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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2016 19:46:36 GMT
An interesting read, thanks HG. I'm all for 'cutting out the extraneous', so on that score it seems like Kane and I would agree. What I notice about that article is that everyone is heavily focusing on form and content. There's very little about character - which, for me, is the main joy of theatre and, indeed, writing.
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Post by Ade on Feb 20, 2016 21:26:38 GMT
One person feinted tonight. Up in the gallery and also during the dance scene. He was also the last person to take his seat.....
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2016 21:31:37 GMT
This is well directed and performed
Kane is not easy to pull off
Much of her extremity just comes across as comical on stage and it would all work much better on film
Odd decisions such as people having sex in a chair but with toally ridiculous and unbelievable positioning
Others getting limbs severed but making little or no noise expressing pain
All these are staging limitations and are never going to work well in live theatre
Too often it might even look funny
I am sure Kane will get a much wider audience than ever before with this revival as the NT demographic will be tricked into seeing it due to the pure face it is programmed here
The fact remains having seen her plays multiple times she had actual little to say for herself and seemed rather limited in exploring more than one way to express her ideas
Interesting how the programme says "she died"
Had she remained alive I wonder what else she would have come up with
And if she would have liked Bend It Like Beckham
Not to speak ill of the dead but I think KM is a much better director many times over than Kane was a playwright and I fail to see why she would want to direct any work of hers. Particularly as her "NT comeback"
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Post by Boob on Feb 20, 2016 22:27:49 GMT
They should have got Russell Tovey (shirtless) in this too. Imagine how many more fainters there'd be.
I remember being in a Sarah Kane play once upon a time. I had to cook a penis on a barbecue.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2016 23:12:08 GMT
They should have got Russell Tovey (shirtless) in this too. Imagine how many more fainters there'd be. I remember being in a Sarah Kane play once upon a time. I had to cook a penis on a barbecue. Yes They did this at Barbican They chop it off and griddle it Phaedras Love It was a good production One of the Penry Jones And it's her "best play" Comparatively speaking
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Post by theatremadness on Feb 20, 2016 23:14:08 GMT
Had to read Blasted at drama school. Couldn't get to Sheffield for the recent revival - I think subconsciously maybe I didn't want to! Plus the fact that my head could not get round the image of Richard Wilson directing it. Unsure whether to give Cleansed a go, but since I could go on the cheap with an Entry Pass maybe I should broaden my horizons!
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Post by foxa on Feb 20, 2016 23:53:05 GMT
I liked my seat very much - R31 in the gallery.
But I'll wait until tomorrow to post more....
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Post by Ade on Feb 20, 2016 23:55:26 GMT
I liked my seat very much - R31 in the gallery. But I'll wait until tomorrow to post more.... You weren't far from me at all. I was R43. Agree that the seat was great. No sound issues and perfect view.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Feb 20, 2016 23:59:09 GMT
I doubt She Would Have liked Bend it Like Beckham I'm intrigued by the reaction to this (I know nothing about this play) but it's making me a bit scared to go.. This is well directed and performed Kane is not easy to pull off Much of her extremity just comes across as comical on stage and it would all work much better on film Odd decisions such as people having sex in a chair but with toally ridiculous and unbelievable positioning Others getting limbs severed but making little or no noise expressing pain All these are staging limitations and are never going to work well in live theatre Too often it might even look funny I am sure Kane will get a much wider audience than ever before with this revival as the NT demographic will be tricked into seeing it due to the pure face it is programmed here The fact remains having seen her plays multiple times she had actual little to say for herself and seemed rather limited in exploring more than one way to express her ideas Interesting how the programme says "she died" Had she remained alive I wonder what else she would have come up with And if she would have liked Bend It Like Beckham Not to speak ill of the dead but I think KM is a much better director many times over than Kane was a playwright and I fail to see why she would want to direct any work of hers. Particularly as her "NT comeback"
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Post by MrBunbury on Feb 21, 2016 8:39:35 GMT
I liked my seat very much - R31 in the gallery. But I'll wait until tomorrow to post more.... You weren't far from me at all. I was R43. Agree that the seat was great. No sound issues and perfect view. You were at the beginning of the same row where I was probably: I was in R67 and I could hear and see well (I lost a bit of the left corner but I could see all the important details...). I did not realize that someone had fainted. It was my first Sarah Kane's play: bleak as expected but rather interesting. Michelle Terry is very brave in this: I had only seen her in very different roles.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2016 9:24:43 GMT
They should have got Russell Tovey (shirtless) in this too. Imagine how many more fainters there'd be. I remember being in a Sarah Kane play once upon a time. I had to cook a penis on a barbecue. Yes They did this at Barbican They chop it off and griddle it Phaedras Love It was a good production One of the Penry Jones And it's her "best play" Comparatively speaking I saw Phaedra's Love at the Barbican as well - the only Kane play I've seen so far and I thought it was a bit adolescent and shallow. There was no characterisation or development, it was just people running around, shouting at high volume and being stupendously violent, which fairly quickly lost its impact and became slightly ridiculous. Am I missing something/being too elderly? Would genuinely like some insight before I see Cleansed!
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Post by Ade on Feb 21, 2016 9:27:00 GMT
You weren't far from me at all. I was R43. Agree that the seat was great. No sound issues and perfect view. You were at the beginning of the same row where I was probably: I was in R67 and I could hear and see well (I lost a bit of the left corner but I could see all the important details...). I did not realize that someone had fainted. It was my first Sarah Kane's play: bleak as expected but rather interesting. Michelle Terry is very brave in this: I had only seen her in very different roles. Plenty of us in last night then! After having the night to digest it, I've decided I'd really have enjoyed it if I'd understood it more. Definitely an interesting one! Have to say that the violence was far more tame than I was expecting. There was barely any blood and everything was quite hidden, so personally didn't find it all that shocking in that sense. Full thoughts on the blog if anyone is interested... thewestendwanderer.wordpress.com/2016/02/21/review-cleansed-national-theatre-london/
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2016 10:31:31 GMT
Yes They did this at Barbican They chop it off and griddle it Phaedras Love It was a good production One of the Penry Jones And it's her "best play" Comparatively speaking I saw Phaedra's Love at the Barbican as well - the only Kane play I've seen so far and I thought it was a bit adolescent and shallow. There was no characterisation or development, it was just people running around, shouting at high volume and being stupendously violent, which fairly quickly lost its impact and became slightly ridiculous. Am I missing something/being too elderly? Would genuinely like some insight before I see Cleansed! No This is the general level and standard of her playwrighting Never any character or plot development Of course after she died this was seen as a radical new way of theatre The truth is that she is far from a good playwright but had some interesting ideas Unfortunately the shock value has declined with time
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Post by DebbieDoesDouglas(Hodge) on Feb 21, 2016 10:55:16 GMT
I was in R40 when I saw it! Great mind think the same row!
I like SK's plays. If u read Cleasnsed u will see there is a bit of humour that this production really skims over, like the scene between the 2 male lovers- I shat myself laughing when I read it but they played it down
Definitely some of the interest in her must be in the way she died. It appeals to my darker side that she did these 5 plays (which get less violent as they go on) and then killed herself, it's almost (probably very misplaced on my part) romantic, the artist with limited work choosing to end her life
But I do like the plays. Had she had lived then I'd thought she would be a kind of C Churchill type person
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Post by foxa on Feb 21, 2016 11:59:03 GMT
Yes R31 was a pleasant surprise - on the end of the row so I could stick my coat and drink beside me rather than under my chair plus had a nice chat with the usher who was on a little fold up seat near me (I think he was worried I was going to be a fainter - he said he hadn't seen it yet but to prepare myself for anything.) View and sound were fine - a little distance might improve this experience. After the tongue scene I was aware of a kerfuffle in the SL side gallery, the nice usher rushed off and (I think) fetched a St. John's Ambulance person and a couple of people speedily left. There was also one other walk out about ten minutes later. However it was all done very quietly - if it is a plant it wouldn't seem worth it as I would imagine most of the audience wouldn't be aware of it. House lights didn't come up. Show Report: Running time: 1 hour 40 Nudity: Lots, varied. Violence: Lots. Some not for the squeamish, some almost comic book ridiculous. Ice Cream: No interval. Not really an ice cream sort of show. I braced myself with a white wine spritzer which set me back £7.75 Dogs: None - and this would have been enlivened by some canine presence. Set: Excellent - perhaps my favourite thing. I wonder if it was inspired by Dorothea Tanning? " uploads5.wikiart.org/images/dorothea-tanning/eine-kleine-nachtmusik-1943.jpg" Performances: Good, as mentioned above, incredibly committed. Michelle Terry, of course, excellent - raw, almost feral. Also special mention to Graham Butler - fantastic movement. If you want someone to walk backwards in slow motion down some stairs, he's the man for you. Takeaway message: Ah, here's the problem. Beyond 'Welcome to my nightmare' I'm not sure. Audience reaction: Mixed - the person next to me said 'That was horrendous, thank god I was drunk for it.' Someone in the foyer was jokingly asking if anyone fancied some chocolate. Applause was warm. I was glad to have seen it as I felt Kane was a gap in my theatre-going experience, but I didn't love it. Some of the music/movement was compelling. The parts I enjoyed most were more like watching an art installation/performance. At an hour forty it had somewhat outstayed its welcome with me.
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Post by dave on Feb 21, 2016 18:42:26 GMT
Saw this on Saturday night. Still not sure what to make of it, but somehow don't think I'll be rushing to see more Sarah Kane any time soon.
Anyone booking or turning up at the venue should not be unaware of the graphic violence warnings. However the tongue scene about 30 mins in did make me consider leaving as I suddenly felt quite faint and nauseous - a new (and frankly unpleasant) experience for this regular theatregoer. However I persisted with the show and the following scenes didn't have the same very strong effect. Perhaps you just become immune.
It possibly didn't help that I had a fairly close up view from row D, as the National had at the last minute upgraded my booked seat which had been reclassified as restricted view.
Interesting to read that others had fainted/left at the same point. The extreme violence seemed to come from nowhere and the confusing play meant you had no idea what was going on or any reason for what you were seeing.
Can't wait to read the press reaction later this week...!
It did make me think of one of the most memorable productions I've ever seen - 'Mercury Fur' at Trafalgar Studios 2 a few years back. Drugs and sadistic child murder in a claustrophobic environment was far more acceptable, as the violence was largely offstage and (more importantly?) the plot could be followed and you actually identified with the characters being portrayed.
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Post by MrBunbury on Feb 22, 2016 11:02:36 GMT
I forgot to ask if the others who were at the Dorfman on Saturday night saw Katie Mitchell. She was in the foyer when I arrived and when I entered she smiled and came towards me. Then she put a hand on my shoulder and I thought: "How friendly!". It was only when she continued to walk towards the door that I realised she was trying to reach a friend of hers that was behind me. At least I can say that I was touched by Katie Mitchell, which put me in a good mood )
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Post by Honoured Guest on Feb 22, 2016 11:05:05 GMT
When the friend spotted KM approaching, did they start to walk backwards?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2016 11:38:45 GMT
Also special mention to Graham Butler - fantastic movement. If you want someone to walk backwards in slow motion down some stairs, he's the man for you. "You know you're at a Katie Mitchell production when..."
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Post by MrBunbury on Feb 22, 2016 11:51:29 GMT
When the friend spotted KM approaching, did they start to walk backwards? No, he was limping so probably he could not do that for that specific reason...
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Post by n1david on Feb 22, 2016 12:51:46 GMT
Cleansed by Sarah Kane or Touched by Katie Mitchell... there's a tough choice...
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Post by MrBunbury on Feb 22, 2016 13:18:01 GMT
Cleansed by Sarah Kane or Touched by Katie Mitchell... there's a tough choice... Haha, being shoved away by Katie Mitchell was less traumatic.
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Post by theatreliker on Feb 24, 2016 13:24:57 GMT
I'm surprised how naturalistic it looks really. When reading it I imagined a more fluid use of space with little set.
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Post by foxa on Feb 24, 2016 17:04:18 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2016 17:26:39 GMT
Interesting to read the reviews for this, has given me a bit more insight into what I'm in for - I think I'll have to shut my eyes and put my fingers in my ears for some of it! I'd assume they'll be happy with the reviews - I doubt they'd want the Daily Mail not to be disgusted. I think it's more or less sold out, and a bit of bluster from Quentin Letts should help to sell the rest!
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Post by couldileaveyou on Feb 24, 2016 22:18:48 GMT
Just back from it! I knew the play before and so I knew what to expect. A part from that, there were people walking out, a lady in front of me fainted. But I think the noise I heard most frequently was yawns - I'm serious, can't people be polite enough not to yawn like f***ing lions?
It's an okay production, it has a lot of energy at the beginning, but it loses it along the way. And, funnily enough, some scenes were very explicit as the scripts needs, but others were very self-censored and the general impression was that the direction was trying to be shocking without too much convintion or, even worse, was trying to polish a brutal show.
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Post by mallardo on Feb 25, 2016 17:21:54 GMT
I couldn't tell you what this was really about but I was riveted for all 105 minutes and came away shaken to the core. I have always loved Michelle Terry but she is quite beyond praise in this - the bravest, most committed performance I have ever seen from an actress on stage.
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Post by peggs on Feb 25, 2016 19:14:17 GMT
I couldn't tell you what this was really about but I was riveted for all 105 minutes and came away shaken to the core. I have always loved Michelle Terry but she is quite beyond praise in this - the bravest, most committed performance I have ever seen from an actress on stage. Oh Mallardo if I didn't think i'd be a faint risk I'd go for that reason, I love Michelle Terry.
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Post by mallardo on Feb 26, 2016 9:50:55 GMT
I'll tell you, peggs, I was in the front row which, strangely, is the best place to be if the action onstage threatens to overwhelm you - because that close you can see some of the artifice, the pulled punches and kicks, the fact that the torturers are not doing what they seem to be doing. Further back it would all be much more real. Plus, Michelle Terry is onstage for virtually the whole play and you can keep your eyes on her when things get rough elsewhere.
My takeaway impression was not so much of individual acts, as outrageous as some are, but of the utter bleakness of the play's vision of the world - and of the courage and commitment of the actors to unwrapping it, level by level.
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Post by peggs on Feb 26, 2016 12:50:34 GMT
I'll tell you, peggs, I was in the front row which, strangely, is the best place to be if the action onstage threatens to overwhelm you - because that close you can see some of the artifice, the pulled punches and kicks, the fact that the torturers are not doing what they seem to be doing. Further back it would all be much more real. Plus, Michelle Terry is onstage for virtually the whole play and you can keep your eyes on her when things get rough elsewhere. My takeaway impression was not so much of individual acts, as outrageous as some are, but of the utter bleakness of the play's vision of the world - and of the courage and commitment of the actors to unwrapping it, level by level. Usually this is not at all the sort of thing that attracts me but I am now curious and not just because of MT. So I should perhaps try Friday rush, wear my contact lenses (glasses not good in case of fainting) and hope for the best?
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