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Post by Dave B on May 10, 2024 11:11:48 GMT
28 June – 24 August 2024
Also confirmed as Longhurst's final production (though I think we all knew that).
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4,804 posts
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Post by Mark on May 10, 2024 21:42:53 GMT
Very much worth seeing - I enjoyed this a lot in New York.
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1,495 posts
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Post by Steve on Jun 29, 2024 23:12:22 GMT
Saw this tonight, and its an apparently uneventful play set in a factory break room that slowly simmers into something fantastic and deeply moving. The performances of all 4 principals were far far above average, being minutely and exceptionally observed, with Tobi Bamtefa's Reggie a truly great unmissable performance, in my opinion, even at this preview stage. While at first it appears that Michael Longhurst will be going out with a whimper, ultimately, he goes out with a walloping bang accompanied by extremely misty eyes, at least for me. Some spoilers follow. . . I did notice two walkers, who left even before the interval. I mention this as it's important you don't just see this production through my eyes. I'd say those people left because it seemed to them like nothing was happening with the characters, just chit chat and idling moments before and after work in a factory break room. I mean, at first you might mistake it for the extreme naturalism of Alexander Zeldin, where it's apparently just ordinary lived life on stage, but behind this one, a typical drama about workplace tensions is being fashioned, whereby redundancies are knocking off employees one by one, and someone's going to be next. Mike Bartlett told a similar story in "Bull," albeit much less realistically, much more dramatically, by just having the employees face off in a ring lol. But where that was ultimately just Hobbesian nastiness in an exciting format, this is much more like real life, with genuine lived in ties that bind between these employees, in a less exciting but more deeply felt format. There are two older employees, a union rep (Pamela Nomvete's Faye) and a junior manager (Tobi Bamtefa's Reggie), and they have a long-lived, deeply heartfelt bond between them. And there are two younger employees, Rachael Ofori's Shanita and Branden Cook's Dez, who have a short-lived but still heartfelt bond between them. The nature of these bonds are carefully built by the playwright over the running time, through banter, and without realising it, I found myself caring very much about all the characters. Incidentally, two of the performers here are graduates of the National's exceptional Nigerian "Three Sisters," with Ofori one of the sisters, and Bamtefa the hapless brother lol. Anyhow, the performances are simply wonderful, with Cook carrying doom on his shoulders with bracing resilience, Ofori carrying a child in her belly with a blinkered endearing sparky brightness, and Nomvete carrying a whole world of painful memories in a mysterious fortress of blankness, shielded by a moat ofhumour and good will. That Tobi Bamtefa's huffing, wavering, secretive Willy Lomanesque manager, trying to obey orders from above about giving out marching orders below, while remaining liked and true, somehow comes to absolutely OWN this show is a testament to some absolutely remarkable moment to moment acting that had my heart breaking multiple times. So, yes, this play does feel a bit uneventful for sustained periods, but then it builds into something small but precious that is terrific and memorable to the tune of 4 and a half stars from me. Thanks and fare well, Michael Longhurst.
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Post by midge on Jun 30, 2024 15:01:50 GMT
Saw this tonight, and its an apparently uneventful play set in a factory break room that slowly simmers into something fantastic and deeply moving. This sounds very promising! Love both Zeldin and Xia’s work. Hope it’s selling well after it had to be changed from the original programming.
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547 posts
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Post by drmaplewood on Jul 4, 2024 9:21:45 GMT
Was at press night last night, enjoyed but didn't love this but its a very good production with an excellent small cast. I was sat at the interval wondering what I was missing but fortunately things kick into gear in the second half and whilst I found some of it overly earnest, it did eventually win me over. Pamela Nomvete is terrific as Faye and was also er, distracted by Branden Cook
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2024 22:39:18 GMT
Didn't work for me. Contrived. But Branden did well for his professional stage debut. One to watch.
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1,503 posts
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Post by foxa on Jul 8, 2024 9:22:34 GMT
I really enjoyed this - excellent cast,skilful script.There was (I thought) an authenticity to it that, say, Alma Mater lacked. Mr Foxa, who is hard to please, liked it and was looking up all the actors' bios afterwards, trying to figure out who was actually American, because they were just so good.
I think because I had some Covid credits when I booked Primary Trust for which this show was substituted, I ended up with very good Row B Stalls tickets.As I am almost always seated in the side Circle seats, it made me appreciate how good the Stalls are. I wonder if I am reaching an age when I need to plump for more expensive seats....
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Post by coffeeee on Jul 16, 2024 14:18:45 GMT
I liked this a lot. It maybe takes a bit too much time in the first half to set things up but the second half went in really unexpected but satisfying directions. The acting is brilliant and the direction was very stylish but also nuanced. Preferred it to Sweat, which explores similar ground. This was more human and less on its issues, but better for it.
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Post by alessia on Jul 18, 2024 10:55:05 GMT
I saw this last night and really enjoyed it. Similar to Sweat but more nuanced, and excellent performances from everyone but especially Tobi Bamtefa as Reggie. I don't mind that nothing much happens as I enjoy this kind of naturalistic play where people just talk and it's about the details and the small everyday drama. If I have to nitpick I'd say I didn't much care for one of more romantic events in the second part- in fact I rolled my eyes at that, but I loved the ending.
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423 posts
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Post by dlevi on Jul 30, 2024 6:34:42 GMT
While the play held my attention throughout (there was intermittent sleeping around me throughout the play) for me it never really clicked. It covered much the same territory from "Sweat" though it did it in amore concise manner. Happily the American accents were spot on ( as opposed to what's happening with The Hot Wing King at the National) but Mathew Xia's "look at me" scene transitions were annoying as was the pacing which bookended every scene. The performances were intense which was a good thing, but ultimately the play failed to deliver for me the emotional wallop which was being set up. And while the theatre was ¾ full there were less that 10 black people in the audience. Michael Longhurst time at the Donmar was rocky but when he hit it right: The Band's Visit, Next to Normal, Doll's House Part Two, and (for me) the mean-spirited "Private Lives" it was great.
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2,492 posts
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Post by zahidf on Jul 30, 2024 8:08:09 GMT
I enjoyed this, thought it was very good!
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Post by coco on Aug 6, 2024 8:29:12 GMT
I went to see this yesterday but left during the interval. The script and acting were all good, reminding me of The Wire, very subtle and nuanced. However, I wouldn't say I like Matthew Xia's directing, particularly about every scene changing, it is a bit unnecessary for me. Also, the main reason I left at the interval is that I didn't fancy watching this style of theatre. I would watch The Wire multiple times, but in a less-than three hours theatre, I would go for something more intense.
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Post by joem on Aug 10, 2024 23:26:16 GMT
Confession time - only went to see this because I wasn't going to be able to make it on time to the King's Head to see Eng-er-land... BUT...I really liked this! It is sort of Arthur Millerish in a good way except the acting and setting is more naturalistic and not over-dramatic as Miller can sometimes be. The four players are all good individually, and better as an ensemble, but the way in which Tobi Bamtefa - I remember him being a very good Idi Amin in Last King of Scotland at Sheffield - comes to dominate the situation when his character is well-meaning but insecure is pretty impressive. As is Pamela Nomvete as his ally/foil.
Yes it's a play set in Detroit and of its time and place (and American plays sometimes leave me grasping for context) but Dominique Morriseau's themes and emotions are universal and I can't really give it higher praise than that.
Having seen it after the rather overblown and, to me, ethically dubious Death of England plays it was refreshing to see a work which goes about its business analysing human characters, actions and reactions without seeking to shock and create animosities, pointing of fingers and it wasn't me guvvishness. Perhaps we Brits are sometimes so up our own entrails that we fail to see what's really going on in the outside world.
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752 posts
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Post by Latecomer on Aug 17, 2024 18:27:44 GMT
Enjoyed this a lot. Slow build up of characters and relationships, difficulties of life/relationships/work/class. Well acted and you care about the characters by the end. Struggled with the accents at the beginning but soon tuned in and enjoyed the direction and the musical interludes between scenes. My sort of play - like an updated Arthur Miller play (as someone else has said). Bravo Donmar
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Post by Dave B on Aug 21, 2024 9:01:33 GMT
We saw this last night. While we enjoyed it, the second act didn't really feel like it quite lived up to the promise of the first. Very much enjoyed it before the interval, felt like a deliberate slow burn really giving us time with the characters to understand their past and current relationships with each other. It felt like it was setting up an explosive second half but then this just didn't quite spark off. A really strong cast, I thought they were all very good. A strong 3 stars.
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