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Post by stevejohnson678 on Oct 27, 2023 17:54:42 GMT
There’s no announced start date for this yet, is there? 8 June.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Oct 25, 2023 10:02:19 GMT
Back in Manchester in 2024. Just had an email to sign up for the pre sale.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Oct 25, 2023 8:42:01 GMT
Doesn't seem to be much exclusive about that, other than they're charging more than if you book direct with The Other Palace.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Oct 24, 2023 16:04:53 GMT
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Oct 14, 2023 11:22:16 GMT
Merely pointing out where you didn’t take the time to read 😉 Oh, I read the diatribe. As I've read many of the positive reviews of the show from press night. I also saw it for myself and thoroughly enjoyed it - at a packed out Criterion - last weekend. It's a unique addition to the West End that I found thoroughly charming and entertaining. It's interesting the cast ask the audience and any reviewers present not to share what happens in the final scene of the show so as not to spoil the surprise for future audience members. Every review I've read has respected that. It's a shame that you couldn't.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Oct 14, 2023 7:56:43 GMT
@ stevejohnson678 “Such scathing views on a cast you haven't seen in action” You clearly didn’t take the time to actually read the thread. There was a blow by blow review of the show and everything that is wrong with it. The abysmal ticket sales is the ultimate barometer. The show is a commercial flop and with the current audience apathy is sadly on life support. You're completely obsessed with this show aren't you? 😂
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Oct 13, 2023 14:49:53 GMT
Snazzy new trailer!
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Oct 13, 2023 9:00:53 GMT
Tickets already on sale in londontheatredirect! £25-£152 Correction: most look like £31-£212 Post-preview prices on London Theatre Direct are ridiculous. Looking at a Saturday in mid-November and it's over £100 for the entire stalls from Row V forwards, excluding two seats at the ends of each row on either side (and even those seats are £82).
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Oct 6, 2023 11:09:28 GMT
Hefty discount for opening night in Manchester for ATG+ members. Now that's what I call a bargain!
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Oct 3, 2023 12:05:00 GMT
Side stalls not on sale yet. Still looks to be pretty good availability on lots of dates, especially in the circle.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Oct 2, 2023 19:13:55 GMT
Lucy Munden on as Natalie both shows Saturday and again tonight.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 27, 2023 21:20:51 GMT
I take issue, however, with his attempt at this low quality money grab and replacing skilled magicians with generic low cost actors and musicians. The outcome speaks for itself. Such scathing views on a cast you haven't seen in action and were clearly desperate to see fail before they'd even taken to the stage. Yet here in the same reviews you've cherrypicked comments from, which often misrepresent the review as a whole, the people who've actually seen the show say things like: "They’re brilliant actors. They’re brilliant musicians. They’ve learned to do these tricks brilliantly." - Timeout "There are wonderful performances from many of the cast.... There is clearly an incredible amount of talent" - Broadway World "Technically, Brown, O’Connor and Nyman’s multimedia staging is impressive, and the cast sell it for all it’s worth." - WhatsOnStage Hannah Price in particular is lauded with praise for what The Guardian, for example, calls her "showstopping routine". I imagine the cast are pretty chuffed with reviews that consistently praise their talent and showmanship. Here's to them having a long and successful run at the Criterion.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 27, 2023 16:36:57 GMT
The fact that each and every one is 3 stars speaks volumes ... everything else is nothing but politeness on the part of the authors who would have been far more direct if not for Derren's involvement. It's only a matter of time now until the show closes.
The Times - 3 stars "Derren Brown goes missing in his own magic show ... as a troupe of actors and musicians lead us through a series of routines that are agreeable enough but ultimately leave you feeling you have just watched a cruise show entertainment rather than a fully fledged West End spectacle." TimeOut - 3 stars "Seven actors try to pass themselves off as magicians in this uneven high-concept show ...Instead, the cast of seven plays instruments, does some magic and trots out vague patter about how we’re all actually magicians performing a trick by presenting to the world the person we want to be – polished outsides vs messy insides ... That’s the justification for the show’s biggest illusion, in that none of the seven-strong cast is actually a magician." CityAM - 3 stars "Good ideas, underpowered show. ... The problem is that Unbelievable never feels particularly special or surprising. Brown has a couple of good ideas that I’d love to see in a show with more teeth, bigger stunts and, most importantly, an appearance by the man himself." Guardian - 3 stars "I’m not sure the show is the bold leap forward for magic that its creators – Brown’s longtime collaborators Andrew O’Connor and Andy Nyman, and Colchester’s Mercury theatre – would have us believe. He also has a relationship with his audience (whereas Unbelievable’s cast stay largely anonymous and undifferentiated) ... whereas the emotional climax to tonight’s show doesn’t really fly." You're still at it. 😂 You hate Derren Brown. I get it. But your bias is utterly transparent. You can wish it to close all you want but the show hasn't had bad reviews at all. It doesn't matter how many reviews you cherry pick the only few lines of criticisms from in among lots of positive assessments of the show. And claiming every review is three stars is an outright lie. Reviews Hub 4 stars West End Best Friend 4 stars LondonTheatre1 4 stars Theatre Weekly 5 stars Not a single review less than three stars so far? I assume there mustn't be or you'd have been sure to tell us about it. 😉
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 27, 2023 11:17:56 GMT
Reviews - as predicted - are not overwhelmingly positive The Stage - 3 stars "mildy diverting but bland ... less unbelievable, more underwhelming." WhatsonStage - 3 stars "The lack of real substance would perhaps be less obvious if the whole thing was shorter and sharper, or if it wasn’t performed in a traditional proscenium arch theatre. BroadwayWorld - 3 stars "Perhaps the issue is that Derren Brown has set his own bar so high that expectations of his new material are unachievable ... the absense of Brown himself makes the production feel a bit disjointed and therefore lacks some of the wow-factor of his previous shows." AllThatDazzles - 3 Stars "The direction from Derren Brown, Andy Nyman and Andrew O’Connor was a bit of a mixed affair. While it led to some great moments, there was a bit of a pacing problem throughout others and a real overwhelming lack of consistency across the entire show ... However, at times not all of these ideas paid off as seamlessly as hoped, leaving a show that can be wildly inconsistent. That’s not to say any element of Unbelievable isn’t enjoyable, it’s just underwhelming in certain moments." You seem to really have it in for this show? There's lots of praise for Unbelievable in these reviews and others but you've chosen to highlight just the negative. Whatsonstage, for example, describe it as "a breath of fresh air in the West End" and say that Derren Brown isn't missed, the cast are so engaging. Not that you'd know that from the cherry picked criticisms of the show you've carefully curated for us!
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 25, 2023 21:42:34 GMT
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 22, 2023 10:50:52 GMT
Despite knowing this is a cult hit off Broadway, and reading the positive reviews for its London dates, I went to this curious as to what was in store but with pretty low expectations.
I definitely didn't anticipate much in way of a set, considering its tour stops are mostly only one or two nights. As the safety curtain went up at the Blackpool Grand Theatre though, the first pleasant surprise of the evening was to see that it was far from the fairly bare stage I'd been anticipating. There were even a few 'wow's from around the audience! That might be getting a bit carried away but the set did look good and contained a few hidden surprises.
From the opening number, about how nothing strange ever happens in Hawkins, I loved this show. You certainly have to be familiar with Stranger Things, there's little attempt to explain who characters are for anyone unfamiliar, but for fans of the series there's lots to enjoy here.
Plenty of laughs, a solid score, with a terrific multi-roling cast who, with costume and wig changes galore, bring the array of characters in Hawkins to life! Anna Amelie who plays Eleven, Nancy and Robin is the standout member of the company but all of the cast play their part in this parody remake, meticulously mirroring and emphasising their on-screen counterparts' unique mannerisms.
The action is focused on season one but there's a few knowing nods to later seasons and plenty of references to the Eighties and musicals more generally. Hearing the Inspector Gadget theme music during the interval was a bonus! That went some way to making up for the interval being a random 30 minutes long, not due to technical issues, that's just what it is for this show apparently.
As an affectionate send-up of, and zany homage to, Hawkins and The Upside Down, this is high-energy fun that's far better than it has any right to be! If you've always wanted to see a dancing demogorgon live on stage, then it's time to let the tendrils of Stranger Sings reel you in!
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 22, 2023 8:04:03 GMT
Ahead of today's cover run, Lucy Munden made her debut as Natalie last night.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 20, 2023 14:09:32 GMT
Heads up to anyone planning on heading into the West End on 4 or 6 October that tube strikes have been announced for both days by the RMT Union.
The 4 October date, which is a Wednesday, coincides with a rail strike by drivers in the national rail dispute.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 19, 2023 13:49:12 GMT
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 18, 2023 11:46:57 GMT
Excited to see this. The first in-house production for the theatre's new leaseholders.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 17, 2023 8:57:11 GMT
There's 15% off tickets for all performances at the Park Theatre from 4-20 December using the code TIMETOBOOK. The offer runs until 30 September.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 15, 2023 19:38:37 GMT
No more major in-house musical productions after the current season are likely to be staged at Hope Mill. They're looking to coproduce and stage musicals elsewhere at larger venues. One touring production per year is mentioned as an additional target. Overall, it sounds like their ambitions for future work have outgrown what's viable and sustainable for the current space. The existing venue will remain but the focus will be on its community programme, receiving productions, workshopping new shows and hosting events such as weddings.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 14, 2023 20:56:27 GMT
I'm trying to remember what the musical was that ran a year or 2 ago at this theatre and delayed press night again and again and then shut pretty quickly. I'm sure it was a biopic. Dusty?!
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 13, 2023 22:05:15 GMT
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 9, 2023 18:51:47 GMT
Saw Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group's Jesus Christ Superstar at the Church Hill Theatre last night and absolutely loved it, production values were fantastic, easily one of the best amateur shows I've seen. This production has caught some attention for casting a non-binary Jesus and a female Judas, both of which were fantastic performers and really embodied their roles. Will keep an eye out for future EUSOG shows. Fresh from their sellout run of A Chorus Line at the Fringe, EUSOG have announced they're doing Little Shop of Horrors at the Church Hill Theatre in Edinburgh from 23-27 January 2024. Seriously considering heading up there to see it. I'd like a bonus visit to Edinburgh outside the festival and I'd love to see what EUSOG do with Little Shop of Horrors.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 9, 2023 17:35:28 GMT
Pretty much lost for words after watching Next to Normal this afternoon. What an absolutely stunning, gut wrenching piece of theatre.
Can someone just give Eleanor Worthington Cox the Olivier for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical right now?!
Happy for Jack Wolfe to get the Best Actor in a Supporting Role while you're at it. 😀
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 8, 2023 21:59:41 GMT
Didn't really know what to expect from this at all but, wow, this was pretty darn incredible at Hope Mill this evening!
First up, the auditorium at the Hope Mill is now air conditioned! Much needed on a sweltering day like today.
The set for this isn't going to win any awards, despite the eye-catching spectacle of an axe spinning on an illuminated gramophone as the audience take their seats. The lighting is gorgeous though. The premise of the show is quite fascinating, based on the true story of Lizzie Borden who was accused of the murder of her father and stepmother.
The punk rock score is terrific but it's the cast of four who really make this show soar. I don't think the Hope Mill could have assembled a better quartet! The talent and vocals on that (somewhat creaky!) stage is pretty darn special and the chemistry between them electric.
Mairi Barclay gives the standout performance for me as Bridget, the maid. Mairi's stage presence is off the scale and she has great comic timing to go with the killer vocals! She also gets to lead the show's most anthemic number, The House of Borden.
The thrilling choreography is a treat to behold, especially close up in an intimate setting like the Hope Mill.
Sung through apart from a few brief snatches of dialogue, the show runs at one hour 40 minutes including an interval. It would be better straight through, I think. But there's little doubt that Hope Mill (and soon Southwark Playhouse) have a potential cult hit on their hands here. Colour me obsessed.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 6, 2023 17:05:32 GMT
This 'wild' fortnight of theatre news has hardly got off to an exciting start! Presumably several big announcements are coming in the next ten days or so.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Sept 4, 2023 17:14:40 GMT
Made it through a week of not spending too much on theatre after two and a half weeks at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Then the reviews for this came rolling in...
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Aug 30, 2023 18:05:16 GMT
Just like Bonnie and Clyde, this has been moved from the Opera House in Manchester to the Palace Theatre due to "scheduling conflicts".
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