The Inheritance - YV

After reading everyone’s reviews of the transfer to the NC, I decided to dig out the play text I bought back when I watched it at the YV and give it a read today. Even a couple months after seeing this on stage, just reading the text brings back so many memories and tears, Being sat in the YV for an entire day and being taken on this epic journey with these characters and going through that emotional rollercoaster is something I’ll always treasure. I just wished I lived in London so I could watch it again. Unfortunately, I am unable to, so fingers crossed that there will be an NT live showing as this piece of theatre deserves to have a wider audience.

For me personally, there have been a handful of shows I’ve seen that I’ve sat through and come out totally stunned at what I’ve watched. There’s Angels in Amercia, The York Realist and The Inheritance. For me what these shows have done is utilise the English language in a way that I think speaks to my very soul or resonates with me in a way that a lot of other stuff doesn’t do. The fact that I’m still thinking about these shows months after watching them says a lot about the quality of the writing and the performances on stage. I think the monologue given by Paul Hilton is a great example, a fantastic piece of writing that is brilliantly delivered and then THAT ending to part 1 which is so simply staged yet emotionally devestating are prime examples. For me, this is theatre at its ultimate best, no high tech wizardry, a simple staging with great writing delivered with devestating effect by some great actors.

@ryan will there be T-Shirts? tasteful of course

On reflection, maybe a campaign cardigan would be more apt.

Watched Part 2 last night, I still love the play but still think it doesn't work well at the Noel Coward. The stage is too high and the actors get breathless after climbing up or jumping to it. Won't be surprise if some of them get injured and they have to start using understudies.

The wedding crushing scene is here so clumsily staged that all its impact is lost unless you sit in front Stalls. Even people in Premium Seats in the Dress Circle were struggling to see what was going on.

I also missed Luke Thallon as Young Walter, his performance was so moving at the Young Vic. The new actor is not quite there yet, but I understand that they are still in previews and he'll probably get better once he settles into the part.

Many empty seats including 5 in the front row, and most people around me seemed to have got complimentary tickets.

Seeing it from the Dress Circle I didn't feel very engaged. This time I felt that some parts of the play were incredibly self indulgent and it could benefit from a cutting at least 20 minutes in each part.

Next week I'll be watching from front Stalls. Hopefully I will be as engaged as when I saw it at the Young Vic. I don't recommend the Dress Circle for this play.

Well. It's just as good as when I saw it at the Young Vic and seeing it from the front row (and I'm not really a front row person generally) was just smashing. What you lack in looking up and not getting the full vista, you gain with seeing just how incredible each and every performance is. I've said it before and will say it again, Kyle Soller gives quite simply THE best performance in London's glitzy West End for many a year (if he doesn't win the Olivier it will be an absolute travesty) and Eric Glass is one of the loveliest characters I've experienced on stage for a long time. I've never wanted someone to have a happy ending so much and that's down to Soller. He's one of the best male criers around too.

But the rest of the cast are magnificent and there isn't a weak link, Andrew Burnap is a complete scene stealer (and the joy he takes in knowing it is glorious), Samuel H Levine has grown more into his roles, John Benjamin Hickey has grown more twinkly (I'd tap that like I was learning morse code) and Paul Hilton is so brilliantly good. His Walter monologue in part one is a masterclass and his second part appearance as Forster a joyous delight. In fact, all four should fill up the Supporting Actor category and a four way win wouldn't be unjustified.

One of the joys of watching up close is to see La Redgrave at work. She's helped around the stage for most of it but what a class act she is. When she talks about the loss of the young men when you know how many people she has lost in her family in recent history it's heartbreaking but never pitiable. The accent wavers every now and again but the performance is a touching delight and to see the way she interacts with the rest of the cast is a joy. Plus you get to see that even at 81 she is still heartstoppingly beautiful. Those eyes could stop traffic and that smile could melt an ice cap.

The end of Part 1 is still one of the most thrilling, heartbreaking, devastating pieces of theatre that you will ever see. If it doesn't bring at least a tear to your eye or a lump to your throat then you should probably check for a pulse. But there's still so much more to love and to see it from the front row and to see the cast all take their bows with real tears in their eyes was an honour and it was a standing ovation well deserved.

I was a mess.

Only that when the time comes and Tom Bateman has me arrested you'll make a small contribution to my bail fund.

I think you'd need the whole British Libary to have enough room to keep a list of Ryan's targets!

I would always assume front row was restricted in some way though. You get what you pay for and these were rock bottom prices. I don't think I would say I missed anything at the back of the stage personally.

Has the front row not gone on sale for later in the run yet then? I was looking this afternoon and couldn't find any front row seats, so assumed I'd left it too late and they'd sold out. Nearly booked for row C, but would much rather sit in the front if there's a chance I can.

I thought it looked like George Takei but Takei's Twitter account was active during the show so unless he has someone else to tweet on his behalf, it wasn't him. The person in question was a few seats further along for Part 2. (His companion was also snoring early in Part 1)

I saw this at the YV but thought it was even stronger here, although that may have been because I was in the front row this time (thanks again theatrefan77 ). Vanessa's performance is much stronger and anchors the whole piece wonderfully. The laughs are strong and the cast work beautifully together but the emotional impacts are still huge - the ending of Part 1 remains astonishing but there were several other places where I found myself welling up.

Seemed like a full house for both matinee and evening tonight and what was a resounding standing ovation at the end.

I saw it again and enjoyed it. Don't think it's a very good play. What we have here it's a five star production of a three star play. Just my opinion of course, but it's really overlong and some parts really drag, like the conversations when Eric's friends meet Henry for the first time, they sounded like long and boring lectures in politics which said nothing new and were just stating the obvious. Maybe I've seen it too many times and it just doesn't have the same impact.

Love the set, the slick direction and the wonderful cast.

They bowed at the end of both part 1 and part 2 last Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, I wonder if they have different procedures for 2 show days and follow the Harry Potter route expecting people to stay for both parts on the same day?