All About Eve - Noel Coward Theatre

Tonight's performance was much improved from Monday's. Changes have been made, there seems to be a little more action on the actual stage, and the ending is much better. Gillian too seems much more at ease in the role, while Lily was great as always (she sounds like she has a cold!) and Monica killed it once again. I'm still not entirely connecting with it, but it was more enjoyable than the first time. Interesting crowd sitting near me though, those who didn't walk out or spend the entire time filming or taking photos were very restless, although the reception to the actors at the end was very warm and enthusiastic. I'm interested in what reception it'll get from the critics next week.

Where were you sitting? The ushers in the stalls seemed very vigilant, everyone around me was engrossed and only one person got up to go to the bathroom in the entire half of the stalls I could see in front of me (I was Row O). The only thing that distracted me was the lack of rake that meant I had to keep moving my head to peer around the head that kept moving in front of me!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the play and think the current ending works (though some might argue it is a bit cliched or too obvious) - I'd be intrigued to know what the ending originally was, at least I can now safely read back through the thread. I did think some of the dialogue was a bit overblown and stating the obvious, and some of the additional screen use a bit too much, with some awkward camera work going on. It is very effective at other points though, particularly in the ladies room scene towards the end.

The cast are uniformly excellent - Monica Dolan is indeed superb, and Gillian Anderson also very good (though I agree with whoever said she was better in Streetcar). Lily James was the highlight for me - I admit it took me a while to not be a bit distracted by her accent, as it's practically the same one she used for Mamma Mia 2 and does occasionally slip back into an English one momentarily, but from a slow burning start (which seemed to be deliberate and worked for the character), she hit her stride in the second half as her character gets more development and really is wonderful towards the end. And she sings beautifully while keeping it in character.

I'm not sure this will get complete raves - it manages to be both experimental and entirely predictable at the same time, the background music is a bit much in places and the transitions between scenes are often too long, but the cast deserve to get very good notices and I expect the reviews to be positive on the whole. I'd give it 4 stars.

I was sat up in the circle, thankfully near the front so I could see the screens. Quite a few people had toilet breaks, but there were two guys near me who left and didn't come back. The phones were everywhere, and conveniently they didn't see the staff trying to warn them, so they kept on filming! (staff were really good but the people were dead centre so they couldn't get to them).I completely agree about the background music, there was one scene tonight where it sounded so loud that I struggled to hear some of the dialogue. I echo your rating, tonight I felt was four stars, it was good despite a lack of connection but the other night it would have just scraped three. If it could tighten up a little, lose a little more camera work and make a few more subtle changes I think it could be great.

Has van Hove become too fixated on using video? His Angels and his A View from the Bridge stripped all artifice from the props and staging and were both devastatingly compelling in their simplicity.

in the same way that artificial light and the ability to manipulate it changed theatre we are beginning to experience a new change, where the artificial barriers between different media are broken down, merged, switched etc.

The advent of dimmable gas lighting led Wagner to wanting a darkened auditorium, with Henry Irving following a couple of years after. Both realising that it would enhance the illusions that they wanted to create. This separation of stage and auditorium changed plays and the acting too, allowing for realism and fourth wall as opposed to the overt theatricality employed previously. That never completely eliminated what came previously and there isn't any chance of what we have now completely disappearing yet, either.

Now, however, we have two artforms, able to inhabit the same space. Screens are no longer bleached out by more powerful stage lighting, digital media allows for instant projection at a very high resolution and, just as importantly, the audience are well versed in the differing languages of both screen and live performance.

It's an exciting time and, although I won't be around to see even greater changes to come, it's fascinating to see how theatre, playwriting, directing and acting are scrambling to catch up. The lack of critical vocabulary is an issue at the moment, the old specialisms and divisions of criticism are lagging behind. Directors like Van Hove and Mitchell are the vanguard, testing things out, succeeding, sometimes failing but they have made a start.

I really echo "frostys" comments here. Monica Dolan is the standout performer and totally agree about the lack of chemistry between her and Rashan Stone as her playwright husband. Lily James is very good but I found Ms Anderson far too languid overall and even from the fourth row struggled to hear her at times (AND she was miked!) Sheila Reid is similarly underpowered. The entire production lacks pace and the really annoying use of music is misplaced (as is the song - bizarre). I found the use of the video distracting overall and simply did not understand why everyone was crammed into the kitchen for the party scene (flashback to similarly ridiculous moments in COMPANY). It's a great and intriguing story deserving of a First Class production which this ultimately does not deliver. It needs a good ten minutes shaved off the time which, with some tighter direction should be altogether possible.

Well. I found this very frustrating, it's far too long, too tricksy and some parts are buttock-numbingly dull but then you get some flashes of brilliance. I thought the best performance came from Lily James, who I thought was terrific even when she's in the background, just watching and planning. And when Eve turns, she's pretty psychotic but Lily doesn't really overplay it (this ain't no 'Fatal Attraction' [sadly]), she was quite chilling I thought. Gillian Anderson was more disappointing I thought, she looks utterly sensational swanning around in a selection of red outfits and her lack of vanity at times is admirable but you struggle to hear her sometimes and most shamefully, seeing as Margo gets some absolutely fabulous lines, she barks out her lines in the same monotonous tone as though she only discovered the script 5 minutes before going on. But then there are some absolutely glorious moments, mostly when she's reacting and not speaking and some wondrous looks. I can't quite decide if it's a dreadful performance or not (although she does improve a little after the drunken scene (which she's great in actually).

On the plus side you do get Julian Ovenden in a lovely selection of very snug outfits (God bless you An D'Huys) where you are reminded of his night with Reg in the right light, Monica Dolan in a sparkly frock clearly designed to distract your eye should she be in danger of tumbling out of it (which she quite magnificently stops herself from doing), some delightful waiters preparing a few vol-au-vents in the kitchen, a fabulous bit of ageing trickery on the screens and the sight of a drunken Gillian Anderson falling in the bath.

Some of the video work is a bit dull and really, all that style and yet Margo has got one of the ugliest kitchens I've seen. I can't for the life of me understand why everyone wanted to spend so much time in it.

How did the play end last night? I know there have been a few and I'm intrigued as to how it's turned out so close to press night

You're reading a thread about the play. There's really no need for spoiler tags.

Yikes, too easily misread..

That seems to be the settled ending then, it was the same last Friday.

I'm confused? The ending changed? Can someone else (in spoiler tags)

Thanks