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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2017 14:00:15 GMT
The latter is the inherent problem with writing an allegorical play about the problem of the human condition The play is about England. |
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Post by n1david on Oct 22, 2017 14:50:46 GMT
Is this bad enough to trek all the way to the NT to return my ticket? I post my tickets back. That way you don't have to feel embarrassed about it... |
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Post by showgirl on Oct 22, 2017 17:02:08 GMT
Saw this last night. Total sh*t with no redeeming features. What, it was that bad and still you sat through all of it, @xanderl? Or were you just giving it every opportunity to redeem itself? In any case, I think Parsley now has a rival in the succinct skewering stakes... |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2017 17:06:38 GMT
Yes, sat through the whole thing. It was 90 minutes, no interval.
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Post by showgirl on Oct 22, 2017 17:23:29 GMT
I'm confused - or missing an obvious joke - as the NT site says 2 hours 45?
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Post by profquatermass on Oct 22, 2017 17:25:28 GMT
Is this bad enough to trek all the way to the NT to return my ticket? I post my tickets back. That way you don't have to feel embarrassed about it... This is why I never get my tickets sent to me. That way you can return them online (very useful if you've picked up a comp as so often happens with NT productions now) |
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Post by peggs on Oct 22, 2017 17:29:19 GMT
Well I spent the first ten mins or so thinking well this is mad but quite nice mad and I like a bit of pyrotechnics and hair flourishing. The line that amused Ryan similarly amused me and I quite fancied Dragon outfit part 2. Oh a bit of revolve action as well. So yes the end didn't really work and it wasn't my normal play of choice but it entertained and I had a nice lunch catch up with friend so ok from me.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2017 17:42:34 GMT
Having returned to this thread, I feel less guilt about offing the Dragon for The Ferryman. I may have heartily disliked Ferryman but I feel I possibly got more from that than I would have this.
Shame though, poor Heff, poor NT.
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Post by kathryn on Oct 22, 2017 22:07:17 GMT
The latter is the inherent problem with writing an allegorical play about the problem of the human condition The play is about England. It's obviously not just about England. It says nothing particular about Englishness at all. |
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Post by kathryn on Oct 22, 2017 22:08:44 GMT
I'm confused - or missing an obvious joke - as the NT site says 2 hours 45? He left at the interval. |
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Post by dlevi on Oct 23, 2017 3:47:31 GMT
I saw it Saturday afternoon and there were maybe 300 of us scattered throughout the house. I thought it was pretty awful. One of those plays which shouldn't have been let out of the studio. John Heferrnan tried valiantly ( as a Knight should) but all was in vain. The play had some funny moments and some witty ones but the rest I found to be a lot of work. Mr Mullarkey is still a promising playwright, but this nearly 3 hour opus could've been trimmed to just under an hour and offered us the allegory much more successfully and effectively as well as a sense of bouyancy which would make the whole enterprise go down well. This is a huge misfire on the part of the Norris regime. Not that Hytner was perfect but he could be tough and not allow sh*t to come from the studio to the main stage. There had to have been a point a few months ago when the plug needed to be pulled on this. Lyndsey Turner did nothing with the material and even failed in her usually successful collaboration with her design team. What a botch!
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Post by showgirl on Oct 23, 2017 4:26:12 GMT
Unsuccessful productions like this must be bad, not only for the audience and theatre but also for the playwright's development - how do they move on and which directors and venues will want to take a chance on their next work - assuming they continue writing? Trying in vain to think of examples. I know Richard Bean had a blip at the NT but not as bad and he was more established at the time.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2017 8:44:46 GMT
I do feel sorry for Norris.
I know he has the final say of what goes in during his tenure as AD but he has the weight of history on his shoulders and a quick look at the cluster of predecessors would be enough to put anyone ever taking on the position.
That said, he is the man at the top and although I strongly disagreed with the criticism aimed at Salomé and thought Common was better than most critics suggested, the truth is that they weren't well received and have been succeeded by a play so awful that I felt embarrassed to be a member of the National when I left at the interval at the first preview.
He is trying to build his own legacy but he is failing drastically and the new season could be the make or break for him. If it is received as poorly it surely makes his position untenable?
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Post by Jan on Oct 23, 2017 8:59:06 GMT
The new season looks mixed. “Exit the King” is the only sure-fire flop on paper.
Norris has never directed a comedy and doesn’t seem to have much of a sense of humour, maybe that’s why he struggles to pick good plays that are supposed to be funny.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Oct 23, 2017 9:18:26 GMT
300 in the audience ?
Will this play it’s entire run? Has the Nash pulled a piece mid run before ?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2017 9:24:50 GMT
300 in the audience ? Will this play it’s entire run? Has the Nash pulled a piece mid run before ? Again, I think Greenland ended earlier than intended...! Also didn't Afterlife by Michael Frayn crash and get a shorter run than intended? I really liked it but mine was a minority opinion. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2017 9:25:36 GMT
I know they've sometimes not extended a show, but I don't know about pulling one prior to the end of the currently announced dates. George never had the option for extension though, it was always going to close on 2nd December. Let's see if it'll last the next six(ish) weeks!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2017 9:28:11 GMT
I know they've sometimes not extended a show, but I don't know about pulling one prior to the end of the currently announced dates. George never had the option for extension though, it was always going to close on 2nd December. Let's see if it'll last the next six(ish) weeks! To be fair, if you look online (which I was bored enough to do on Friday afternoon), it's reasonably well sold - at least half the seats are gone for most performances. Whether people actually turn up/stay for the full performance is another thing, of course. |
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Post by peggs on Oct 23, 2017 12:33:25 GMT
I was there sat afternoon and there were more than 300 there, isn't the Olivier capacity something around 1100? There were no where near 800 empty seats. The sides of the circle were pretty empty and the edges of the stalls and there were empty seats dotted around including even front row £15 ones (does the National have a policy of not moving people and say filling the stalls rather than leaving everyone dotted around?). It is probably the emptiest I've ever see it but I've been in much emptier a theatre.
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Post by Jan on Oct 23, 2017 13:02:26 GMT
I know they've sometimes not extended a show, but I don't know about pulling one prior to the end of the currently announced dates. George never had the option for extension though, it was always going to close on 2nd December. Let's see if it'll last the next six(ish) weeks! To be fair, if you look online (which I was bored enough to do on Friday afternoon), it's reasonably well sold - at least half the seats are gone for most performances. Whether people actually turn up/stay for the full performance is another thing, of course. I would not be sure that the availability you see on-line is the real availability - I know at the Barbican they show less seats available on-line than they do if you go to the box office in person - there's a discussion on it over in another thread somewhere. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2017 13:52:57 GMT
The play is about England. It's obviously not just about England. It says nothing particular about Englishness at all. I disagree! It's specifically about a place in England which changes over time but is peopled by the same stock English characters. And it's an extended and complex riff on the myth of the patron saint of England. The rational way to experience this play is to consider what it is saying about England. |
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Post by profquatermass on Oct 23, 2017 13:56:52 GMT
To be fair, if you look online (which I was bored enough to do on Friday afternoon), it's reasonably well sold - at least half the seats are gone for most performances. Whether people actually turn up/stay for the full performance is another thing, of course. I would not be sure that the availability you see on-line is the real availability - I know at the Barbican they show less seats available on-line than they do if you go to the box office in person - there's a discussion on it over in another thread somewhere. When I saw it last week I looked up at the circle from the front of the stalls just before curtain up and saw huge swathes of seats at the side empty. Online booking for tonight would have you beleive those are all sold which could mean a very unlucky coach party or it could mean they've all been handed out to the papering organisations. Or they could just just want to fill the stalls as less depressing for the actors. But there is no way they've all sold to individuals |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2017 14:04:54 GMT
Online booking for tonight would have you beleive those are all sold No, it wouldn't. Online booking always shows what is offered for sale online. |
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Post by rmechanical on Oct 23, 2017 14:12:42 GMT
I'm reminded of the old joke----
I rang the box office to find out when it starts
and they replied
When can you get here
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Post by jasper on Oct 23, 2017 17:18:25 GMT
I know they've sometimes not extended a show, but I don't know about pulling one prior to the end of the currently announced dates. George never had the option for extension though, it was always going to close on 2nd December. Let's see if it'll last the next six(ish) weeks! To be fair, if you look online (which I was bored enough to do on Friday afternoon), it's reasonably well sold - at least half the seats are gone for most performances. Whether people actually turn up/stay for the full performance is another thing, of course. I remember a play called Thee and Me at the Lyttelton. It opened on the Thursday to very disappointing notices and was pulled quickly. It was replaced by Death of a Salesman that was already in production and was a huge hit. Thee and Me ran for 16 performances including previews. I think this is pulling of poorly received plays is not limited to the National. I remember the RSC put on the Female Pirates the Aldwych in 1978. This opened to poor reviews and was pulled making way for As You Like It which I think the audience did. |
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