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Post by callum on Nov 11, 2017 12:08:10 GMT
Great review Steve. Definitely the most thought-provoking show of the year. Love your take that it's going back to the absolute genesis of the horror show news media we live in now. Even though it's extremely 70s, it is so timely. Looking forward to reading others' thoughts here as they see the play. I thought dated not timely We are all going to die anyway The play is arrogant in exaggerating The importance of people So what if they are controlled And watch TV And are submissive The average human doesn’t even live 100 years It’s insignificant The montage at the end of the curtain call shows what happens when people are controlled by their TV.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2017 13:05:06 GMT
I thought dated not timely We are all going to die anyway The play is arrogant in exaggerating The importance of people So what if they are controlled And watch TV And are submissive The average human doesn’t even live 100 years It’s insignificant The montage at the end of the curtain call shows what happens when people are controlled by their TV. It was just a chance for the pathetic Self entitled NT audience To cheer Obama And boo Trump Obama did such a good job That his nation voted Trump in directly after
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Post by Jan on Nov 11, 2017 13:10:52 GMT
I thought dated not timely We are all going to die anyway The play is arrogant in exaggerating The importance of people So what if they are controlled And watch TV And are submissive The average human doesn’t even live 100 years It’s insignificant The montage at the end of the curtain call shows what happens when people are controlled by their TV. You are controlled by the TV, and media in general, too. There's not a single thing you know about, say, Obama that hasn't been filtered through numerous intermediaries all with their own opinions and agenda before it reached you. I suspect what you really mean is that you think only people who have opposing views to your own are being controlled by the media.
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Post by callum on Nov 11, 2017 14:27:03 GMT
@parsley and @drjanbrock - there is absolutely no equivalency between Trump and Obama over who has most conflated (as the characters in the play do) news and entertainment.
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Post by callum on Nov 11, 2017 14:31:05 GMT
Or rather Trump is *responsible* for the media's conflation of news and entertainment.
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Post by Cardinal Pirelli on Nov 11, 2017 16:03:36 GMT
@parsley and @drjanbrock - there is absolutely no equivalency between Trump and Obama over who has most conflated (as the characters in the play do) news and entertainment. Indeed. In fact Trump is a ‘character’ pretty much created through the conflation of fact and reality. So called reality television made him. Compare that to someone who became known through making people’s lives better through effecting political change, rather than conning them and screwing the over, and anyone still responding with whataboutery looks pretty empty. I can only imagine that they prefer the Trump model of life.
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Post by floorshow on Nov 11, 2017 19:21:14 GMT
Trump is a ‘character’ pretty much created through the conflation of fact and reality. I think you may mean bullsh*t, not fact
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Post by sf on Nov 12, 2017 22:42:45 GMT
I saw it on Saturday afternoon. I am generally somewhat resistant to gimmicky directorial tricks (I booked because of the source material and Bryan Cranston), but I loved it. It's a very smart adaptation of the screenplay, and Ivo van Hove delivers a terrific, gripping show about the way we consume media, or perhaps the way media consumes us. Bryan Cranston's performance is superb, Michelle Dockery's two facial expressions serve her far better here, playing a psychopath, than they did in 'Downton Abbey', and there's also excellent work from Douglas Henshall and Tunji Kasim. You certainly get the full Ivo van Hove (including a couple of effects he also used in 'Lazarus'), but the directorial flourishes all serve a purpose, and all add to the whole. It's sharp, viciously satirical, enormous fun, and - as others have said - a spectacular theatrical experience. I went sceptical, and thought it was absolutely stunning.
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Post by Jan on Nov 13, 2017 8:05:49 GMT
@parsley and @drjanbrock - there is absolutely no equivalency between Trump and Obama over who has most conflated (as the characters in the play do) news and entertainment. Probably, but just as an example the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Obama after 8 months in office is an example where facts come a long way second to opinion.
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Post by Honoured Guest on Nov 13, 2017 9:00:17 GMT
@parsley and @drjanbrock - there is absolutely no equivalency between Trump and Obama over who has most conflated (as the characters in the play do) news and entertainment. Probably, but just as an example the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Obama after 8 months in office is an example where facts come a long way second to opinion. What do you mean? Do you want us all to consider how we think that the award of the Nobel Peace Prize should ideally have been covered by News media and by Entertainment media, and to compare this with the actual media coverage of this award?
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Post by raiseitup on Nov 13, 2017 23:16:56 GMT
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Post by lonlad on Nov 13, 2017 23:31:00 GMT
Was there as well tonight. Pretty brilliant. One casting misstep but it doesn't affect the whole and Cranston is wonderful. So is Richard Cordery.
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Post by raiseitup on Nov 14, 2017 9:58:08 GMT
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Post by dani on Nov 14, 2017 11:21:48 GMT
Was there as well tonight. Pretty brilliant. One casting misstep but it doesn't affect the whole and Cranston is wonderful. So is Richard Cordery. What is the casting misstep? Douglas Henshall?
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Post by dani on Nov 14, 2017 11:25:14 GMT
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Post by sf on Nov 14, 2017 12:13:39 GMT
Was there as well tonight. Pretty brilliant. One casting misstep but it doesn't affect the whole and Cranston is wonderful. So is Richard Cordery. What is the casting misstep? Douglas Henshall? Michelle Dockery? I thought her innate blankness worked in the role, but - as I said somewhere else - she seems to build her entire performance around two facial expressions. (But then, she usually does.)
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Nov 14, 2017 13:27:30 GMT
I disliked Dockery's performance. She seemed unable to deliver a single line without flapping her hands about like some village am-dramer. Distracting.
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Post by lonlad on Nov 14, 2017 15:33:28 GMT
Indeed, Dockery. Awful.
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Post by theatreliker on Nov 14, 2017 16:25:05 GMT
I really liked it. Although, not being a fan of gunshots, this year has given quite a few.
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Post by nash16 on Nov 14, 2017 17:04:30 GMT
What is the casting misstep? Douglas Henshall? Michelle Dockery? I thought her innate blankness worked in the role, but - as I said somewhere else - she seems to build her entire performance around two facial expressions. (But then, she usually does.) Agree about Dockery. She didn't seem to have the natural drive or fire of Diana. Also Tunji Kasim failed for us. He lacked the gravitas and presence to give the required status to that part. We did see an early preview, but would be interested if others felt the same about him. Most tricky in the head-to-heads with Cranston, who even when defeated managed to look stronger than Kasim. Couldn't fault the rest of them.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2017 17:12:47 GMT
Good heavens, are people still employing Tunji Kasim? I have to assume he's an absolute delight to have in the rehearsal room, because they cannot be casting him on the grounds of acting ability.
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Post by sf on Nov 14, 2017 17:46:36 GMT
Michelle Dockery? I thought her innate blankness worked in the role, but - as I said somewhere else - she seems to build her entire performance around two facial expressions. (But then, she usually does.) Agree about Dockery. She didn't seem to have the natural drive or fire of Diana. Also Tunji Kasim failed for us. He lacked the gravitas and presence to give the required status to that part. We did see an early preview, but would be interested if others felt the same about him. Most tricky in the head-to-heads with Cranston, who even when defeated managed to look stronger than Kasim. Couldn't fault the rest of them. I liked Kasim in this - though again, that's partly because I thought he brought a certain blankness to it that worked for the character (a soulless, amoral high-level corporate drone).
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Post by nash16 on Nov 14, 2017 21:58:27 GMT
Good heavens, are people still employing Tunji Kasim? I have to assume he's an absolute delight to have in the rehearsal room, because they cannot be casting him on the grounds of acting ability. Good to know we're not the only ones who struggled with him. The other young actor in it had about 3 lines but acted him off the stage. I was like Give him Tunji's part instead and we'll be fine.
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Post by adambloodworth on Nov 15, 2017 0:48:49 GMT
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Post by Stephen on Nov 15, 2017 3:13:22 GMT
I really liked it. Although, not being a fan of gunshots, this year has given quite a few. I'm the same...lots of loud ones? Saw the crowd coming out from tonights performance. Looked like they loved it. Mr Cranston was very chatty to people afterwards too!
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Post by callum on Nov 15, 2017 13:44:03 GMT
Not many gunshots and happens extremely quickly iirc
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Post by Mark on Dec 13, 2017 19:59:59 GMT
Can anybody tell me where the Friday rush tickets tend to be in the Lyttleton? I'm hoping to bag some tickets in the weekly release
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Post by nash16 on Dec 13, 2017 23:25:52 GMT
Can anybody tell me where the Friday rush tickets tend to be in the Lyttleton? I'm hoping to bag some tickets in the weekly release Back 2 rows of the Circle.
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Post by callum on Dec 14, 2017 0:37:05 GMT
Cranston definitely living it up while Pinocchio is getting started in the Lyttleton - he's guest hosting James Corden's show in Los Angeles tonight! Always wondered whether big American stars go home during the middle of runs over here, especially when they're playing in rep.
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Post by Honoured Guest on Dec 14, 2017 7:19:48 GMT
Always wondered whether big American stars go home during the middle of runs over here, especially when they're playing in rep. Playing in rep??!! Network had three performances straight after the press night and then none at all for four and a half weeks. It's technically in the rep, but it's not playing.
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