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Post by crowblack on Jul 26, 2018 8:43:56 GMT
You talked about an under-representation of plays from Europe, not the EU. I meant the EU, because the lament went up after Brexit. That's what I found bizarre and ironic - we get the non-EU nordic playwrights, but rarely any EU ones as it is. London theatremakers are instead besotted with North America. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2018 9:17:27 GMT
You talked about an under-representation of plays from Europe, not the EU. I meant the EU, because the lament went up after Brexit. That's what I found bizarre and ironic - we get the non-EU nordic playwrights, but rarely any EU ones as it is. London theatremakers are instead besotted with North America. I find it interesting that when it comes to diversity for example North American writers of colour can sometimes receive more exposure than homegrown talents - Danai Gurira’s play The Convert is to be revived this year when it was only produced last year. Kwei-Armah has voiced the intent to restore to the canon works by black American authors.This when, according to reports, British writers of colour struggle to have their work represented let alone to have it revived. |
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Post by MrsCondomine on Jul 26, 2018 10:33:25 GMT
Interesting that the reviews are all over the place on this one.
Haven't yet seen a one-star for it...
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1,503 posts
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Post by foxa on Jul 26, 2018 14:14:28 GMT
I think the West End Whingers gave it one wine glass. :-)
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Post by MrsCondomine on Jul 26, 2018 14:55:21 GMT
I think the West End Whingers gave it one wine glass. :-) Hooray!! Cheers for the heads up foxa  Love the Whingers (or whichever one is currently not on sabbatical and is entertaining us with high bitchery). I just booked my ticket. Can't resist an antihero with long hair and flowing robes. |
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1,970 posts
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Post by sf on Jul 26, 2018 20:35:25 GMT
You talked about an under-representation of plays from Europe, not the EU. I meant the EU, because the lament went up after Brexit. That's what I found bizarre and ironic - we get the non-EU nordic playwrights, but rarely any EU ones as it is. London theatremakers are instead besotted with North America.
One reason, perhaps, is simply that plays from North America - mostly from the US, there's a whole seam of new Canadian writing that is barely seen at all in this country - usually don't need to be translated into English (with the obvious exception of work from Quebec, where there's a vibrant Francophone theatre scene and a lot of new work, not all of which gets translated into English).
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294 posts
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Post by dani on Jul 26, 2018 21:28:35 GMT
I've always enjoyed the Whingers, but they never really get anything experimental or avant-garde. This is a museum piece rather than a radical new theatrical proposition, but it's a manifestation of a tradition that's probably a long way from the Whingers' tastes. I thought it was a respectable attempt to do one of Ionesco's less admired plays, and Ifans is really something. I'm not convinced, like others here, by the idea of Patrick Marber as a director. This is the sort of play that calls out for Robert Icke.
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1,239 posts
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Post by nash16 on Jul 27, 2018 0:05:06 GMT
I've always enjoyed the Whingers, but they never really get anything experimental or avant-garde. This is a museum piece rather than a radical new theatrical proposition, but it's a manifestation of a tradition that's probably a long way from the Whingers' tastes. I thought it was a respectable attempt to do one of Ionesco's less admired plays, and Ifans is really something. I'm not convinced, like others here, by the idea of Patrick Marber as a director. This is the sort of play that calls out for Robert Icke. No play calls for Rob Icke's involvement... |
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Post by bordeaux on Jul 27, 2018 7:40:25 GMT
I'm not convinced, like others here, by the idea of Patrick Marber as a director. This is the sort of play that calls out for Robert Icke. Marber's production of The Caretaker with Gambon and the recent Travesties were both superb, as were his direction of his own first two plays, Dealer's Choice and Closer. |
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Post by Jan on Jul 27, 2018 8:16:58 GMT
I'm not convinced, like others here, by the idea of Patrick Marber as a director. This is the sort of play that calls out for Robert Icke. Marber's production of The Caretaker with Gambon and the recent Travesties were both superb, as were his direction of his own first two plays, Dealer's Choice and Closer. Small Studio theatres flatter directors. His adaptation Three Days in the Country in the Lyttelton was dismal and badly-directed and was rescued only by one brilliant performance. Giving him another main house production was never likely to work. This production should have been in the Dorfmann. |
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Post by dani on Jul 27, 2018 8:49:49 GMT
His adaptation Three Days in the Country in the Lyttelton was dismal and badly-directed and was rescued only by one brilliant performance. I agree completely. That said, I concede that Marber's production of Travesties was good. |
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Post by Jan on Jul 28, 2018 8:10:44 GMT
His adaptation Three Days in the Country in the Lyttelton was dismal and badly-directed and was rescued only by one brilliant performance. I agree completely. That said, I concede that Marber's production of Travesties was good. That originated at the Menier. It is a problem common to the NT and RSC that many directors like to direct in their small theatres but dislike (or refuse) to direct in their large theatres. This is because it is harder to do. It is one reason the new RST is based on a scaled-up Swan theatre, they thought more directors would be comfortable directing there. |
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Post by theatreliker on Jul 31, 2018 11:24:17 GMT
I have a ticket for this on Saturday. Tempted to see if I can return and see Home, I'm Darling or The Jungle or Consent. Any recommendations? Or is it worth seeing for this apparently great set change?
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Post by MrBunbury on Jul 31, 2018 12:16:11 GMT
I have a ticket for this on Saturday. Tempted to see if I can return and see Home, I'm Darling or The Jungle or Consent. Any recommendations? Or is it worth seeing for this apparently great set change? I would recommend to see The Jungle or Home, I'm darling, depending on the type of night you want (more politically-inclined or lighter and enjoyable). |
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Post by nash16 on Jul 31, 2018 22:48:18 GMT
I have a ticket for this on Saturday. Tempted to see if I can return and see Home, I'm Darling or The Jungle or Consent. Any recommendations? Or is it worth seeing for this apparently great set change? The set change really isn't the coup de theatre their writing about. It's just the set being removed piece by piece. But they obvs had to find something to write about. See Jungle or Home I'm... |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2018 22:33:08 GMT
I don’t think this is as bad as some people would have us believe.
It is worth it for the ending (although that sounds like faint praise.)
The play lacks tension and there probably isn’t quite enough going on so it flags towards the end. Rhys Ifans makes the most of his role. It is a bit panto, the maid’s in full “Mrs Overall” mode.
Absurdism is hard and this reaches but just doesn’t quite get there. But it’s certainly not dreadful.
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1,088 posts
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Post by andrew on Aug 3, 2018 22:41:59 GMT
I was really struck by the ending, but no the play is not worth sitting through to see it.
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1,250 posts
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Post by joem on Aug 4, 2018 17:43:29 GMT
Well it took me years to get to see this and I'm not going to complain but after a promising beginning it does get monotonous and labours whatever point it is making.
A good performance from Rhys Ifans, visually and vocally very interesting, and Indira Varma is convincing too with some nice touches from the versatile Adrian Scarborough but, like many plays from this genre, this is something which could have been done in a one-act play.
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1,088 posts
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Post by andrew on Aug 4, 2018 22:47:32 GMT
like many plays from this genre, this is something which could have been done in a one-act play. But... it... it is a one act play...? |
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Post by NeilVHughes on Aug 5, 2018 7:44:17 GMT
Rhys Ifans was magnificent, totally dominated the stage, made the Olivier feel like a Studio Theatre (advantage of sitting row C next to the walkway)
Play kept my interest throughout and the ending was sublime as everything melted away into darkness.
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1,250 posts
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Post by joem on Aug 5, 2018 22:37:34 GMT
like many plays from this genre, this is something which could have been done in a one-act play. But... it... it is a one act play...? It is 100 minutes long. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2018 22:55:51 GMT
With no interval. If you think it cpuld be shorter, fair enough, but it's weird to say it should be a one act play when it *is* a one act play. That's like getting cross at Les Mis because you think it would be better if it were a musical.....
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1,250 posts
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Post by joem on Aug 5, 2018 23:48:50 GMT
With no interval. If you think it cpuld be shorter, fair enough, but it's weird to say it should be a one act play when it *is* a one act play. That's like getting cross at Les Mis because you think it would be better if it were a musical..... It has sometimes been presented in two parts - which is understandable given its length - and sometimes without an interval. . There are differences between one-act plays and plays which entail a full evening's "entertainment" in commercial terms. The National is charging its normal prices here, I believe. One-act play festivals will rarely accept anything longer than fifty minutes and almost never a play which exceeds sixty minutes. If you want to consider Exit the King a one-act play because it is sometimes presented without an interval that's fine but if you were to stage King Lear without an interval that, for me, wouldn't be enough to consider it a one-act play. Semantics aside, the point for me at least is that despite its length it does not develop beyond the original premise and the playwright (as is the case for me with many absurdist plays) could have said the same thing in the length of a normal one-act play. It is an idea stretched out over the length of a play with little variety in tone content. |
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Post by andrew on Aug 7, 2018 21:10:56 GMT
It is an idea stretched out over the length of a play with little variety in tone or content. Hear hear! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2018 8:57:19 GMT
Well. I enjoyed this for the first bit (it's all very jolly japes and rather amusing) and then it gets a bit dull and repetitive for a bit and then the ending is really rather lovely (visually if nothing else) despite Indira Varma doing a bit too much "whoosh" acting for my liking. Strangely she also picks "things" up with one hand in a ball. I don't think she'd have got very far as a removals expert to be honest.
The set originally looks like something that was left over from a cheap touring production of 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' but then it redeems itself hugely with the denouement. Rhys Ifans is really rather good and it's nice to see 'Play School's Derek Griffiths at The Nash. Shame he didn't seem to bring Jemima and Big Ted with him though. But for me, it was all about Indira Varma. Such star presence, I couldn't take my eyes off her. That could have been something to do with coveting her fabulous tiara but I think it was more to do with her. I think she probably thought that she left the "I'm picking something heavy up and throwing it away" mimes back at drama school but she coped manfully with it. And quite frankly she simply looked gorgeous with a capital GORGEOUS. Someone needs to cast her in the next production of 'Private Lives' right away.
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