Hex - NT

Why?

Why?

Why?

Any gluttons for punishment booked in to see this (again)?

I’m going twice. Once solo punishment, one episode with a co-conspirator. 

I quite enjoyed it last time, it’s flawed but who amongst us is not?

There is not enough money in the world to make me endure this again. Life's just too short.

I really hated the soundscrape and those scenes. As well as the random dancing thorns?!?

Won't be a return visit but I've heard they are having more backstory for Rose's parents especially the mother. 

I'm sure VHB will be brilliant!

Honestly, VHB is the selling point for me. She’s capable of elevating anything so at least I already know she’ll be great.

Brilliant interview with VHB about the show and other things in the Guardian today -

www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/nov/22/we-put-disney-in-the-bin-victoria-hamilton-barritt-on-being-theatres-top-christmas-villain

My visit has now been brought forward so will be going next Friday.

Went in last night with the lowest of low expectations after last year.

I think I've blocked most of the show from my memory, so I can't be 100% certain that all of this is correct, but from the best of my remaining memory of the show it does appear that they've done a decent sized overhaul of it.

The opening all seems completely new to me, and definitely works a lot better than last year. There are definitely new and revised songs throughout, and some of the old ones have stayed too.


The positives:

Lisa Lambe as fairy is the standout of the show for me. The part of fairy seems to have been completely revised; No longer looks or acts like gollum, has some much better songs and scenes, and I really thought Lisa was fantastic in this role.

The staging and lighting design of the show is really very good. It looks quite beautiful, and I imagine the production images will really sell this for a lot of people who haven't heard much else about it.

Thank god the creatives have actually done some decent sized revisions, it shows that they are not completely blind to the majority of the show that didn't work last year.


The negatives:

The yellow wigs are back.

The story is just as ridiculous as ever.

The second half completely drags. The first half redeemed itself enough for me to stay after the interval but for me the second half made me regret staying.

I just feel like the whole show has these really weird segments which have stayed and really let the show down, in particular the thorns and the group of princes in yellow wigs.



Some of the audience were laughing along with the show but I honestly did not find myself laughing once. It just didn't seem funny to me, the story isn't particularly interesting or gripping or something I feel I can connect with. I also have no idea whether it's meant to be aimed at kids or adults, because it's quite dark but also relies a lot on things like farting gags.

The cast try their hardest, and whilst I adore VHB, even she can't save the book and score of this piece.

After last year I would have given this show 1 star. The changes they've made have at least bumped it to 2 stars, but I can't go any higher than that. From what I could see it looked that about 30% of the audience were on their feet at the end.

As someone who loves to revisit shows multiple times, particularly those that others tend to hate (Cinderella and 101 Dalmatians as good examples), I really regret even seeing it a second time.

Oh absolutely.

The one that sticks in my mind is ‘everything I say just turns them mean, I’m just gonna build myself a trampoline’

But there were plenty more good examples.

Every bad thing I've heard makes me want to watch this disaster more. £5 ticket booked. BRING IT ON!

I hadn’t heard they were doing “The Witches”! Do you know when that will be?