Mosquitoes-National theatre

Really struggled with 'Flowers'. Felt like it was trying so hard to be super off-beat that all I could see was the effort.

Saw it last night and enjoyed it, but agree that the family scenes were a lot better than the science ones. I got the impression that the original version was even longer than this, both the mother and son basically disappear at the end without any mention of what happened to either of them (apart from the few words about the son moving to Long Island), sacrificed for that gubbins about the fifth ending of the universe and punching a hole into an alternate dimension, and I wasn't entirely convinced about that ending either: were years supposed to have passed between the jail scene and this one?

Yes it was a long play, but I was never bored: there was a lot to take in but I don't think I'd be in a rush to sit through it again so soon to see what else I could take away from it.

Yes, it's good, but there's an even better play buried in it if they'd just do some cuts! , but before you have a chance to emotionally digest those scenes we're off to the planetarium again, or bits of weird farce (I take it, from Tinderbox, that Kirkwood likes a spanking scene - I thought it was ludicrous). She was commissioned to write the play by the Manhattan Theatre Club "as part of its Alfred P Sloan Foundation initiative, which aims to “stimulate artists to create credible and compelling work exploring the worlds of science and technology and to challenge the existing stereotypes of scientists and engineers in the popular imagination” which may explain the abundance of Science Bits - and, perhaps, the reluctance to cut them - but they sometimes come so thick and fast and hard on the heels of a powerful scene (or slap bang in one, like the pointless conversation on mosquitoes) they do crowd out the stronger central storyline. I liked the figure of the ghostly Boson stalking the ramparts of CERN but those speeches could be much shorter and still have impact (Escaped Alone did something similar, but achieved a better balance).

I've read the text now and hope to see it again before it finishes its run - I enjoyed it and it's such a great cast - and it'll be interesting to see if anything's been rejigged during the August break: Ink and Common both changed a fair bit, I think (I went to the post-show talk for Ink and the 'kill your darlings' line was used of the cuts).

A few September pit tickets on the website now (Weds) - just bagged one for my Mum!

Anyone sat in row GG in pit? What's the visibility like?

Thank you Marwood!

Btw they've released loads (practically a theatreful!) of tickets for Mosquitoes on a Weds matinee in late September, if anyone on here was still looking!

Yes, that or some withheld for some reason. There are no performances scheduled at all on the day after - I was hoping that meant maybe they'd be NT Living it or recording or something but they haven't made any announcements.

Tickets do pop up a lot, especially the afternoon before the performance, though that's not much good if, like us, you have to travel far because it's too late for advance train tickets. I was keeping an eye out a few days ago so we could go again (since they don't seem to be broadcasting it) and quite a few popped up in a batch for a date next week so I could grab a couple together. I used the Firefox page updater thing mentioned earlier in this thread.

Yes, it often says things are available when they've gone, but the Firefox thing is good - wish I'd thought of doing it for Angels. Ring the box office if you are able to - I did when there were some gremlins when I tried to check out online after putting a July ticket in my basket, and they did it by phone (though I was then charged extra). When I booked the tickets a week or so ago I rang them because I was trying to use a voucher and the man on the phone seemed unaware of the Mosquitoes tickets that had become available online until I pointed it out.

There are a few up for next week at the moment

For me, this play is far too clever, far too up itself and far too National Theatre. A waste of an evening. I'll avoid Lucy Kirkwood in future. I find a lot to enjoy and intrigue in most theatre but this was a mishmash of the incomprehensible and the patronising. Yes, I know that some of the acting is very good. Yawn. It's the play that's the problem. The sort I HATE.