT
Any idea if this is going to Broadway?
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Post by caa on Dec 27, 2023 20:24:34 GMT
I saw the Out of Joint Macbeth at the old Arcola Theatre, in 2004. Danny Sapani played Macbeth. Monica Dolan's Lady M was based on an English woman called Emma McCune who married a warlord in Sudan. The production used different rooms in the venue before heading to the main stage, I recall that there was a real sense of place.
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Post by caa on Dec 15, 2023 18:29:37 GMT
Not in any rank order Sound of the underground La Cage aux folles Accidental Death of an Anarchist Sunset Boulevard Next to Normal A Streetcar Named Desire
Hon mention to Invisible Man at Unicorn and Guys & Dolls
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Post by caa on Nov 7, 2023 22:22:05 GMT
I have booked to see it but not been contacted.
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Post by caa on Nov 7, 2023 22:20:04 GMT
I’m going against the grain slightly here but I found the standing experience at the Donmar absolutely awful. I have sat through some truly dreadful shows in my time and stayed to the bitter end - but standing at the Donmar was the first and only time I have ever chosen to leave a show early. I just couldn’t see a thing. There is no distance at all between the seats in front and no added height either. So if you’ve got fidgety people in front of you or people who are even slightly taller than average, it’s a severely, severely restricted view. (I wouldn’t say I’m particularly short either!) I appreciate that people only ever really go for standing tickets when a production has sold out so I suppose in some cases any view is worth it if you really want to see the show. But my problem was that I could only hear the show - and that wasn’t enough for me! I have stood a couple of times and the my most recent experience matches this, I ended up wishing I had brought something to stand on, as the people's heads in front of me leaned forward leaving me with nothing to see.
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Post by caa on Nov 7, 2023 22:13:29 GMT
Saw the show yesterday Emma Louise Hoey was on as Lizzie instead of Lauren Drew, overall I'm glad I saw the show the audience appeared to enjoy it. But a lot of empty seats.
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Post by caa on Oct 9, 2023 20:07:39 GMT
Les Liaisons Dangereuses came down from the Swan to make its London premiere at the Pit. The Dead Monkey (Nick Darke) was another new play that I enjoyed at the Pit. Sorry but had to correct you Les Liaisons was produced at the Other Place a totally brilliant shed I remember seeing some great shows there.
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Post by caa on Jun 19, 2023 22:22:32 GMT
It was ok. After seeing patriots last week, during which I was engrossed throughout, I was hoping for more of the same. Unfortunately I found my mind wandering during a lot of this. The rest was all a bit meh. 2.5/5 Pretty much sums up my view, I thought it took a long time to get going
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Post by caa on Apr 22, 2023 20:51:44 GMT
I try and get to most productions at the National but haven't booked for this one waiting for the reviews
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Post by caa on Apr 17, 2023 16:57:23 GMT
The winners in full
Best new play Patriots by Peter Morgan, Almeida Theatre, London
Best musical
Oklahoma!, Young Vic, London
Best director
Lynette Linton for Blues for an Alabama Sky, National Theatre, London
Best actor
Giles Terera for Othello and Blues for an Alabama Sky at the National Theatre, London
Best actress
Patsy Ferran for A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre, London
Best Shakespearean performance
Arthur Hughes for Richard III, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
Best designer
Tom Pye for My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Centre
Most promising playwright
Tyrell Williams for Red Pitch, Bush Theatre, London
Most promising newcomer
Lizzie Annis for The Glass Menagerie, Duke of York’s Theatre, London
The Empty Space Peter Brook Award
New Diorama, London
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Post by caa on Apr 8, 2023 7:05:31 GMT
I would be grateful for any recommendations of individuals whose insights and perspectives you have found to be both enlightening and trustworthy. My go to reviewer is Susannah Clapp, I also rate Sam Marlowe. I always enjoyed reading Billington but found that his views on some productions could be different to my own.
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Post by caa on Mar 24, 2023 15:22:50 GMT
I used to do the stage door at the National Theatre in the 1980's back then there were only a couple of people getting autographs and it was great having a chat with the actors. I learnt that there were a few who it was probably best not to approach such as Frances de la Tour or Jessica Lange.
Over time certain performers became perhaps its best to describe as more rushed less than willing to engage in conversation. I guess this was linked to the emergence of people armed with 10x8 photos ready to sell. I more or less gave up unless it was a particular production that I liked. It's interesting seeing how things are changing at recent shows when I have been at the stage door selfies seem to be what people want but maybe not every performer would be willing to do that....
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167 posts
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Post by caa on Mar 19, 2023 10:14:56 GMT
I'd agree with the Door E side Sat in Gallery 1 Door E side and had a great view
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Post by caa on Mar 1, 2023 16:31:27 GMT
I was at the phoenix this week for Noises Off and the FOH areas could do with a bit of a spruce up. Could they have a quick refurb in mind for the summer, especially if they are hoping Stranger Things lasts a while? It also needs more loos (as do most WE theatres)
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Post by caa on Feb 22, 2023 8:18:19 GMT
I cottoned on pretty quickly that the play's device was so full of logical holes, that it was necessary not to question it but to indulge this ultimate constraint on free speech, to see what the exploration revealed about the human condition. Unlike Nick Payne's very different Constellations, to which Five Lemons has been compared, the answer is not very much. We are very much in emperor's-new-clothes territory, and I'm sure there will be much pseudo-intellectual discourse venerating the quality of the cloth. The creatives involved have presumably recognised there is something awry, as the running time has been chopped to precisely 80 minutes. I was grateful it was not longer, but I did wonder what was in the excised 15 minutes. Aidan Turner is the better and more believable of the two performers, but, from my front-row-stalls vantage point, I was not buying the chemistry between the two characters. I think this was down to direction. They barely ever touch. Maybe that was the point, but, if so, they not only inhabit an unrecognisable world, their behaviour, as a romantically-involved couple, is entirely unrelatable too. Meanwhile, a giant, rear, curved wall of shelving units, stuffed with household paraphernalia and replete with flashing strip lighting, gives way in the final third to kitchen utensils et al suspended in the air. If there were an award for most pretentious set design, this would be a contender. Heaven knows what it was meant to signify. Strictly for die-hard fans of the stars only. Two stars. One act: 19:48-21:08 I’m pretty sure the set is supposed to suggest, ya know- their lives. Crazy huh? I enjoyed it but only for the performances. It’s a very slight play- and one that doesn’t even fully explore its intriguing set up. Aiden turner is truly terrific though. Funny, adorable, hot. Jenna Coleman is very good too. I agree though that their lack of warmth with each other- tenderness etc is a real problem. It all feels like an exercise in Acting rather than being absorbing or moving. Agree with both comments I do think it feels exposed for what it is in the Harold Pinter, its not the worst play I have seen but it doesn't really go anywhere
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Post by caa on Feb 1, 2023 19:29:26 GMT
Completely sold out! I got a £100 ticket, so I'm now questioning my life choices. This show better be worth it. Any chance that National Theatre Live will be film it?
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Post by caa on Jan 18, 2023 19:39:34 GMT
I wonder if its getting to a point when the Globe will stage a musical
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Post by caa on Dec 20, 2022 14:02:05 GMT
Just had an email saying that tonights show is cancelled
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Post by caa on Dec 8, 2022 15:50:35 GMT
As usual some very odd nominations and omissions
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Post by caa on Nov 9, 2022 13:56:17 GMT
FYI for those who booked Row A at the Duke of York’s, the stage is very high. I’m 5ft11 and struggled to see stuff at the back of the stage. While still reasonable value at £15, I’m surprised there isn’t a warning when booking as if you’re less than 5ft6 you’ll struggle to see anything. Sat in the front row a few days ago and although I could see the actors did feel that it ruined the experience and was by far one of worst seats I have ever experienced and I'm including being sat behind a pillar at the Wanamaker! The stage was way higher than I expected I spoke to the the box office who said there is a warning and I could pay for an upgrade. But really charging people £15 for such a bad seat takes some cheek.
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Post by caa on May 10, 2022 19:56:11 GMT
It will be interesting to see what reviews are like. In my opinion, its probably the worst show I have ever seen at the National and I have sat through some stinkers!
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Post by caa on May 5, 2022 7:00:46 GMT
I went yesterday, thanks to people who told me about Troy, with a little bit of luck I found Troy quite quickly getting there early. I saw the arrival of the Greeks and the death of a Trojan princess. Troy as others have said is full I detail. I followed one character through a wardrobe which was fun and reminded me of other Punchdrunk shows. If anything Troy is full of rooms but sadly not much action not many characters in the rooms, I would say that I spent most of the evening in Troy.
In Troy is the bar and the bar acts as good spot to recharge and as I discovered is quite easy to get to Mycenae, I noticed that the bar got very busy which I think says much about the show. In Myceanae, I saw the marriage and death of Iphigenia and some other scenes, I really liked her bedroom which was full of detail. Myceanae isn't as good as Troy in detail (it has scale) but did seem to have more going on at least in terms of Greek drama. But where is the House of Aegisthus?
As I left I asked one of the staff, is that all? I guess I meant after spending almost three hours it didn't feel that I had really understood the production. Its not a play, the actors don't speak, things are repeated so that its possible to see the same scene repeated. But as its unclear who they are I guess my feelings are it was good, but as someone who booked when the tickets first went on sale (I feel that paid too much) I should have waited, and got a Time Out ticket. Don't get me wrong its good in places, but they really need to bring more of it to life as so many areas are dead spaces. A tip to those in Troy there is a map of Troy on one of the walls and I found a guide map in one of the rooms.
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Post by caa on Apr 11, 2022 14:32:05 GMT
I'm glad for the award winners, but I must admit to feeling so what!
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Post by caa on Apr 8, 2022 7:51:33 GMT
This reminds me why I find going to a Punkdrunk show rather annoying, any advice on how to find Troy?
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Post by caa on Mar 1, 2022 14:33:31 GMT
On the plus side great cast and was over before 9pm. I thought that despite the multi views that it could have gone into more on the consequences of Pierre's actions such as his speech in support for big pharma leaving him open to further plot lines. The only down side for me was that the female characters seemed under used.
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Post by caa on Feb 3, 2022 15:29:05 GMT
It made me think how interesting an immersive production would be if it didn't have the bells and whistles of a "star" cast. Like imagine it in a small, intimate off-west-end venue, where you really feel like you're in the Kit Kat Club. No flowing champagne or premium spirits. Just cheap drinks and worn-out decor. Interesting I have thought the same thing but if anything this production made me realise that the many of key moments don't happen in the Kit Kat club but in boarding house
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Post by caa on Jan 27, 2022 19:18:53 GMT
Finally saw Cabaret a few nights ago, nothing much to add to the positive comments apart from saying the queue for the ladies toilets was the worst I have ever seen.
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Post by caa on Jan 12, 2022 17:28:47 GMT
Also saw it last night and thought it was fantastic, I had a £10 seat on the front row.
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Post by caa on Jan 12, 2022 17:22:15 GMT
I saw Hex last week and really can't believe that its returning it will take a miracle to rescue it! I really have no intention to see it again. The funny thing is I remember it at the Young Vic years ago before it was turned into a musical and quite enjoyed it.
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Post by caa on Sept 16, 2021 20:24:11 GMT
Sorry they’re not doing that version of Antigone they had planned before they closed. I also wonder what is happening with Sammy?
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