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Post by alece10 on Feb 17, 2018 12:58:26 GMT
Just pushing this to the top as it's about to open. Who is going? I'm there next Sat night.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2018 15:06:39 GMT
Just pushing this to the top as it's about to open. Who is going? I'm there next Sat night. I’ll be there next Saturday evening too. My last show was Barnum so I’m holding out hope for better things from Pippin. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 17, 2018 15:24:41 GMT
I saw on Twitter they’ve got merch now. There was NOTHING for Manc.
If there are magnets I’ll be fumin’.
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Post by alison on Feb 17, 2018 18:15:20 GMT
I'm there on Friday.  |
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Post by alece10 on Feb 17, 2018 18:26:08 GMT
I saw on Twitter they’ve got merch now. There was NOTHING for Manc. If there are magnets I’ll be fumin’. That's interesting as I cant remember seeing any merch before at Southwark Playhouse. I need a magnet. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 17, 2018 18:46:07 GMT
I saw on Twitter they’ve got merch now. There was NOTHING for Manc. If there are magnets I’ll be fumin’. That's interesting as I cant remember seeing any merch before at Southwark Playhouse. I need a magnet. |
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Post by WireHangers on Feb 18, 2018 1:09:29 GMT
Wasn't planning to see the show as I'm all the way in Scotland but as luck would have it work are sending me to London in March so I'll be able to catch it! I have a friend in the cast so I'm really looking forward to seeing it.
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Post by ellie1981 on Feb 18, 2018 11:03:10 GMT
I booked for 5th March. Unfortunately at the time I forgot it’s the day after the Oscars. I have a tradition with a couple of friends to stay up all night to watch them and this will be the 12th year in a row we’ve done it. We’re going to be very very tired seeing this  |
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Post by ensembleswings on Feb 18, 2018 17:29:18 GMT
I'm going a week Tuesday, the 27th (matinee). Looking forward to it based off what people have said about it's Manchester run.
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19,782 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 18, 2018 18:00:22 GMT
Judging by the seat plan at SWP they’ve redesigned the staging of this. At the Hope Mill the stage was a very long, narrow thrust, with just one row of seats (maybe two) down the sides. It was actually more of a catwalk which the actors paraded up and down. I see that the SWP have kept their standard thrust design. Is it true to say that the SWP have been less adventurous about staging since they brought in the allocated seats? I mean, I understand that but I still maintain that they could have used a half way system which gave the audience a numbered token on arrival which was used to call people to get seated in a specific order. That’s what HM do now (and yes I’m sure because I suggested it on their FB Page! ☺️). As for Pippin, a little spoiler about the opening number {Spoiler}
They use that design from the broadway original with Ben Vereen where the player’s hands appear through slits in a backlit cloth. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 19, 2018 16:43:21 GMT
I understand that but I still maintain that they could have used a half way system which gave the audience a numbered token on arrival which was used
Oh, no. I for one would stop going if they went back to anything other than allocated seat numbers, and many others would too. It was getting stupid, with people turning up hours before and hanging around. Even with tokens, you'd still need to be there to get the first pick. And at the prices they charge, they can't afford to annoy people now. Also, it's far bigger than the Mill, I think.
240 vs 120 |
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Post by alison on Feb 23, 2018 13:42:28 GMT
I'm feeling pretty rough and not up to the journey into London to see this tonight. I have a great single seat second row on the corner - anyone interested in it? It's to be picked up at the box office.
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Post by harlow on Feb 24, 2018 21:50:39 GMT
Judging by the seat plan at SWP they’ve redesigned the staging of this. At the Hope Mill the stage was a very long, narrow thrust, with just one row of seats (maybe two) down the sides. It was actually more of a catwalk which the actors paraded up and down. I see that the SWP have kept their standard thrust design. {Spoiler}
They use that design from the broadway original with Ben Vereen where the player’s hands appear through slits in a backlit cloth. It was actually a production decision to alter it for SWP as they had some issues with the long staging at Hope Mill apparently. When they knew it was going to the Playhouse they decided to alter it to make it easier for scene/set changes. |
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Post by stageyninja83 on Feb 24, 2018 22:57:38 GMT
Lots of technical issues tonight, had three show stops in the first half but the audience were in good humour about it. Not sure I fully understood what the show was about (I'm about to google) but loved some of the songs. Definitely worth a 2nd listen.
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Post by alece10 on Feb 25, 2018 7:36:30 GMT
I only have the Menier production a few years ago to compare with and a great fan of the CD with Patina Miller. This is completely different from the Menier version going back to the Vaudeville idea with very simple staging. Almost bordering on cheap but it works to great effect. Thrust stage with seating around 3 sides.
As mentioned above the show stopped 3 times in Act 1 with technical issues including a moustache that kept falling off and bits of scenery that malfunctioned. However it was a great audience last night and we all took it in our stride helped along by the cast who "filled in" a bit.
The cast were bar none fantastic with many doubling up with parts.
Pippin and The Leading Player especially were amazing, played by Genevieve Nicole and Jonathan Carlton. Looking at the bios in the programme its a very young cast with most of them only doing stage school productions and I had never seen any of them before. Some great young talent there.
My friend asked me before what it was about and I kind of mumbled something as I have never really fully understood it and at the end she said she really enjoyed it but didn't really know what was going on. I have to agree.
Great songs, great singing and dancing from an excellent cast.
Just what you want when its freezing outside and with £14 preview prices you cant go wrong
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Post by alisonb on Feb 25, 2018 9:15:19 GMT
I was also there last night, along with my husband, daughter and her boyfriend. All of us (except the boyfriend) had seen Pippin 5 times before (across 3 different productions incl Broadway) and thought this was really very good.
We are big Pippin fans (daughters boyfriend said he enjoyed it but at the interval said he didn’t really understand what was going on, but by the end had decided that it was a focus on mental health, and the rest of the cast we’re just voices in his head). That’s one interpretation anyway!
I thought both the singing and acting were excellent, and the dancing and choreography were good given the staging and the space they had to work with.
Other than the 3 stage stops as mentioned above there were a few issues with mikes but I’m sure those will be ironed out in the coming days (I’m going again on Tuesday evening so will see then!)
Overall a great production - I’d love to see the run extended (moved if necessary), a small venue really does work well for Pippin I think.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 25, 2018 9:22:15 GMT
Mark Shenton’s take on it was that it’s a story about depression so your daughters bf isn’t alone in his interpretation. I just took it as a fairytale/coming of age story which got a whole lot darker when {Spoiler - click to view}
Pippin murders his own father |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 25, 2018 9:24:06 GMT
Is the stage still a raised platform with removable hatches?
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Post by alisonb on Feb 25, 2018 9:39:06 GMT
Is the stage still a raised platform with removable hatches? Yes it is! |
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Post by alece10 on Feb 25, 2018 9:54:16 GMT
I always go to previews at Southwark as I'm cheap and I think that for pretty much every show they have sound issues at the beginning that seem to get ironed out later in the run. Not sure why that is as it doesnt happen in other places.
Also forgot to say there are some very neat magic tricks
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Post by daniel on Feb 25, 2018 12:24:32 GMT
I went to the first preview on Friday - it all got a bit weird with the stoey in Act II but on the whole I enjoyed it. No major technical issues to note, sound seemed fine, no show stops, just the banners that didn't fall down properly.
There's no row A in the central block, so B is the front with a great view (it's still a step up as usual)
There's some really strong songs in there, and some great performances. In fact I don't think there really was a weak link in terms of personnel.
Really well received by the audience - probably not one that I would rush back to, but I had a good time and I'm glad I went.
3.5 stars
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2018 12:45:37 GMT
Last night did have its fair share of troubles, but most of the stops were very brief and actually added to the entertainment in part (particularly the moustache). Genevieve Nicole was the standout for me, as the leading player. She performed Simple joys without any music with the rest of the cast but then again when the issues were fixed. After the second show stop two girls walked out, bags in hand. I thought this a little extreme, as it’s the risk you take when seeing a show in previews, never mind the second night at a new venue.
I found the plot very confusing but still had a good night. I’d be happy to return to see the show in it’s entirety without pauses, too.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Feb 25, 2018 13:24:25 GMT
For all those who have no idea what Pippin is about - I share that. I have been in it (as Charles and Theo - such an obvious doubling) and I never had any real clue!
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 25, 2018 19:54:56 GMT
Posts removed. The Noticeboard is the place to promote non pro productions.
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Post by paddy72 on Feb 26, 2018 22:21:58 GMT
OK so I only made it half way through so I know this is unfair and please don’t read on if you liked this show..... For me it was horrible in every sense. Put aside the fact that it’s painfully loud but the performances were just not good. Most of the time I felt tunefully shouted at. Some were sexist and grossly ageist. And why all the cod Welsh, Scots, Broadway accents? Educated young urbanites in the audience laughing at such mockery is like a laugh track on an awful dated tv sit com. Maybe everyone involved thought it would all be hilarious but I felt ashamed. What a muddle. Just as with Hair, the shiny Arts Ed graduate show feeling only serves to make the whole thing more phoney and illustrate that some shows are best left in the past. Even when there are some truly classic tunes lost in there. I hope this is only a blip on SWP otherwise exemplary record.
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