Nightfall (Bridge Theatre)

I think the marketing has been woeful as well. I want theatres in general to take risks, as said earlier successful plays will take th hit for those less so but I also think that you need to push these plays harder than the new Alan Bennett or Jim Broadbent in a Martin McDonagh play to fill the space. The truth is new writers won't bother with The Bridge if the Almeida, NT or even local pub theatre can market their plays better and get people in.

This was totally frustrating. Barney Norris can write. His last two plays were engaging and had merit. Here, he sets up every target, takes aim and then misses all of them. Every element of this is predictable from act one, but those elements should then at least provide a satisfactory pay-off. In a better play that would happen. Here every single dramatic setup is totally fudged in Act two.

It's very obvious that The Bridge does not have a dramaturg. I find it difficult to believe that none of the professionals involved remained unaware of the play's fatal problems during rehearsals.

The characters are all totally unbelievable, in their motivation and in their relationships, especially Claire Skinner's mother. She tries her best with what she's got but she's horribly miscast. By the time we got to her totally undeserved act two self-pitying monologue, I was screaming internally to be let out of the theatre.

Ophelia Lovibond and Ukweli Roach both do what they can with the paper-thin material they are given. Sion Daniel Young is the play's saving grace. As in Killology, he totally holds your attention when he's on stage. An absolute star in the making. Just a pity that so few people will see him in this. Or, maybe that's a good thing. He deserves so much better. A real dud of a play.

So, by that yardstick, you’re admitting that you were wrong about ‘The Writer’ then.

In this climate I think writers are happy to have their plays on anywhere. Most writers would be over the moon if they got the green light from Hytner.

Only seen the TO so far but was a positive 3*.

Seeing this next week, but the interview on WOS (I think) with B Norris was interesting - I know Hytner is a bit of an evangelist for young writers not getting stuck in the studio ghetto and writing for the big stages, so even if Norris hasn't quite managed it with this hopefully it will be a good positive stretching experience that gets him a step further.

“Positive 3*”

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Lavish primark

Thanks! Given the cool reviews I'm much happier paying £15/ticket for this than the £50/ticket I did have - I'm getting £15 for the Premium seats for late in the run with this offer, but I'm happy to return my existing tickets for credit and take a punt whilst paying less.

I saw this this afternoon and was rather impressed. I thought all of the cast were good, in particular Ophelia Lovibond and it engaged my attention thoughout (I can’t see why anyone would find anything excruciating unless they had a psychotic hatred of Fleetwood Mac). Also: the lack of onstage farming, surely no one expects to see a tractor being driven round on stage, a cow being milked or someone digging up spuds? The erm ‘rustic’ smell being sat down the front was enough for me.

Shame the theatre was probably only a third or so full - if it had more famous names in the cast it would have had more people attending.

Had a very civilised afternoon at the Bridge Theatre today. Lovely walk beforehand with lots of people enjoying the weather, the fountains and the recording of 'Funny or Die' taking place about a minute away. The theatre wasn't particularly busy, but it wasn't ghostly quiet either. All the staff we spoke to were super helpful and pleasant (and I liked that the bar staff had a sign saying all tips this week were going to a mental health charity.) No loo queues. Theatre was spotless, light and airy. We enjoyed a plate of madeleines and pots of tea at the interval.

The play wasn't great. At times I was engaged - but overall thought it was frustrating. I kept seeing glimpses of other plays (the dead crow made me wonder if we were heading towards 'The Seagull' territory, the threat of law enforcement made think of 'A View from the Bridge') and sometimes there were hints of a better play in this one. A big problem was the mother character (Claire Skinner) - I really couldn't make any sense out of her. She is ferociously unsympathetic - which is okay - but I didn't understand why she was the way she was. She mentions once that she has been working, but she never seems to do anything. Aside from occasionally listening to music or flicking through a magazine or glancing at her laptop - or for one embarrassing bit, a little 'dancing' - she just does nasty/manipulative. I don't think her idea of running an Air Bnb at the farm is a winner given that her garden lounger was virtually resting against a huge unsightly oil pipe - it makes her seem unhinged to even consider it. The playwright seemed to dislike the character with such intensity, it was as if he was working out some unresolved hatred for her so that he couldn't present anything redeeming. The character of Pete was a bit of a relief because at least he took productive action from time to time and he and Olivia Lovibond have a good scene at the end of the first act.

I know some people said they thought it was a Brexit play (and Brexit was mentioned once) but I'm not sure I got that. Was it about clinging to the past? I think the playwright was making a point about people who just get stuck in their own unhappiness. Mr Foxa didn't demand to leave and quoted a few lines he liked afterwards, and we both liked the set and lighting, so not a disaster, more just a bit baffling.

As a side note, has anyone eaten anything beyond the madeleines here? I thought the menu looked tempting.

Thanks! I am too inebriated to add my reviewy thoughts tonight, having hoovered up aforementioned neighbour's party cava dregs, but Foxa sorry to miss you, I was the puzzled looking scruff with round specs.

Sad to say I agree with barelyathletic and foxa above. It was really frustrating, in that it's good to see new writers given a big platform and there are the bones of a good play in there, but this wasn't it. It felt underwritten and slackly directed - you kept wanting them to speed it up a gear or two. Scenes and revelations that should have packed a punch didn't. I don't know much about the writer's background but one of the most glaring problems was the lack of any sort of rural atmosphere: with all the swanning around, wine glasses in hand, tealights and M&S nibbles it could just as well have been set at a north London garden party and about a family firm of solicitors. I think the warning signs set in early with the dead crow - you'd think none of them had set eyes on a dead animal before. Characters and relationships were unconvincing and inconsistent, though the brother and sister were strongly played, which for me was the production's saving grace.

Foxa I thought the exact same thing funnily enough! 

(Slightly more specific comparisons in spoilers.)




Great minds 😉