294 posts
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Post by dani on Sept 28, 2018 12:58:49 GMT
I saw Evans do it before. An overstated performance, as you'd expect. I have to say I thought he'd retired, but perhaps he is making an exception to be part of this season. He is doing Monologue, which dates from 1973 and was originally on TV.
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Post by Jan on Sept 28, 2018 14:33:43 GMT
I saw Evans do it before. An overstated performance, as you'd expect. I have to say I thought he'd retired, but perhaps he is making an exception to be part of this season. He is doing Monologue, which dates from 1973 and was originally on TV. Yes he has retired but is returning for this. Harold Pinter himself was involved in that production of Dumb Waiter so presumably “overstated” was acceptable to him. |
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Post by learfan on Sept 28, 2018 14:37:55 GMT
Lee Evans can certainly act. I saw him in The Dumb Waiter (with Jason Isaacs) and he was terrific - quite perfect for the part. Yep i saw that, Evans was a revelation. |
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Post by learfan on Sept 28, 2018 14:39:39 GMT
Pinter one tonight followed by two tomorrow afternoon. The rest to follow.
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Post by Jan on Sept 28, 2018 14:54:46 GMT
Take a book. His political plays are really very dull (I have seen some of them before and it put me off booking) plus Sher adding to the general air of depression. I think they made a big mistake putting that set on first as it will put casual theatregoers off booking for any more. Try to stay awake until Suchet turns up right at the end of your set. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2018 15:05:34 GMT
Pinter one tonight followed by two tomorrow afternoon. The rest to follow. Oh lovely, enjoy. Take razor blades tonight. Take olives tomorrow. |
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Sept 28, 2018 19:15:27 GMT
Is the cat drugged or just incredibly easygoing? It was so floppy last night I assumed it was fake until Suchet reached out for it and it moved.
I agree with Ryan, re razor blades and olives. Quite a shock to the system to move from such unrelenting grimness (at a press matinee?!) to homoerotic hi-jinks in the evening.
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2,054 posts
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Post by Marwood on Sept 29, 2018 9:20:01 GMT
The PATP website has Michael Gambon listed among the people taking part - any idea what his involvement in this is? I thought he had retired from stage acting, unless it’s some sort of recorded part. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2018 15:03:31 GMT
The recorded voice in Pinter 1, I think? Yes, he's the voice of the guard in 'Mountain Language'. He starred in the original production of the play I believe. |
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Post by David J on Sept 29, 2018 16:25:18 GMT
So I’ve seen Pinter 2 and enjoyed both plays. The Collection more than The Lover. Was wonderful meeting learfan
Out of interest was The Lover conceived to be played stylised and broad as it’s done here or is this typical Jamie Lloyd fashion
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Post by learfan on Sept 29, 2018 16:51:28 GMT
The recorded voice in Pinter 1, I think? Yes, he's the voice of the guard in 'Mountain Language'. He starred in the original production of the play I believe. Yes he did, unbelievable to think that was the third production of M L I've seen! |
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Post by learfan on Sept 29, 2018 16:54:34 GMT
Pinter one was a bit pick n mix, it finished on a high though with Sher mesmerising in One for the Road. Pinter two obvs much more laughs, Collection just shading it. Bonus of meeting David1 in the interval. Three and Four in November.
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Post by learfan on Sept 29, 2018 19:13:26 GMT
Managed to avoid meeting both on here at the interval this afternoon. Lover shaded it for me, but both were excellent. For those who know "The Lover," between the person sitting next to me and myself, we came up with 5 possible interpretations. Either a commentary on the divide between male and female perception, role-play, reality, internal monologues commentating on the relationship or speculation from people who haven't even met. What did others think? Oh, and in the second, does she always take the cat off after Suchet's line? Seemed today like it just wanted to go, so she walked off then came back to play the rest of the scene. I got the idea that if it was in a better mood, it stayed put for the duration. One day, one day we will meet. At least it wasn't a snake! |
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Post by andrew on Sept 29, 2018 19:53:48 GMT
Oh, and in the second, does she always take the cat off after Suchet's line? Seemed today like it just wanted to go, so she walked off then came back to play the rest of the scene. I got the idea that if it was in a better mood, it stayed put for the duration. I don't recall the cat being put away when I saw it, though I could be wrong. It was exceptionally placid, for it's first appearance onstage I thought it was a doll. |
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Post by David J on Sept 29, 2018 20:00:55 GMT
Seeing Pinter 1 right now. And seeing David Suchet in the audience was a pleasure
The first act is undoubtedly a challenging one to sit through. Not for the faint hearted
I didn’t like the Donald Trump obe
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Post by David J on Sept 29, 2018 20:48:05 GMT
John Culshaw was Donald Trump this week.
But sorry as much as it would have been nice to have a fictional president I’m getting sick and tired of the trump bashing so it didn’t set that piece in a good light for me
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Post by learfan on Sept 29, 2018 22:36:18 GMT
Oh, and in the second, does she always take the cat off after Suchet's line? Seemed today like it just wanted to go, so she walked off then came back to play the rest of the scene. I got the idea that if it was in a better mood, it stayed put for the duration. I don't recall the cat being put away when I saw it, though I could be wrong. It was exceptionally placid, for it's first appearance onstage I thought it was a doll. Haha, funnily enough i thought that too. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2018 8:23:13 GMT
Saw Pinter 1 last night. Enjoyed it but I think I would have preferred a more cut-down first half - just doing the more substantial pieces (maybe Press Conference / New World Order / Mountain Language / One for the Road then Ashes to Ashes). Agree with the comments above on The Pres and An Officer - doing it as a Trump impression was laying things on with a trowel, particularly since I assume Pinter was actually thinking about George W Bush. Would have been like Press Conference being done by a Boris Johnson impersonator.
Possibly some of the "back of a fag packet" pieces could have been added as special events or rehearsed readings during the run (which Lloyd has done before, during the Trafalgar season a few years back)
Nice that the programme was only £1, less impressed that it was basically just a cast list. Would have been nice (for instance) to know when each piece was written.
Stalls were fairly full but I think the balcony was shut, with people being relocated to the stalls.
Anyway - despite a few reservations it's great to see something this ambitious being done in a commercial theatre.
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Post by Jan on Sept 30, 2018 10:07:46 GMT
I don't recall the cat being put away when I saw it, though I could be wrong. It was exceptionally placid, for it's first appearance onstage I thought it was a doll. Haha, funnily enough i thought that too. I thought that too. Are we 100% sure it was real the second time when it started looking around or was it just a cunning piece of puppetry ? It was very effective if so, gasps of "Ahhhh it's real !" around me. |
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Post by David J on Sept 30, 2018 10:12:27 GMT
Apart from The Pres and the Officer I thought the first act was was both thrilling and sickening to watch
I remember performing The Press Conference years ago so it was pleasing to see it performed (superbly by Jonjo O’Neill). Then it was like the curtain was pulled back and we got to see the authoritarian meat grinding machine at work
You’d think Pinter meant to wrote all those pieces to be performed together because they worked in tandem to present an alternative authoritarian, oppressive world. A real warning to us all, when there are people today trying to collectivise us on vague notions of identity or otherwise chastising us for not sharing a particular viewpoint.
What brought it down a tad was Anthony Sher. Not as bad as his King Lear but everyone else was running circles around his deliberate delivery, which made One for the Road feel laboured at times
Paapa Essiedu was my favourite out of the lot. Even when he isn’t speaking whilst Sher drones on he is acting his socks off. I particularly enjoyed watching his frustration as he tries to make sense of Kate O’Flynns traumatised character in Ashes to Ashes
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Post by David J on Sept 30, 2018 10:15:52 GMT
Haha, funnily enough i thought that too. I thought that too. Are we 100% sure it was real the second time when it started looking around or was it just a cunning piece of puppetry ? It was very effective if so, gasps of "Ahhhh it's real !" around me. It was definitely real. And sitting at the front I could see it was getting all squirmy before it was taken off. Do know if it liked being held and stroked the way Hayley Squires’ character was |
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Post by learfan on Sept 30, 2018 11:07:42 GMT
Speaking of the programme, agreed it was thin but £1 for a WE show! I nearly fainted when foh girl told me, i had a fiver out ready
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Post by Rory on Sept 30, 2018 12:30:13 GMT
Is there not a proper programme? Can someone tell me please what merchandise is available?
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Post by learfan on Sept 30, 2018 12:49:27 GMT
Prog is a fold out leaflet. They have bought put a one volume paperback of the plays. There is a kiosk with plays and other stuff he was influenced by. The foh had "Pinter at the Pinter" tshirts but they werent for sale.
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Post by foxa on Oct 1, 2018 19:06:58 GMT
Ha!
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