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Post by lynette on Dec 11, 2016 14:59:27 GMT
Well I went in knowing nothing and I left having been entertained. A bit different to my usual choices, but for £10 I can't complain. Tim Key had a massive line fluff to the point of not only asking for a prompt multiple times during a large speech, he left the stage and did his entrance again twice and still got his words mixed up. It was painful, but good on him for not letting it shake him too much as he was great for the rest of the play. The speech was a very wordy piece and he didn't stop talking for probably over 5 minutes (Rufus Sewell needed a prompt at one point too and preceeded his request with a 'my turn now' before asking). Big up to Paul Ritter getting all the way through without a fluff. It was the first preview so I can forgive these, especially at £10. At £60 I'd want perfection though. Funny play. It is a funny play. I'm really surprised about the line fluffs. What is going on? Dominic West in Liasons, Stacy whatsit in her panto and now this. I can honestly say the only prompt I have seen in grown up theatre was Diana Rigg in Who's Afraid and she kept character and if anything ratched up the tension. So in other shows the prompts or fluffs have been handled so well I didn't notice 😁 I know in Shakespeare they just make it up when they forget and sometimes other characters say the lines until they get back on track. I think Willy wrote with this in mind! Noooo, because they gave out parts didn't they, but well, maybe. So I'm surprised that Tim being a stand up veteran didn't just go on talking til he found himself in the right place. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2016 15:04:18 GMT
Well I went in knowing nothing and I left having been entertained. A bit different to my usual choices, but for £10 I can't complain. Tim Key had a massive line fluff to the point of not only asking for a prompt multiple times during a large speech, he left the stage and did his entrance again twice and still got his words mixed up. It was painful, but good on him for not letting it shake him too much as he was great for the rest of the play. The speech was a very wordy piece and he didn't stop talking for probably over 5 minutes (Rufus Sewell needed a prompt at one point too and preceeded his request with a 'my turn now' before asking). Big up to Paul Ritter getting all the way through without a fluff. It was the first preview so I can forgive these, especially at £10. At £60 I'd want perfection though. Funny play. It is a funny play. I'm really surprised about the line fluffs. What is going on? Dominic West in Liasons, Stacy whatsit in her panto and now this. I can honestly say the only prompt I have seen in grown up theatre was Diana Rigg in Who's Afraid and she kept character and if anything ratched up the tension. So in other shows the prompts or fluffs have been handled so well I didn't notice 😁 I know in Shakespeare they just make it up when they forget and sometimes other characters say the lines until they get back on track. I think Willy wrote with this in mind! Noooo, because they gave out parts didn't they, but well, maybe. So I'm surprised that Tim being a stand up veteran didn't just go on talking til he found himself in the right place. I second your comments about Tim Key's line fluffs too Lynette, first thing I thought when I read about it. I would have thought he might have been able to wiggle his way out of it fairly easily. If not more so than the others. |
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Post by lonlad on Dec 11, 2016 18:20:40 GMT
And Ron Cook on press night of THE CHILDREN and the female lead in SHEPPEY and Clive Francis the other week in AN INSPECTOR CALLS -- I guess memorisation ain't once it what was ,,,,, all good actors, though!
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Post by loureviews on Dec 12, 2016 7:23:57 GMT
Edward Petherbridge used to be notorious for not just fluffing lines but sometimes having to start the scene over.
I have even seen the great Dame Dench fluff a line, but otherwise no.
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Post by Jan on Dec 12, 2016 7:39:27 GMT
Edward Petherbridge used to be notorious for not just fluffing lines but sometimes having to start the scene over. I have even seen the great Dame Dench fluff a line, but otherwise no. I've seen Dench corpse on stage and be unable to speak at all for a few minutes. Very unprofessional. I also saw Ralph Richardson need a few prompts in his final role but I suppose that was understandable. Otherwise it is very rare. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2016 9:05:09 GMT
I never seen anyone openly forget a line or ask for a promt
I did see Ruthie Henshall (in character) have a go at someone on the front row of Billy Elliot for being asleep except of course he actually unconscious and during the skipping song 8 ushers DRAGGED the man out of the auditorium. An ice cream seller told me he was ok but I think that was a smokescreen
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2016 9:18:17 GMT
The irony being that the only reason I know this play so well is that that speech was used in a course at drama school for....well reasons I know forget actually. It's not especially difficult, but then my job isn't especially difficult and I still cock it up sometimes.
Glad to hear good reports, I like this play- it's not life changing but it's an entertaining evening (and I do enjoy Mr S as well)
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Post by profquatermass on Dec 12, 2016 13:49:53 GMT
Edward Petherbridge used to be notorious for not just fluffing lines but sometimes having to start the scene over. I have even seen the great Dame Dench fluff a line, but otherwise no. I've seen Dench corpse on stage and be unable to speak at all for a few minutes. Very unprofessional. I also saw Ralph Richardson need a few prompts in his final role but I suppose that was understandable. Otherwise it is very rare. Depends if you go to previews or not. And also sit in the front row as you can't always tell if there's prompting from further back). Alan Rickman famously needed a lot of prompting during Anthony and Cleopatra I've seen understudies 'on the book' including the director of the show on a couple of occasions |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2016 22:06:54 GMT
EXCELLENT
No line issues
Lovely play and wonderful chemistry between the 3
Quite moving
Tim Key is truly excellent in this
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1,280 posts
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Post by theatrefan77 on Dec 12, 2016 23:36:39 GMT
A few £10 tickets available now online for tomorrow Tuesday in Stalls and Upper Circle
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2016 17:24:37 GMT
I was sitting next but one to Matthew Warchus
I didn't like the first 30 mins but this was likely as I was bursting for a wee
I started to get worried as didn't want to leave particularly as there is no interval
Eventually I managed to ignore my bladder
I loved all 3 actors and I think they have been clever to cast proper actors rather than just "names"
Not to say this trio aren't "names" to me
The acting is wonderful and it's rare to see a play focusing on the friendship between men like this does
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1,502 posts
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Post by foxa on Dec 13, 2016 17:53:41 GMT
Looking forward to seeing this on Friday!
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Post by rumbledoll on Dec 13, 2016 18:12:34 GMT
I finally gave up and seeing this on Jan 14, together with Wild Honey 
Will be waiting for your review, foxa! |
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Post by greenswan on Dec 13, 2016 23:52:51 GMT
Grabbed a £10 ticket for today thanks to the thread here. Very enjoyable experience overall and I found it quite funny.
Rufus Sewell seems to be losing his voice or getting over losing his voice though.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2016 23:54:20 GMT
Grabbed a £10 ticket for today thanks to the thread here. Very enjoyable experience overall and I found it quite funny. Rufus Sewell seems to be losing his voice or getting over losing his voice though. Sexy he is though |
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Post by lonlad on Dec 14, 2016 0:39:52 GMT
Rufus's voice always sounds like that - his vocal husk is part of who he is - in the Donmar CLOSER he was barely audible from the third row - but he's still sexy and wonderful :-)
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2016 9:34:40 GMT
Press night tickets for £5 - Just checked and there are a few single stalls seats, plus quite a few seats in both circles. Use the promo code on the old vic booking site.
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1,482 posts
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Post by Steve on Dec 15, 2016 22:00:17 GMT
Thoroughly enjoyed this tonight. The translation can't quite disguise the French origins of the play, as there are a few moments when phrases used feel wordy and unnatural, but this is thoughtful and funny throughout. Two rocks (Rufus Sewell and Paul Ritter) and a lump of jelly (Tim Key) are best friends, and have disagreements over the value of a work of art. Deep thoughts are triggered about the meaning of friendship: can two rocks be friends? Can a rock be a friend with a lump of jelly? While such thoughts wash over us, three great actors get to gradually descend into Basil Fawltys, which process delightfully fires on all cylinders from 45 minutes in. This is more effective than the only other production I have seen, with Gatiss, Pemberton and Sheersmith, as the acting here is more sincere, with zero mugging, which ironically makes the clashes between characters funnier. It also gives added fire to the Peep Show fourth wall breaking moments, when characters tell the audience what they are really thinking! Tim Key is a marvellously floppy and emotive bowl of jelly, Rufus Sewell is a marvellously hard lump of rock pretending to be a bowl of jelly, and Paul Ritter is a sterling lump of rock who simply can't help being a lump of rock. Great fun! 4 stars  |
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Post by rumbledoll on Dec 15, 2016 22:25:28 GMT
Great review, Steve! Made me smile ) Wondering who was playing who (as 'two rocks and a lump of jelly') in that version you've mentioned with Gatiss/Pemberton/Shearsmth  |
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1,482 posts
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Post by Steve on Dec 15, 2016 22:29:37 GMT
Great review, Steve! Made me smile ) Wondering who was playing who (as 'two rocks and a lump of jelly') in that version you've mentioned with Gatiss/Pemberton/Shearsmth Shearsmith was the lump of jelly. Gatiss bought the painting, of course, cos he's always funny when he thinks he's marvellous, Pemberton thought it was "sh*t." |
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Post by quine on Dec 16, 2016 7:35:34 GMT
Loved this last night.
I'd forgotten how funny this was. Off to check how long ago the last version I saw was but a bit scared as it's always si much longer than I remember.
Enjoyed all three performances but special mention for Rufus's purple pants! Are they purple every night?
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Post by johnv47 on Dec 16, 2016 8:39:20 GMT
Saw this the other night. It's a great play. You can see why it lasted so long first time round. I have seen several casts do this. I saw Richard Griffiths as Ivan. Astonishing. I saw Mark Williams, not so good. Best was League of Gentlemen - the last cast of Art in the west end. Three ACTUAL friends of the amount of time the characters have been. Ritter is good in this. They inhabit it well.
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Post by Latecomer on Dec 16, 2016 9:25:46 GMT
Loved this last night. I'd forgotten how funny this was. Off to check how long ago the last version I saw was but a bit scared as it's always si much longer than I remember. Enjoyed all three performances but special mention for Rufus's purple pants! Are they purple every night? They were purple on Wednesday! (I love this forum!) |
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Post by foxa on Dec 16, 2016 21:55:54 GMT
No Purple Trousers Tonight!! They were black.
Should I demand a refund from the box office? ;-)
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Post by bellboard27 on Dec 16, 2016 22:40:43 GMT
That's it. We need a separate thread on the colour (and possibly other characteristics) of actors' pants. I'm sure some on this board would be able to pass many a happy hour there.
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