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Post by theatrelover123 on Mar 5, 2024 20:47:15 GMT
I saw this last night. I was quite surprised that there were a fair few empty seats, considering how hard it could be to get tickets for Jez Butterworth's last couple of plays. While watching this I quite enjoyed it. It never dragged, the acting was uniformly great, the script was quite sprightly and witty. But there were a number of things nagging at me about it, and afterwards, when I had time to think on it, I actually came to the conclusion that it was a fairly lazy piece of writing for such an esteemed and experienced writer. I will concede that it turns like a well oiled machine but, a few themes and plot points aside, it could have been written any time in the last 100 plus years. It was a solid, archetypal domestic drama, but there was absolutely nothing new or clever about it. I felt like I had seen it all before. There was certainly nothing for me to puzzle out afterwards, nothing I could not have predicted, and nothing daring in terms of structure, language or approach to making theatre. I thought that the Blackpool setting was woefully underused, as was the stiffing 1976 summer. I never felt the heat. I never felt like I was in 1970s or 1950s Blackpool. There were some perfunctory mentions, but no real sense of lethargy, decay, exhaustion. I was so looking forward to being enveloped in the atmosphere of time and place but it never happened. There were way too many characters. Cut the nurse. Cut most of the men. They're not needed. They can be referenced, but there's no reason to spend time with any of them. What did any of them add? Moreover, certain key plot points felt like they stretched credulity for something aiming to be naturalistic. {Spoiler - click to view} First up - Joan's baby. What?!? There was a baby in the porch through all those act 3 arguments and it never cried, never made a sound... And Joan has flown over from America and made her way to Blackpool with a six-month old and a random suitcase with a few baby clothes and a bottle and two toys? Even if we are to infer from the Act 3 opening scene that she arrived earlier and has been waiting in Blackpool, trying to get the courage to return home, this whole situation is clunky and very badly handled. Secondly, are we really supposed to believe (or, at least, infer) that the mother had four daughters out of wedlock in the 1940s? One, or even two, is perfectly plausible, but four?!? That would have been a huge scandal, and the daughters would inevitably have known about it, unless they were born in anther town far away. Thirdly, what is the deal with Joan's career? Did the agent guy feel so guilty that he'd got her pregnant, that he paid for her to fly to America, set her up with a new home and arranged for her to make an LP? That seems very unlikely to me, I thought the four youthful daughters were acted and sung brilliantly but, aside from Joan, badly differentiated in the writing and almost without character. Personally, I would also have liked to see the past and present intermingle, and the big reveal, such as it is, implied much more subtly. It's unlikely it would shock audiences now, with what we now know about the world, but it could still have packed a punch, which I felt it definitely didn't. I know I'm in a minority, but to me this was a fairly enjoyable play but one that tackled well-worn material as though it thought it was being radical and new, and which had too many clunky elements for me to truly rate as more than two stars. Interesting isn’t it? I completely value other people’s opinions but I didn’t agree with much of the above. I didn’t feel like it was professing to do anything radical, new or clever; I didn’t think the ‘mystery’ was sold as a ‘mystery’; I think the nurse and the surrounding characters, particularly the men were pivotal to giving a sense of place and time and how they slotted in to make up a broader tapestry around the female characters; I felt the heat, the place, the period and I’m not sure how they could have introduced more of Blackpool on that set; I thought the 4 sisters were clearly delineated and I think the points in the spoiler couldn’t have been done much differently without giving the game away and it’s clear that cover ups are universal. I think it could be argued that The Ferryman and Jerusalem didn’t do a huge lot more in terms of daringness of structure, language or approach.
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Post by theatrelover123 on Mar 4, 2024 23:29:38 GMT
I wonder why Giant is listed as being performed at multiple venues. London and New York?
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Post by theatrelover123 on Mar 3, 2024 10:43:30 GMT
I saw this a few months ago, really enjoyed it and recommended it to a few friends who also all really rated it. It seemed to have critical acclaim and some very loyal fans, so I wonder why ticket sales weren't stronger? I am sure word of mouth lead to quite a few people going, but commercially I wonder why it didn't do as well as you might think. I think fundamentally because it’s a terrible show, it didn’t really have that much critical acclaim, people only really went as it was comped and it didn’t deserve to clog up a theatre for much longer.
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Post by theatrelover123 on Mar 2, 2024 10:05:25 GMT
Any clues on who the actress was that they couldn't get? Primary Trust has, I believe, a male lead. I will allow you to speculate on whom. John Boyega? Daniel Kaluuya? Adrian Lester? David Oyelowo? Chiwetel Ejiofor?
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Post by theatrelover123 on Feb 20, 2024 22:19:10 GMT
Enjoyed it. Good cast. Play funny and interesting in places. Strong opening night. My only gripes were that there were a few too many absurdist/unexplained/boundary pushing parts that jarred. I felt like they should have gone all the way or cut them.
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Post by theatrelover123 on Feb 20, 2024 21:42:38 GMT
There was an audience tonight who saw it
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Post by theatrelover123 on Feb 20, 2024 21:41:07 GMT
Saw this tonight. 100 mins bang on.
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Post by theatrelover123 on Feb 19, 2024 13:13:57 GMT
There is a video of Louise and Rachel singing I will never leave you on whatsonstage. I wish I could make the concert. It's a beautiful song. It's on one of Louise's solo albums : For you for me. Does she duet with the Chuckle Brothers on it? Oh.......
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Post by theatrelover123 on Feb 16, 2024 8:45:30 GMT
It’s going to the States.. it won’t be getting a further life in the UK (for now) Anymore info? Sure. No worries. Well… ‘The States’ is the United States of America, often just named America. That is the place that this show will be next performed. ‘The UK’ is the United Kingdom. Which is where this particular show originated. It might be performed in the UK sometime But there are no plans for the immediate future
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Post by theatrelover123 on Feb 8, 2024 14:45:34 GMT
I'm sorry to say this, but I don't think the pricing approach of the TR Haymarket group should be supported, no matter how prices may decrease nearer to showtime. The theater has fallen into ownership by a greedy group. Yes. Please please PLEASE don’t choose to pay less for your ticket. Because then the greedy group will get less money than if it is unsold at a higher price. And please don’t forget that this is a competitive business and rising prices and other factors are driving up prices to the consumer and many are willing to pay the prices.
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Post by theatrelover123 on Feb 8, 2024 0:20:23 GMT
3 stars in the Independent too. 4 and 5 stars elsewhere
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Post by theatrelover123 on Feb 7, 2024 6:40:39 GMT
I think it’s also fair to note that it’s only just out of £10 previews and still in reduced previews. May contribute to how much people are enjoying it. Particularly as it’s not selling massively well for the rest of the run. Who knows if it’s on many people’s lists to see again? Do you reckon people judge more warmly when shows are a cheap cheerful punt, and expect more qualities if they've paid more? Or, conversely, that you can be more harsh if not much was at stake financially, but more lenient and invested when you're a virtual shareholder/investor when paying standard (i.e. expensive) prices for most shows these days? Yes I do. To all of the above
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Post by theatrelover123 on Feb 6, 2024 22:19:55 GMT
Having seen this show three times, I've only ever seen the majority of the audience having a great time. Big cheers at the interval and bigger cheers at the end. The majority are on their feet clapping and whooping the cast and crew. It may just be that the majority of people seeing this show have no taste, poor theatre etiquette, and a penchant to bring their own picnic, virtual drumkit and air guitar. If that's the case, the Old Vic has struck gold in bringing in a different kind of punter to their quaint old theatre. People are paying their money, taking their choice, and seem to be very happy with what they are getting in return. It does exactly what it says on the tin, and people are lapping it up and are buzzing when they leave. This show has achieved its goal before a single review has been written. Word of mouth is selling this show, and because of the quality of the vocals/music and variety of songs, it is already on many people's list to see again. This show is a hit. I think it’s also fair to note that it’s only just out of £10 previews and still in reduced previews. May contribute to how much people are enjoying it. Particularly as it’s not selling massively well for the rest of the run. Who knows if it’s on many people’s lists to see again?
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Post by theatrelover123 on Feb 3, 2024 18:34:11 GMT
Thank you. Yes it was. Shame it was misunderstood ;( Apologies if I misunderstood - a couple of recent posts towards me have been unnecessarily snarky. Sorry. No. They haven’t.
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Post by theatrelover123 on Feb 3, 2024 18:18:13 GMT
I really don't want to argue with you. One can award five stars for many reasons. I'm not looking for perfection. It's the same reason I believe in 6 and 7 star hotels. I'm perhaps looking at how this show made me feel, which is personal to each of us. There are quite a few people on this forum who gave it five stars, so why not step back from trying to be smart about my own particular reasons. Feels like I'm living in your head rent-free, which I never asked to do. Focus on what brings you joy, instead of nitpicking over the minutiae of other people's opinions. You'll be happier for it, I promise. That...that was them acknowledging your reasons and moving on. They weren't coming for you. Thank you. Yes it was. Shame it was misunderstood ;(
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Post by theatrelover123 on Feb 3, 2024 16:36:01 GMT
"Doesn’t sound like it deserves 5 stars in a poll then?" I am more interested in evolution rather than perfection. Evolution is exciting. Perfection always leaves me wondering where "more" can come from. So yes, a deserved five stars. Thanks. Yes. As I thought. Not 5 stars at any of the times it’s been seen. But MAY be 5 stars once it has evolved. It’s just a different barometer used compared to everybody else here. Got it. Thanks.
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Post by theatrelover123 on Feb 3, 2024 13:49:53 GMT
Will be interesting to see the reviews on this show after press night, but it's starting to ignite. I was at a concert last night and chatting to a couple of people who had "heard good things" about this show. Sales are good. It might just be one of those shows that is good enough for people to forgive some of the contrived scripting. I'm going again tonight as it is relatively easy for me to get to. Very much looking forward to hearing Jack Shalloo's (Midge) fantastic "Vienna", Joel Montague's (Harvey) mindblowing "Pinball Wizard" and utterly moving "Against All Odds", Abiona Omonua's (Amara) sensational "Blowing In The Wind", Danielle Steers (Marsha) and Ashley Campbell's (Jim) rocking "Dancing In The Streets". The anthems in this "We Are The World" / "We Are the Champions" / "Message In A Bottle" / "We Will Rock You" / "Summer of '69" take the roof off. So many great songs in this - those listed are not even 1/3 of what gets covered. Has anybody seen the band Status Quo'ing their guitars in Olly Dobson's lively "Rockin' All Over The World"? What would I change after my second viewing on Tuesday? The big reveal of the band had been stripped out - they were visible from the outset, whereas on opening preview a panel lifted up to show them on stage (which I felt was a nice touch, as when it started I felt disappointed that the musicians were going to be out of sight). I liked this moment as it added to the sense of occasion/concert feel. I think Maggie T's scenes need a couple more props to indicate No.10 (a big black door perhaps) as the background screen dominates and the headlines are a little distracting. For some reason, I'd like to see "Mrs T/Mr G" done on a platform or in a "Two Tribes" style boxing ring with an "Eye of the Tiger" guitar intro before they go into the rap sequence. Some songs don't land well (probably because it is just snippets shoe-horned in - particularly "Everytime You Go Away" and "True". "All You Need Is Love" is sweetly sung by Jason Battersby but underplayed - it worked with Elvis Costello because he is charismatic and had 70,000 willing backing singers. I think the intention is for the audience to join in (like they did in the stadium) but it ends up falling a little flat. Also, Freddie Love (Skye) was used much more in the first preview and seemed to suffer from some of the cuts. This is a shame because they had a magnetic presence and sass, very much in the vein of Freddie Mercury (they also sang a couple of Queen tracks). It's interesting watching this show evolve. Doesn’t sound like it deserves 5 stars in a poll then?
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Post by theatrelover123 on Jan 30, 2024 21:52:49 GMT
I’ve heard people say that Roald Dahl’s The Witches would be good here on another thread, do you guys think that this would be the case? I don’t know whether ALW would stick with the pipeline of kids shows because he’s closing Frozen and has already got Matilda. It would just be interesting (sincerely - an overly optimistic person who really wants The Witches to get a future life 🤞) No. I don’t. It’s simply not a good enough show. The end
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Post by theatrelover123 on Jan 19, 2024 22:55:37 GMT
Probably pointless to ask, but are there any updates anyone would be willing to share, regarding a return/transfer? It’s not happening.
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Post by theatrelover123 on Jan 18, 2024 19:52:14 GMT
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Post by theatrelover123 on Jan 12, 2024 18:45:09 GMT
Apparently it’s Miss Julie.
I win
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Post by theatrelover123 on Jan 6, 2024 18:42:39 GMT
Watched that clip above... I'm sorry, but what a bunch of freaks following him with their phones like some kind of cult. What an absolute professional he is to get on with the job, and well done to security and crew for protecting him. Unnecessarily rude
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Post by theatrelover123 on Dec 24, 2023 16:36:45 GMT
Does Googie wither?
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Post by theatrelover123 on Dec 21, 2023 18:07:15 GMT
Anybody know of a site that collates all the London shows in a specific year? Londontheatre used to do it but not any more
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Post by theatrelover123 on Dec 9, 2023 22:01:13 GMT
I think I was sat next to Joan Armatrading and her partner Maggie at the matinee of Sunset Boulevard today. Had a lovely chat. Still not sure if it was definitely them though
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Post by theatrelover123 on Nov 25, 2023 20:40:42 GMT
I really doubt that his Macbeth is a ‘revelation’. Maybe a well spoken and understand Shakespearean performance delivered in a similar way to other performances. But not ‘a revelation’
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Post by theatrelover123 on Nov 18, 2023 17:42:45 GMT
V. much looking forward to this. Seeing next week. Never watched the TV series, however. What could I do to best prepare. If anything. Thanks folks. Ermmmm maybe binge watch the 34 eps before then
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Post by theatrelover123 on Nov 18, 2023 17:15:33 GMT
I saw this yesterday evening, and I'm kinda surprised by how much I disliked it. While well-staged, I found it to be a shallow, schmaltzy bore, laden with bland music and cliche characters - less "feel-good", more "Hallmark movie". It's like... every conflict is plausibly deniable. Is the Dad working too hard? Maybe - but he doesn't seem to be neglecting his family; he's the one who does all the work to get Henry painting, for example. Is the Mom irresponsible by taking her son clubbing? Maybe - but Henry had a good time and it's not like anything bad came of it. Are Henry's brothers hiding from him out of shame? Maybe - but they all stood by him earlier in the act, working together to prepare the house for his return from the hospital. The end result is a show where every character is more or less on the same page for the entire duration, except for one scene in the second act where they all spontaneously turn into massive assholes. The writers were apparently aware that pacing-wise, the show needed a big argument at approximately that point in the script; they just had no idea how to set it up or to resolve it or to execute it. The framing device of the two Henrys is interesting in theory but I don't think it's utilized fully. Younger Henry never mounts any serious resistance to the idea of moving forward, while older Henry never surrenders to hopelessness. For the most part, they agree with each other and work together, which doesn't lend itself to compelling drama. The script make a big deal out of younger Henry's refusal to remember the accident, but then in act 2, he sings a song about it and reveals that what happened is exactly what the audience thought happened: he jumped into the sea and landed on his head. Why was this such a big deal? I've seen some people in this thread compare the music to Dear Evan Hansen's. While stylistically they're very similar, DEH has the advantage of tonal diversity; the somber, lullaby-esque melody of Requiem sounds nothing like the pulsing momentum of Disappear. For the most part, if you took the lyrics of one DEH song and tried to arrange them to the melody of another, the result would feel discordant. The Little Big Things, on the other hand? I'm actually kinda stunned by just how many of the musical numbers can be summed up with "upbeat, life-affirming pop anthem sung by whole company". We've got the opening number, we've got the flashback sequence in the Portuguese bar, we've got the act 1 finale, we've got the act 2 opener, we've got the Monopoly club dance, we've got the title song... They aren't bad songs in of themselves, they just all sound the same! It would be like if every other song in DEH was You Will Be Found. I cannot believe how much I loathed Agnes. To be a mentor character is one thing. But to be a perfectly insightful and discerning mentor character, who also gets all the funniest and cleverestest lines and immediately endears herself to every other character she meets? ... No. Just, no. This character is not real; she's a puppet, and every time she opens her mouth, you can practically see the writer pulling her strings from on high, compelling her to dispense the exact pieces of idealized wisdom the other characters need to hear in that moment. Her dialogue swings between "sagely life advice" and "snarky undercutting humor" with predictable, pendulous regularity; I feel like it could've been written by an AI trained on the dialogue of coaches from sports movies. Also... look, I hate to play the "swap the sexes" card, but Jesus Christ, swap the sexes. Imagine if an adult male medical professional flirted openly with an underage female patient of his, visited her house wearing a fetish outfit, then took her out to a club. It's seriously f***ed up that this behavior not only went unexamined, but was consistently played for laughs. On the positive side of things, the staging was pitch-perfect. I don't think I've ever seen lighting used so densely throughout a show. The single most powerful moment of the evening for me was the momentary blackout in the accident flashback - very simple, very effective. Loved the use of harnesses too. Finally, if you haven't seen the show, you'll just have to trust me when I say that the scene where Henry got his balls fondled by his brother was great. It felt real to me in a way that the rest of the sanitized material did not. 4/10. I'm clearly in the minority on this one though. Not in the minority. I agree with every word you articulately said here so thank you. Still baffled at the show’s success
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Post by theatrelover123 on Nov 5, 2023 17:19:52 GMT
I’m quite tempted by this as I like several of the cast but then I double checked what else the writer had done and remembered that I pretty much hated Cannibals, The Wolf at the Door, Saint George and the Dragon and Pity soooooooo…….we shall see
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Post by theatrelover123 on Nov 2, 2023 8:38:29 GMT
She does have a good voice. It's just not one that you like. Why get 'really annoyed' over something so trivial... Whilst this might have been a big hit on Broadway, I suspect this won't play anything like it did there. Jenna has a lovely voice, she's just entirely wrong casting for Irene Malloy on paper... What’s her casting like on metal? Is it better on felt? How about marble?
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