213 posts
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Post by peelee on Sept 22, 2016 19:11:19 GMT
This not often performed play by Tennessee Williams has been revived and is running at Print Room at the Coronet, the Victorian theatre and later cinema just along from Notting Hill Gate tube station in West London. Williams wrote the play in the 1970s, but according to director Michael Oakley writing in the programme it was said to be based on an unproduced screenplay called All Gaul is Divided that had been written in 1950. That is, written between two stage play hits, A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur is set in a sweltering tenement apartment in St Louis of the 1930s. Its four characters, all female, are as sparky as characters in other Williams play, but in this there are near-farcical comic moments. In this engaging production they are played by Debbie Chazen (and I had only recently read David Eldridge's In Basildon in which she played Jackie) Laura Rogers, Hermione Gulliford and Julia Watson.
Its scheduled run from 12 September to 7 October would be worth other theatregoers taking advantage of.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2016 19:46:52 GMT
I saw it on Friday.
It was painful to watch
Utterly pointless.
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Post by perfectspy on Sept 23, 2016 13:55:01 GMT
I saw this production on the Saturday evening. I felt it was too long for a two act play but I quite liked it due to the great set. I just love the era with its great costumes and the accents. The acting was pretty good and had some great moments, even though it was hard going in some parts.
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3,575 posts
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Post by showgirl on Sept 24, 2016 3:54:53 GMT
I saw it on Friday. It was painful to watch Utterly pointless. So most of us will like it then. It would certainly be reasonable for those expressing strong opinions, whether positive or negative, to own those and make it clear that their views are exactly that, i.e. personal. Their comments may or may not find support here but are not categorical facts, so some qualifying terms such as "imho" would be appropriate. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2016 6:46:28 GMT
It would certainly be reasonable for those expressing strong opinions, whether positive or negative, to own those and make it clear that their views are exactly that, i.e. personal. Their comments may or may not find support here but are not categorical facts, so some qualifying terms such as "imho" would be appropriate. Isn't that implied? What else could it be if not someone's personal opinion? It's not like there'll be Author's Notes in the programme saying "This is the worst thing I've ever written; damn, are you going to regret shelling out for this", or a declaration in law formally establishing it as no good: the This Play Is Complete Wank (Don't See It; Seriously, It's Bollocks) Act 2016. |
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904 posts
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Post by lonlad on Sept 25, 2016 13:19:54 GMT
I wouldn't say it's "pointless", it's just not very good, and only 1 of the 4 actresses even begins to connect with her character. the design, however, is GORGEOUS - Fotini Dimou is the star here. otherwise, best avoided.
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183 posts
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Post by bee on Sept 26, 2016 17:52:14 GMT
I saw this on Saturday. Not a whole lot really happens, the play pretty much consists of the two older women trying to manoeuvre Dorothea into doing what they want while she waits for an important phone call from the man she hopes is going to ask her to marry him. There are occasional moments of farce, mainly caused by the appearance of their neighbour who only speaks German.
For all that I ended up rather liking this, it was well acted I thought, and there are some good moments of back and forth dialogue, but compared with Williams’ famous works this was all pretty lightweight stuff. However having seen Yerma in the afternoon it was quite nice to watch something where the characters problems and disappointments emerge slowly from the text rather than getting screeched at you at maximum volume.
This was my first visit to the Coronet, and what a strange venue it is (in a good way). It looks like it got hit by an earthquake and they never got round to repairing it. It’s worth going just to visit the bar with its sloping floor.
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