406 posts
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Post by MrBunbury on Jun 7, 2019 8:16:24 GMT
I saw it last night from the pit. A very enjoyable, irreverent, and dynamic production. Definitely different from other productions I have seen before. I really liked Gwendolen Christie and Oliver Chris and although the audience in the pit does not need to move around as much as for Julius Caesar, it is still worth to be immersed in the action.
P.S. Next time I need to get one of the free plastic glasses for water from the foyer: they are branded and look very solid…
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2019 7:10:38 GMT
Haven't seen this yet so I'm not saying he's wrong, but the Guardian review is the most Billington thing I've ever read!
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Post by londonpostie on Jun 12, 2019 9:10:40 GMT
Got lucky on TodayTix. So, two immersive experiences today; one in the lido very shortly and another with Gwendoline later!
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330 posts
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Post by RedRose on Jun 12, 2019 10:36:33 GMT
Haven't seen this yet so I'm not saying he's wrong, but the Guardian review is the most Billington thing I've ever read! I have! And he is so wrong again! This got only 3 stars, when he gave 4 to the terrible Michael Grandage one with Sheridan Smith 6 years ago! |
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Post by londonpostie on Jun 12, 2019 22:19:45 GMT
Got lucky on TodayTix. So, two immersive experiences today; one in the lido very shortly and another with Gwendoline later! Shouldn't say too much after the difficulties Hiddlestone had within 200m of The Pinter but I as damn near as literally bumped into Brienne of Tarth. So instant; I blurted out maybe three lines, and after each she said something like 'thank you, how lovely' and that was that. My guess is there's a plan to help her swerve the Game of Throne throng: way more immersive than expected!
As for the production - vibrant, super inventive and fun; part Love Actually montage, part London 2012 Opening Ceremony, part carnival, with a bit of Shakespeare thrown in. Have people said the staging is more dynamic that JC was? I thought it definitely was. Difficult to come out without a spring in your step and a grin.
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213 posts
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Post by l0islane on Jun 14, 2019 16:37:30 GMT
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Post by dip on Jun 15, 2019 17:36:00 GMT
Thanks for this! Just got a pair |
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4,156 posts
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Post by kathryn on Jun 15, 2019 22:11:24 GMT
We thoroughly loved it this afternoon! Utterly joyous.
Thought the switching of Titania and Oberon worked incredibly well and gave Gwen Christie a lot more presence and power than usual as both Hippolyta and Titania. Loved the acrobatics!
It was my Mum’s first ever Dream - I can definitely think of worse introductions to it.
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2,059 posts
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Post by Marwood on Jun 16, 2019 11:04:20 GMT
I preferred Julius Caesar (A because it was a bigger name cast and B because it seemed a lot more immersive than this and the audience were more involved) but I thoroughly enjoyed this. This was the first time I'd seen any production of AMSND so I couldn't say how it ranks against any previous 'classic' productions, but I had a blast, the cast were uniformly good, but I thought Hammed Animashaun stole the show (I had never seen him in anything prior to this (that I'm aware of, the programme for this says he was in The Threepenny Opera at the NT but I don't recall seeing him in it))
If you can (and are able to stand/walk about for 2 and a half hours) go for the pit...
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Post by londonpostie on Jun 16, 2019 12:19:13 GMT
I almost bought two tickets last night so I could take my aunt. Slept on it, refreshed the screen this morning and they've gone up £10. Word-of-mouth?
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167 posts
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Post by cherokee on Jun 16, 2019 16:06:36 GMT
I enjoyed this a lot. Oliver Chris and Hammed Animashaun were very funny, and the Mechanicals worked well as a whole. It all looks great. Only fly in the ointment for me was Gwendolen Christie. She was totally wooden. She appears to have a thriving acting career entirely built upon the fact that she's tall...
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630 posts
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Post by jamb0r on Jun 17, 2019 18:05:43 GMT
Caught this on Saturday and ADORED it.
I loathed Shakespeare at school, and was dragged kicking and screaming to Julius Caesar last year and really enjoyed it, so I was very happy to book for this years production.
The whole event was just so much fun, I loved everything about it. Excellent performances, great aerial work and my little gay heart was bursting as numerous points due to the (I presume?) gender switches. I was enjoying it so much by the end I didn’t even think twice about holding a strangers hand in the pit when we were instructed to!
Thinking of going back again at least once more.
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1,133 posts
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Post by Stephen on Jun 20, 2019 0:51:12 GMT
I enjoyed this tonight but it didn’t quite hit the heights of Julius Caesar. Well acted and every ounce of humour is taken from the text (with some added laughs too!) Bottom was hilarious and stole the production for me. Several beautiful moments too where the staging really works.
I like that the Bridge don’t oversell the pit. It was sold out tonight and there was plenty of space for me to move around.
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Post by Jan on Jun 20, 2019 6:03:22 GMT
I enjoyed this tonight but it didn’t quite hit the heights of Julius Caesar. Well acted and every ounce of humour is taken from the text (with some added laughs too!) Bottom was hilarious and stole the production for me. Several beautiful moments too where the staging really works. I like that the Bridge don’t oversell the pit. It was sold out tonight and there was plenty of space for me to move around. I was there too. I've got no strong feelings either way on this, it was OK. The gender swapping was interesting and a highlight. Compared with Julius Caesar it felt under-cast, and from the pit I felt the staging was less involving and dynamic, but it was still fine. There are lots of laugh lines but almost all of them are modern additions - I always feel this shows a lack of confidence in the original text. I've never seen Gwendoline Christie in anything (including Game of Thrones) and I was a bit underwhelmed, but I have seen Felicity Montagu before as Alan Partridge's long-suffering PA and I liked her here - I suppose that's how it works with well-known TV actors on stage. I found Puck really irritating - far too much acting going on. I've seen about a dozen of Nicholas Hytner's Shakespeare productions and they've all been good - he's one of the best. |
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5,707 posts
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Post by lynette on Jun 20, 2019 8:18:45 GMT
I loved this. Saw it last night.
I’ve seen now three productions of this play that are memorable
1. Brooks circus, plate spinning back in the day
2. The gum chewing Richard MCabe puck leather bra wing fairies in the 80s and now
3. This one.
In the Bra wing fairies, Puck came on with the text and chucks it over his shoulder. This is exactly what needs to be done with this play. And it really only works if you do. It is about sex, lust, nuttiness, unfairness,manipulation, and two parallel worlds ( anyone else reminded of Rowling’s two worlds of magic and muggles existing along side each other but only one aware of the other?) Heaven knows why they do this play with juniors. A left over from earlier times I suppose.
Loved the change over to Titania having the power, it really worked. and they didn’t wait for the playlet at the end for the funnies. It was funny all through where it was supposed to be.
Great work Mr H and nice to see that Arleme Phillips still turning out the good stuff
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Post by Jan on Jun 20, 2019 9:25:31 GMT
I loved this. Saw it last night. I’ve seen now three productions of this play that are memorable 1. Brooks circus, plate spinning back in the day 2. The gum chewing Richard MCabe puck leather bra wing fairies in the 80s and now 3. This one. In the Bra wing fairies, Puck came on with the text and chucks it over his shoulder. This is exactly what needs to be done with this play. And it really only works if you do. It is about sex, lust, nuttiness, unfairness,manipulation, and two parallel worlds ( anyone else reminded of Rowling’s two worlds of magic and muggles existing along side each other but only one aware of the other?) Heaven knows why they do this play with juniors. A left over from earlier times I suppose. Loved the change over to Titania having the power, it really worked. and they didn’t wait for the playlet at the end for the funnies. It was funny all through where it was supposed to be. Great work Mr H and nice to see that Arleme Phillips still turning out the good stuff I didn’t realise I was in the presence of Theatre Board royalty with both you and Steve there too. Do you remember the one with Bill Bryden's Cottesloe company plus Paul Scofield ? We had seen them so often in other plays they were like family, it was a real ensemble piece, I remember the old Northern Irish actor J.G.Devlin as Peter Quince, just perfect. |
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5,707 posts
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Post by lynette on Jun 20, 2019 12:41:08 GMT
The odd thing is that I probably did see the Cottlesloe one, saw most stuff except for brief 'maternity leave' 😂 and the work of B Bradenton in the Cottelsoe was remarkable but it is the miracle plays and the Albion String Band stuff that sticks from that era. Of course I’ve seen many good Dreams but what sticks in my old head, well, there you are.
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Post by londonpostie on Jun 20, 2019 12:48:14 GMT
I did feel slightly sorry for Gwen at the beginning. It had been raining when I went, there were delays with bags and coats and whatnot. She must have been up there 15 minutes, even longer.
After about 10 minutes, I wanted to call out 'David Blane says hi'.
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1,061 posts
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Post by David J on Jun 20, 2019 13:02:45 GMT
Best Midsummer I've seen was 2008 revival of Gregory Doran's production (a time when he gave a damn). Such creativity (the fairy silhouettes against the moon) and hilarity. The sight of Bottom in a large ass' head pretending to be a DJ is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Still remember the fairies pulling apart Quince's bike. And perhaps one of the disadvantages of being invisible is the possibility of someone falling asleep face first in your crotch.
The Lyric Hammersmith production was different, hilarious and subversive. And Emma Rice's production may not have pleased all purists but it was such a wacky, dirty and engaging production.
This production certainly has a lot to live up to for me
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Post by londonpostie on Jun 20, 2019 13:20:38 GMT
I might not have this right but I think Roy Hudd played Bottom at Regents Park when I went ...
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5,159 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Jun 20, 2019 14:35:51 GMT
It's not going to be me, but it's surely only a matter of time before someone makes a joke about seeing Roy Hudd's Bottom amongst the bushes of Regent's Park. 🙂
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Post by Jan on Jun 20, 2019 17:33:03 GMT
It's not going to be me, but it's surely only a matter of time before someone makes a joke about seeing Roy Hudd's Bottom amongst the bushes of Regent's Park. 🙂 A similar joke used to always be deployed about Frankie Howerd who played the role in an Old Vic production - seems perfect casting if you think about it. Quite a few light comedians have played it: Matt Lucas, David Walliams, Dawn French, Benny Hill, Ronnie Barker. One or two leading actors have tried it, Charles Laughton for example, but I’m surprised more haven’t - McKellen could have made something of it. Patrick Stewart always said he wanted to play it but it is too late now. |
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1,133 posts
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Post by Stephen on Jun 20, 2019 21:54:35 GMT
I should add that I thought the crowd being moved around worked better with Caesar. Obviously there are more ‘crowd scenes’ in it but it made it more immersive. I don’t think they quite made up for it this time around. When people were moved it often distracted me from the ends of scenes and broke up what could have been a nicely flowing production.
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Post by Fleance on Jun 21, 2019 3:57:04 GMT
I've seen a few good Bottoms over the years and particularly liked Richard Griffiths and Bernard Bresslaw.
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Post by Jan on Jun 21, 2019 5:49:41 GMT
I've seen a few good Bottoms over the years and particularly liked Richard Griffiths and Bernard Bresslaw. That Griffiths one is famous for being a unique take on the role - underplayed, conversational, precise and delicate - would have loved to have seen that one. I liked the Doran one mentioned above too (I saw the original production I think). I only knew Malcolm Storry from really intense polemical political plays and he seemed totally wrong casting for Bottom but in fact he was hysterically funny. I've seen 15 productions of it - it's a finely-crafted play, all the disparate parts fit together perfectly. |
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