Follies

I don't tend to comment negatively about shows on Twitter, and neither do many of my friends, as it's really not the medium for nuanced conversation, and it is ever so easy for cast, creatives, family and friends to find you and misconstrue you. I had a VERY frosty exchange with an actor once who took my praise as insult (can't remember exactly what I said but yes, it was possible to read it both ways). I will make exceptions if I think a show is completely dire and people need to be warned to stay away, but "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" is a reasonable way to be on Twitter.

What makes this place different is you have more than 140 characters to play with so you can really choose your wording carefully, and also it's a very distinct niche on the internet where people are going to discuss theatre, and I think criticism as part of discussion is far more inherently expected here than scattered across more general social media sites.

Yes, it wasn't great...
Did anyone see the production at the Landor with Claire Moore playing Sally? Despite my skepticism of it being done in such a tiny venue I really enjoyed it, it'll go down in history as the most intimate version ever ...
Going to see this on Saturday - does Phyllis do The Ballad of Lucy And Jessie or Ah, But Underneath? As Janie Dee's getting praise for her dancing I'm guessing it's the former?

I know that NT Productions are Olivier eligible. I thought a transfer is likely given it is a heavyweight Musical Theatre cast - 3 established West End Leading Ladies, Philip Quast, an Opera Dame even a Strallen for good measure. The Reviewers on here are quite knowledgeable IMO so if they like a show then it must be doing something right.  

Imelda is supposed to be doing Gypsy on Broadway next Spring isn't she? 

It was rumoured a while back, late last year that it would happen. Nothing offical more than talks at the moment, but its been a decade by 2018 Since the Patti version, and the one before was only 5 years before that, so it won't be the biggest surprise to see it bzck on Broadway, even if its not Imelda, in the near future.

Hmm, I find that the majority of negative (and positive) comments on here are not backed up with reasoning or evidence! I think you are right in that negativity deserves proper explanation in the way that praise doesn't, though. There are some who do take the time to explain and they are illuminating in a useful way. I always try to give explanations and background for negative comments myself. The Life at Southwark recently, for example, which was just closing when I saw it. Often there would be nothing gained from posting about something I didn't enjoy as others are enjoying it and I don't want to put people off from going to see it too.

I also get the impression that some people don't really understand how visible this place is. Similar to Broadwayworld which has been forced into having stricter moderation after complaints from people mentioned in posts. We've had some pretty nasty comments about performers, writers and directors of a personal nature, the low point being a comment about a young writer who was called 'subhuman' (on WOS before the current moderation team, I think). Some just cannot separate considered objective comments about a show from escalating disappointment into something more aggressive. The people creating work are not your servants, they are human beings doing their best and they sometimes fail, sometimes badly. 

If you wouldn't say it to someone's face then, on here as on twitter, I don't say it, because the people I may have referred to, or someone who knows them and who could pass it on, may read it. I try not to refer to people that I know but I see them frequently (including in this production), that's just the result of decades of teaching. All involved are very open to criticism and there are some who seek me out to be picky even after they have become successful in the business. I tell people not to google for comments and reviews but it's human nature. Whatever you post may well be read more widely than you imagine.

So far it seems like negative reviews on here are negative reviews of the book/music rather than the production itself. It seems that that is as good as it gets for Follies, for better or worse.

Can't see it transferring to the west end as Sondheim is a bit of a niche market and would struggle to fill a theatre long enough to turn a profit. I would think that most people who want to see it will do so during its NT run.
Sweeney Todd which is by far the most well known Sondheim struggled towards the end at the Adelphi even with dame Staunton and Ball. Merrily and Night Music were the same even though Merrily had more 5 star reviews than any other musical at the time.

A second viewing on Saturday evening. Much tighter technically during the Loveland sequence.
Sadly the Bolero d’Amour couple have been cut. Ah well. I though Imelda Staunton’s perfomace was more evenly paced, less manic at the beginning. Although I still have doubts about her casting. Her top and soprano notes sounded more convincing as well.
I enjoyed it even more this time. A thrilling evening out. I am just trying to fish out my programme from the 1987 London production but can’t find it!!!. would be great to see some pics of that production again.

Not exactly choreography by Bob Avian, actually. That's Bob Avian recreating Michael Bennett's choreography from the original Broadway production (Avian was Bennett's assistant on the original Broadway 'Follies'). The rest of the choreography in the original London production was Avian's own, but 'Who's That Woman' was not.

(It wasn't the first production to recreate Bennett's choreography for 'Who's That Woman', though I think none of the others that did were choreographed by Avian.)

See, Trafalgar Studios do it right... You leave during the show, you don't come back in. Maybe that is what the National should do with this show to stop any issues. The usher made a point of telling me as I came in, so doing that at the National.

Follies would die a death at the Dominion, its double the capacity of The Olivier!