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Post by martin1965 on Nov 26, 2016 9:54:22 GMT
I'd love some Ionesco. I've only seen one of his plays in English and would like to see more. I know they don't lend themselves to a broadience (TM d'James 2016) but they are interesting. Of course, if anyone asks me to reprise my role as Mary in La Cantatrice Chauve then I would leap ungainlily at the chance. (I know it in French, give me a little while to learn it English before you summon me to your stage.) Amedee is on at Birmingham Rep next year, which is to say the least an interesting choice for that venue!
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1,119 posts
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Post by martin1965 on Nov 26, 2016 9:57:29 GMT
You omitted to mention the tedious old windbag Shaw. Melodrama was very popular in the Victorian era. The Orange Tree did a few a while back - they weren't much good. I too disagree re Shaw; I've seen some vary enjoyable productions of many of his plays at a variety of theatres, and the most popular works come round quite often, perhaps as tours (e.g. Mrs Warren's Profession). I've generally liked Orange Tree versions except for the last which included one glaring instance of miscasting and I recently enjoyed Arms And The Man, which is less frequently seen, at Watford Palace. I'll certainly see anything by Shaw which I haven't already seen. Ooh presume you mean Philanderer? What did you think was the miscasting? I enjoyed it.
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Post by Jan on Nov 26, 2016 17:14:25 GMT
Yes, there is presumably an interesting thesis to be written about why there wasn't a great play written in English between Sheridan's The Critic, 1779, and Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession, 1893. A hundred-year drought. Many of the Romantics had a go, but none of their plays has lasted. How about "Money" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton 1840 ?
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5,593 posts
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Post by lynette on Nov 26, 2016 20:23:08 GMT
Yes, there is presumably an interesting thesis to be written about why there wasn't a great play written in English between Sheridan's The Critic, 1779, and Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession, 1893. A hundred-year drought. Many of the Romantics had a go, but none of their plays has lasted. How about "Money" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton 1840 ? I think it is tough for an era to compete with Willie and his mates and I don't think any has until twentieth century Irish, English and American drama has created a new energy and depth despite the overwhelming power of the movies. Maybe the French lot did something but sadly we don't see enough of them.
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Post by Jan on Nov 26, 2016 20:51:42 GMT
How about "Money" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton 1840 ? I think it is tough for an era to compete with Willie and his mates and I don't think any has until twentieth century Irish, English and American drama has created a new energy and depth despite the overwhelming power of the movies. Maybe the French lot did something but sadly we don't see enough of them. There are a lot of plays in that era, Ibsen for example, Strindberg and other Scandinavian writers, many Russian plays, and French, and Irish - just no good English ones. You could argue it's the greatest era since Shakespeare (the end of it anyway).
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Post by profquatermass on Nov 26, 2016 21:17:22 GMT
Yes, there is presumably an interesting thesis to be written about why there wasn't a great play written in English between Sheridan's The Critic, 1779, and Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession, 1893. A hundred-year drought. Many of the Romantics had a go, but none of their plays has lasted. I agree with Jan Brock that Money is a great play. Also the Magistrate and Dandy Dick (Pinero) are great fun. London Assurance is very funny so I assume other plays by Di Boucicault are also worth seeing (isn't someone doing The Octoroon soon?). But it's a huge assumption that there are no great plays of the period because they don't get revived
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Post by Honoured Guest on Nov 26, 2016 21:50:23 GMT
I think the theatre of today is a golden age, the best it's been in my lifetime and with young theatremakers showing more promise and achievement than ever. Just compare them with Ronald Harwood, for example!
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433 posts
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Post by DuchessConstance on Nov 27, 2016 10:07:26 GMT
John Lithgow did the Magistrate at the NT a few years ago, and it was one of the most fun evenings I'd ever spent there.
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854 posts
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Post by bordeaux on Nov 27, 2016 10:41:08 GMT
Yes, there is presumably an interesting thesis to be written about why there wasn't a great play written in English between Sheridan's The Critic, 1779, and Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession, 1893. A hundred-year drought. Many of the Romantics had a go, but none of their plays has lasted. How about "Money" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton 1840 ? I'm not sure I'd describe it as 'great'. Very good, certainly, a very enjoyable evening at the theatre (the John Caird NT production with SRB, Roger Allam and others was wonderful).
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854 posts
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Post by bordeaux on Nov 27, 2016 10:43:56 GMT
I'd love to see some more John Guare - Six Degrees of Separation can't be the only great thing he wrote. The amazing-sounding 'Four Baboons Adoring the Sun' and 'Bosoms and Neglect', anyone know if the plays live up to the titles?
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Post by profquatermass on Nov 27, 2016 10:52:30 GMT
How about "Money" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton 1840 ? I'm not sure I'd describe it as 'great'. Very good, certainly, a very enjoyable evening at the theatre (the John Caird NT production with SRB, Roger Allam and others was wonderful). The I thought it was great and it was consistently revived for at least 70 years. Just because a play isn't performed very often isn't a sign that it isn't very good (some of Shakespeare's plays weren't performed for a century or more). But Victorian theatre was different from ours - people didn't expect to spend a whole evening seeing one play. Dickens would go to a farce at one theatre, then go next door for a melodrama, sometimes seeing three plays in one night. Irving's bit hit, The Bells, only lasts about 40 minutes. Some of these are great (there was a fun evening of Victorian farces at Wiltons at Wiltons a couple of years ago) but it's not the style of theatre we're accustomed to.
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Post by Jan on Nov 27, 2016 10:54:55 GMT
I'm not sure I'd describe it as 'great'. Very good, certainly, a very enjoyable evening at the theatre (the John Caird NT production with SRB, Roger Allam and others was wonderful). The I thought it was great and it was consistently revived for at least 70 years. Just because a play isn't performed very often isn't a sign that it isn't very good (some of Shakespeare's plays weren't performed for a century or more). But Victorian theatre was different from ours - people didn't expect to spend a whole evening seeing one play. Dickens would go to a farce at one theatre, then go next door for a melodrama, sometimes seeing three plays in one night. Irving's bit hit, The Bells, only lasts about 40 minutes. Some of these are great (there was a fun evening of Victorian farces at Wiltons at Wiltons a couple of years ago) but it's not the style of theatre we're accustomed to. The Orange Tree also did an evening of three Victorian farces a few years ago and they were interesting rather than enjoyable.
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5,593 posts
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Post by lynette on Nov 27, 2016 11:27:06 GMT
I think it is tough for an era to compete with Willie and his mates and I don't think any has until twentieth century Irish, English and American drama has created a new energy and depth despite the overwhelming power of the movies. Maybe the French lot did something but sadly we don't see enough of them. There are a lot of plays in that era, Ibsen for example, Strindberg and other Scandinavian writers, many Russian plays, and French, and Irish - just no good English ones. You could argue it's the greatest era since Shakespeare (the end of it anyway). I meant that. No English except the Irish!
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1,119 posts
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Post by martin1965 on Nov 27, 2016 12:37:20 GMT
I'd love to see some more John Guare - Six Degrees of Separation can't be the only great thing he wrote. The amazing-sounding 'Four Baboons Adoring the Sun' and 'Bosoms and Neglect', anyone know if the plays live up to the titles? Think he one of those american writers who dont 'translate' well here. Neil Simon, Lanford Wilson and to an extent August Wilson, are other examples. You only have to look at the programming of a lot of US theatres and there are loads of writers we never hear of
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Post by Jan on Nov 27, 2016 17:06:51 GMT
How about "Money" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton 1840 ? I'm not sure I'd describe it as 'great'. Very good, certainly, a very enjoyable evening at the theatre (the John Caird NT production with SRB, Roger Allam and others was wonderful). I wouldn't describe The Critic and Mrs Warren's Profession as great either but those were the two plays defining this dead era for English playwrights. Money is the only English play I've seen in that gap apart from Victorian melodramas and one-act farces.
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Post by herculesmulligan on Nov 28, 2016 9:00:08 GMT
The Pillowman needs to come back. I believe the rights have been tied up for years though
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2016 10:23:35 GMT
I thought The Pillowman was heavily rumoured for a Colin Morgan-led revival in the not-too-distant future.
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Post by herculesmulligan on Nov 28, 2016 10:59:24 GMT
He was certainly rumoured for it. My bets are on it being in Nick Hytners opening season in his new theatre
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Post by profquatermass on Nov 28, 2016 12:08:34 GMT
I'm not sure I'd describe it as 'great'. Very good, certainly, a very enjoyable evening at the theatre (the John Caird NT production with SRB, Roger Allam and others was wonderful). I wouldn't describe The Critic and Mrs Warren's Profession as great either but those were the two plays defining this dead era for English playwrights. Money is the only English play I've seen in that gap apart from Victorian melodramas and one-act farces. I've seen London Assurance (contemporary with Money) and The Corsican Brothers but I do find it hard to believe there were no worthwhile plays written during a 50 year period. Dickens and Shaw used to go to the theatre all the time - they can't always have been seeing farces. If the Second Mrs Tanqueray was in Swedish I'm sure Michael Billington would think it just as good as Hedda Gabler
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Post by Jan on Nov 28, 2016 16:02:08 GMT
I wouldn't describe The Critic and Mrs Warren's Profession as great either but those were the two plays defining this dead era for English playwrights. Money is the only English play I've seen in that gap apart from Victorian melodramas and one-act farces. I've seen London Assurance (contemporary with Money) and The Corsican Brothers but I do find it hard to believe there were no worthwhile plays written during a 50 year period. Dickens and Shaw used to go to the theatre all the time - they can't always have been seeing farces. If the Second Mrs Tanqueray was in Swedish I'm sure Michael Billington would think it just as good as Hedda Gabler I saw "Ours" by T.W.Robertson (1866) at Finborough. Full length comedy, like a Much Ado rip-off set in the Crimean War. Might be worth giving his plays a revival.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Nov 28, 2016 16:05:04 GMT
M. Butterfly
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Post by profquatermass on Nov 28, 2016 19:51:47 GMT
I've seen London Assurance (contemporary with Money) and The Corsican Brothers but I do find it hard to believe there were no worthwhile plays written during a 50 year period. Dickens and Shaw used to go to the theatre all the time - they can't always have been seeing farces. If the Second Mrs Tanqueray was in Swedish I'm sure Michael Billington would think it just as good as Hedda Gabler I saw "Ours" by T.W.Robertson (1866) at Finborough. Full length comedy, like a Much Ado rip-off set in the Crimean War. Might be worth giving his plays a revival. The Finborough did Our American Cousins (with added gunfire) but I have to say, Lincoln didn't miss much
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Post by lynette on Nov 28, 2016 21:18:49 GMT
I'd like to see The Seafarer again, the Conor McPherson. I thought it was really good.
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5,593 posts
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Post by lynette on Nov 28, 2016 21:19:34 GMT
The Pillowman needs to come back. I believe the rights have been tied up for years though NOOOO!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2016 20:27:38 GMT
I thought The Pillowman was heavily rumoured for a Colin Morgan-led revival in the not-too-distant future. Time Out claimed that Martin McDonagh had informed them there would definitely be a The Pillowman revival in 2016... Oh well!
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Post by Snciole on Dec 1, 2016 11:33:35 GMT
I'd like to Pravda revived. I thought Fiennes did a great job at the NT 50th anniversary.
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Post by profquatermass on Dec 1, 2016 21:37:09 GMT
I'd like to Pravda revived. I thought Fiennes did a great job at the NT 50th anniversary. It was at Chichester a few years ago with Roger Allam. I found it very dated as it was really hard to remember the real news stories it was based on were.
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Post by Jan on Dec 2, 2016 7:04:38 GMT
I'd like to Pravda revived. I thought Fiennes did a great job at the NT 50th anniversary. It was at Chichester a few years ago with Roger Allam. I found it very dated as it was really hard to remember the real news stories it was based on were. I thought it was a very weak play the first time around, it was mostly just a star vehicle for Hopkins who was very good in it.
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2,206 posts
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Dec 2, 2016 19:55:28 GMT
Never seen The Birthday Party
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5,593 posts
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Post by lynette on Dec 2, 2016 21:09:00 GMT
Someone will prob bring The Birthday Party back soon. No man's land doing so well tho' prob because of the stars in it. But BP is quite melodramatic and also weirdly static compared to his other stuff. And possibly dated......
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