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Post by schuttep on Oct 21, 2021 9:50:45 GMT
As for the misery threshold... I like theatre that makes me sad, because I'd rather be sad in a theatre than for real (I find it kind of therapeutic, I think), so I am OK with that. I like to think that my sad feelings at a theatre show are just as real as the ones I have (thankfully infrequently) felt from my own existence. That's why I'm OK with really feeling sad in the theatre - I'm sad for others, not me. What If If Only is a classic Caryl Churchill play using her alternative realities and word repetition method. Although the play is short, it packs a punch and you don't at all feel as though it's been short. The playtext contains another - even shorter - play in 2 parts called Air. It's a shame they couldn't have included that in the programme, too. I'm a huge fan. More revivals of CC plays, please. And more plays, Ms Churchill, please.
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Post by schuttep on Oct 14, 2021 11:17:59 GMT
Wow, there are some really opinionated, forceful, intelligent, gobby, ego-led people on these lists that I would love to hear have a meal, but not actually be a guest myself. I can envisage great food fights!
My list might be a bit tame: Harriet Walter Eileen Atkins Helen Mirren Julie Walters. A quartet of Dames.
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Post by schuttep on Oct 14, 2021 11:04:18 GMT
Scarpia - sorry I've taken so long to respond, but I've been on holiday (yippee!)
The theatre was full. People were being good about masks, though, even though no-one actually has to wear one now.
This play is arguably a different demographic to those where "bad behaviour" can occur.
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Post by schuttep on Sept 19, 2021 19:18:42 GMT
I love this play and have seen it several times including the Young Vic Gillian Anderson - continuously revolving stage - production.
"I have always...on the....of strangers. Enough said.
Would welcome another one.
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Post by schuttep on Sept 17, 2021 10:25:40 GMT
I saw this yesterday. What an amazing play. Highly recommended in a West End concentrating on re-commencing musicals.
As has been said, not TS's usual intellectualised content but quite complex family relationships played out over 56 years by the same cast can be confusing; but even without a programme, everything did seem to fall into place.
Listen out for a cracking joke about a business man wanting to smoke a cigar being mistaken for the mohel attending to conduct a circumcision.
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Post by schuttep on Sept 17, 2021 10:17:07 GMT
As this is an Alan Bennett play I've never seen, I'm very much looking forward to see it on its final Sunday matinee outing.
And the positive comments here are making me salivate even more!
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Post by schuttep on Sept 17, 2021 10:13:48 GMT
Booked Scandaltown and Patrick Marber's Closer as I've never seen it.
I would have booked Britannicus too, which I've seen once before, as it was 3 for 2 but Scandaltown was much cheaper than the others and I didn't want to pay 2 at the higher price to see a play I wouldn't otherwise have seen.
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Post by schuttep on Aug 13, 2021 9:02:15 GMT
It ran for 168 performances at the New London (now Noel Coward Theatre) in 1970 and they even made a cast recording Sorry to be pedantic but the theatre was called the New Theatre before the Albery (1973) and Noël Coward (2006). The New London Theatre (now the Gillian Lynne) opened 1973 but is a different theatre. Ive seen 1776 only once in 1998 at the Gershwin Theatre on Broadway. 1970 was just before even my lengthy theatre-going lifetime! I figured I may never see it in London so seized the chance to see it in NY and I was really pleased I did. The outstanding moment was at the end of the first act when the actors reproduced on stage the famous John Trumbull painting Declaration of Independence. Utter magic.
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Post by schuttep on Jul 30, 2021 10:22:52 GMT
Well, there's a surprise. The form you provided a link to will not accept my telephone number. I've tried every combination, even that suggested by the site itself and also including their drop-down listed numbers of mine. None of them are acceptable to the form. So, I can't complete the form to get a refund! And ATG wonder why they upset customers!
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Post by schuttep on Jul 10, 2021 13:02:44 GMT
This was my 4th HDs after Felicity Kendall, Fiona Shaw and Juliet Stephenson.
But I just knew Lisa Dwan would be amazing, and she was. Great set, but, like others, i was disappointed at the lack of a rake in the auditorium. Still the seats were spaced and the stage high enough for everyone to be able to see.
I'm assuming though, that the seating for HDs is just for COVID social distancing and that there will be flexible seating with rake(s) for future performances.
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Post by schuttep on Jul 10, 2021 12:51:03 GMT
Julie Andrews in Victor/Victoria at the Marquis, NY Elizabeth Taylor in the Little Foxes at Victoria Palace Stewart Grainger in The Circle at Bath Theatre Royal Mickey Rooney in Sugar Babes at the Savoy, London and Wizard of Oz at Madison Square Gardens, NY Ann Miller in Sugar Babes in London and Follies at the Papermill Theatre, New Jersey Lily Tomlin in The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe at the Booth, NY Nicole Kidman in The Blue Room at the Donmar, London Kathleen Turner in The Graduate in London and a play about a painting, London John Gielgud in Best of Friends at Apollo, London Dustin Hoffman in The Merchant of Venice at the Phoenix, London Charlton Heston in Love Letters at the Haymarket, London Stefanie Powers in Matador at Queen's, London and 84 Charing Cross Road in Richmond Lauren Bacall in Sweet Bird of Youth at Birmingham Hippodrome.
What amazing memories...
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Post by schuttep on Apr 30, 2021 9:29:29 GMT
The Menier also did a production of Talent which was directed by Victoria Wood herself. As a massive fan of hers I so wanted to meet her and say hello. Asked the stage manager if she was ok about meeting people and was told it was fine as long as I did it after the performance. So finally met her and, of course, I just talked gibberish as I was very nervous. She was quite shy but signed my poster which has pride of place in my hall. One afternoon into the run she turned up with Julie Walters to watch it. They had just been to the BBC to film a special. It was brilliant to see them sitting there watching the play and knowing that they were the original 2 actors. I saw the Menier production too. I also saw her in 1984 after a stand-up in Warwick. I hadn't expected to "stage door" but she literally bounded out ("Where are your autograph books?") and kindly signed my ticket as I had nothing else for her to sign (I have since obtained 2 signed photos). It was just after the first series of "As Seen on TV" had aired. I asked her if the BBC had plans to repeat it. "The BBC repeat everything they get" was her response.
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Post by schuttep on Apr 27, 2021 8:41:08 GMT
And you have no idea how many books Dickens, Hardy and Eliot wrote!
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Post by schuttep on Apr 27, 2021 8:37:54 GMT
I saw a production of BLITZ at the Union Theatre recently and was horrified of all the antisemitic dialogue bearing in mind the musical was written by Lionel Bart.I suppose it was a comment of the times in WW2 East End but I found it very uncomfortable to listen to. And I'm not easily shocked. Interesting point. I saw that production, too. I thought it was dated but I am glad I saw it. I've spent a year reading the 18th and 19th Century English novels of Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, George Eliot (all of them!) as well as selected novels of Anthony Trollope & WM Thackery. ALL of them treat their Jewish characters in a stereotypical way that I found extremely uncomfortable. How far do we accept this unacceptable characterisation in works of Art? I cringed but carried on reading, understanding that this was acceptable when it was written. But it made me realise that, if we ignore all Art that has prejudices of any type we no longer hold as reasonable, we will lose much in terms of cultural quality. As a Jew himself, I guess Lionel Bart was either highlighting how bad such attitudes sound, or trying to be contemporaneous in his approach, or both.
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Post by schuttep on Apr 19, 2021 10:38:30 GMT
Just wondering if anyone who had already booked has been given new dates/seats yet? Ive still not had an update and its due to go back on sale next week. No. Still waiting. Tickets are in groups of 1, 2, 3 and 4, so I'm assuming my 5 tickets will be re-allocated as 3 and 2. But, like you, I am getting a little antsy about tickets being re-sold while mine remain unallocated. Surely, they wouldn't do that to us, after all this palaver...
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Post by schuttep on Apr 15, 2021 13:41:06 GMT
I saw this in the Nichols auditorium at the Writers Theatre in Glencoe (just outside Chicago) in May 2019.
I really liked it and am looking forward to a well cast West End version. And to seeing the re-configured Trafalgar space.
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Post by schuttep on Apr 15, 2021 13:37:15 GMT
I'd like them to revive their own musical Seberg.
Obviously, I'm joking but it would be interesting to see it.
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Post by schuttep on Apr 12, 2021 8:51:51 GMT
Apologies to those who disagree, but this is becoming too much. I'm a fan of the Duke of Edinburgh but totally agree with you.
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Post by schuttep on Apr 12, 2021 8:45:58 GMT
I'm seeing this with friends - ticket re-assignment permitting - but it's like The Taming of the Shrew/Kiss Me Kate, it's underpinned by the difficult issue of domestic violence.
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Skip
Apr 11, 2021 9:31:49 GMT
Post by schuttep on Apr 11, 2021 9:31:49 GMT
Not exactly following the reason behind the thread, but:
In the film Kiss Me Kate they have a lovely way of "skipping" a song. It's the first song in the film, performed as a rehearsal routine, only for them to immediately announce the song's been cut from the show!
But, back to the point: anything by Gavroche. Am I the only person quite pleased when he's shot?
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Post by schuttep on Apr 1, 2021 10:03:48 GMT
I do agree with andrew and westlondon that she may not deserve this, but she has been very silly.
She wouldn't be on my ideal dinner party guest list.
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Post by schuttep on Mar 31, 2021 9:41:09 GMT
The best comment I heard about this issue was "This is not about all men, but it is about all women".
That, I think, puts it in perspective. It's about ALL women. All my female friends have told me stories about abuse and male entitlement at various levels.
I'm a 65 year old gay man and, although my experience is male-on-male, there was a period in my younger and more vulnerable days when I had to beware of (straight) men in the streets - even in daytime.
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Post by schuttep on Mar 31, 2021 9:33:31 GMT
I can't see how her career can survive.
She's now theatre poison.
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Post by schuttep on Mar 29, 2021 10:54:04 GMT
Booked:
2021
You Are Here - Southwark Playhouse (because of the lovely and talented Wendi Peters) Cruise - Duchess (the first of several plays proposed about HIV/AIDS later this year) Happy Days - Riverside Studios (love Beckett and re-scheduled) Death of a Black Man - Hampstead (keen to get back to this wonderful venue) Prince of Egypt - Dominion (big fan of Stephen Schwartz and 3rd time lucky after re-scheduling) Leopoldstadt - Wyndham (re-scheduled) Six - Brighton Theatre Royal (having already seen it in Chicago and at the Arts and Lyric) Carousel - Open Air (re-scheduled in the lovely open air) Anything Goes - Barbican (one of the best musicals and with Megan Mulally - what's not to like?) Rent - Manchester Hope Mill (can't miss a new version of this stunning musical and having waited for re-scheduling) The Cherry Orchard - Windsor (Ian McKellan and Francesca Annis - skipping Hamlet but seeing this) Back to the Future - Adelphi (promises to be out of this world!) My Best Friend's Wedding - Birmingham Alexandra (fair film but companions very keen) Cinderella - Gillian Lynne (ALW's latest and re-scheduled 3 times) Private Lives - Richmond (Nigel Havers and Patricia Hodge and re-scheduled)
2022
Bring It On - Queen Elizabeth Hall (partner keen and something to do 2 January) Fascinating Aida - Chester Storyhouse (classy group who I've been seeing for 30+ years) Les Mis - Norwich (keen to see this again after a long break and somewhere other than London).
Awaiting re-scheduling:
Brigadoon at the Cirencester Barn West Side Story at Manchester Royal Exchange The Pillowman at Duke of Yorks Copenhagen at Bath Theatre Royal Office Suite at Bath Theatre Royal Good at the Playhouse Stephanie J Block at Cadogan Hall
Also looking to book:
Benefactors Moulin Rouge.
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Post by schuttep on Dec 9, 2020 11:50:56 GMT
I saw this with Charlton Heston, too, and it was at the Haymarket theatre just like this production.
See tickets are selling lots of great seats at £25 until 31 December.
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Post by schuttep on Nov 20, 2020 9:55:02 GMT
London Theatre Direct selling tickets without fees(!) £150, £120, £95, £75 and some lower prices. But basically, nothing less than these prices in the stalls anywhere near the front.
I'll wait for the Barbican pricing.
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Post by schuttep on Jun 4, 2020 11:41:44 GMT
Apologies if this issue has been mentioned here already, but I think the later down the road shows are postponed to, the more likely people are to ask for a refund rather than transfer their booking.
I - in earlier times - went to the theatre around 80-90 times a year. Since the lockdown, I have had many refunds for shows that cancelled. Some have said that they have postponed their shows and will contact me later to re-schedule or refund. As the time moves on, only a few have actually re-scheduled: in my case, the Open Air to similar dates in 2021, which I have accepted. More theatres that have cancelled this year's presentations might have worked this out and done the same, postponed the shows until 2021, transferred the tickets en-masse and retained the funds they have, then continued to sell any available unsold tickets.
I don't know how others feel, but as time moves on, there are shows I have booked where I'm less and less likely to agree to a re-scheduled date. I think this is because the initial impetus to see the show has subsided. Of course there are some shows I desperately still want to see: eg Leopoldstadt, and Sunday in the Park with Jake so will agree to re-scheduling. But others I will be happy to receive a refund. If theatres had been quicker off the mark with re-scheduling I may well have thought differently and re-scheduled. This is not a criticism of the theatres, or their approach; after all, no-one knew precisely how COVID19 would play out. It's merely an observation on how my views have changed since the lockdown started and theatres went dark from 23 March 2020.
Nearly all the theatres I have booked with have played more than fair and have offered refunds so far, so I think the industry in general has acted impeccably, despite the obvious risks to them as businesses. I will, of course, reciprocate when shows start again by attending as many shows as I want see. But I do wonder if the lack of theatre at the moment may cause me to attend fewer shows when theatre lockdown ends. I haven't been to see a show since 14 March and, as Carlotta sings, I'm Still Here.
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Post by schuttep on Apr 14, 2020 10:50:52 GMT
Like others, I was thrilled when Theatremonkey started liking my posts.
Whatever his reasons for leaving, I'm sure he won't have taken the decision lightly.
A sad departure of a fair, measured, funny, knowledgeable, generous and kind member.
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Post by schuttep on Apr 1, 2020 10:49:31 GMT
I saw the Donmar Into the Woods too, but what pity they got Frank Middlemass's name wrong!
I never noticed that until now despite having kept the programme too.
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Post by schuttep on Mar 30, 2020 10:31:56 GMT
My last show before the lockdown was Pretty Woman - The Musical with two of my partner's sisters who were visiting us. It was a lovely weekend, not least because there really was little premonition that a day or two later theatres would close. CLOSE. This hasn't happened since the Commonwealth in 1649. Even during the World Wars, some theatres stayed open!
I wasn't actually looking forward to Pretty Woman as the reviews had been pretty poor. But it was an absolute delight! Too much emphasis was placed on it being about prostitution. I can't remember Sweet Charity getting reviewed in such a negative light. The cast were obviously delighted at the - well-deserved - standing ovation (which I rarely do). So, I went out on a high!
Other highlights this year were Julie Hesmondhalgh in The Greatest Play in the History of the World - a one-woman tour-de-force; The Boyfriend at the Menier - uplifting and joyous; Gypsy at Manchester Royal Exchange - brilliant show performed brilliantly; Six - for the second amazing time; The Sugar Syndrome at The Orange Tree - disturbing but necessary; Blithe Spirit at the Richmond Theatre - always funny and a quirky performance by Jennifer Saunders; and the 2 Caryl Churchill's: a Number and Far Away - just excellent.
It's day 10 of the "Lockdown" and it's so sad to think I won't be able to repeat these experiences for - at the very least - several weeks.
But thanks to everyone here for helping me keep my chin up.
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