1,149 posts
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Post by nash16 on Sept 6, 2024 15:55:51 GMT
It’s such an oddly worded email…
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Post by Javert on Sept 8, 2024 10:21:53 GMT
Saw it last night. My primary gripe is that the writing tries to be clever for its own sake, and ironically, obscures the actual payoff of intellectualising some fairly banal ideas. For a play ostensibly about human interaction, you're not led to really *care* about any of it; witty insights and inventive dialogue can only do so much. And even if this is intentionally emblematic of the central theme -- the discord between performativity and "the real thing" -- the experience becomes more of an academic exercise than an enjoyable work of theatre.
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Post by greenandbrownandblue on Sept 8, 2024 10:38:47 GMT
I was there last night too. Really enjoyed it, though I found the first act stronger than the second.
Agree that most of the characters aren't very likeable - though McArdle does a terrific job in making you want to like what is a fairly self-centered, arrogant and at times odious man.
It's very funny - some brilliant lines in there, especially in the opening scene. Also it's unbelievably prescient. There's a scene towards the end that I couldn't believe was written in 1982, given how relevant it was to what's happening right now.
I thought the use of stage crew (or in fact understudies playing the stage crew), in a Brechtian device, worked well given the play's underlying theme.
Now give us a revival of Arcadia, please!
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767 posts
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Post by rumbledoll on Sept 9, 2024 7:35:33 GMT
Saw it last night. My primary gripe is that the writing tries to be clever for its own sake, and ironically, obscures the actual payoff of intellectualising some fairly banal ideas. For a play ostensibly about human interaction, you're not led to really *care* about any of it; witty insights and inventive dialogue can only do so much. And even if this is intentionally emblematic of the central theme -- the discord between performativity and "the real thing" -- the experience becomes more of an academic exercise than an enjoyable work of theatre. I haven't seen the play staged, I've only read it but this exactly what I thought of it! James McArdle is always a draw, a fantastic actor, but I''ll probably give this a miss since it doesn't fit in terms of dates into the upcoming trip anyway..
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Post by orchidman on Sept 17, 2024 22:23:19 GMT
It doesn't hold up, the first half is essentially a comedy and the second half tries to be a drama after we have been given no reason to care about the two leading characters and one very good reason not to.
Casting is absolutely horrendous, particularly the female leads, and that's before the lack of chemistry. Come back Dimitri Weismann, all is forgiven.
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