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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2020 12:44:35 GMT
when Ciaran Hinds rang his bell, the clapper flew off towards the side of the stage No, that's deliberate! I was surprised by the emergency door - health and safety because of the candles, and maybe painting it would compromise its fire resistance? Interesting, thanks! Regarding the door, appreciate the sign has to be there, but I was thinking along the lines of a fake door running diagonally from the end of the wall at the side, so the actors exit through that and then have space to exit through the real door. If that makes sense! I sat in one of the pillar seats in row O which was fine for £20 but did require a bit of head ducking to see the action at some points. Given the choice, I would go for seats on the right hand side of the auditorium (as you face the stage) so you can see the bits that happen outside the windows at the other side of the stage. |
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Post by lynette on Jan 19, 2020 13:11:03 GMT
Yep clapper flew off. Symbolic of both attempt at control and loss of it.
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Post by theatrelover123 on Jan 19, 2020 13:57:05 GMT
No, that's deliberate! I was surprised by the emergency door - health and safety because of the candles, and maybe painting it would compromise its fire resistance? Interesting, thanks! Regarding the door, appreciate the sign has to be there, but I was thinking along the lines of a fake door running diagonally from the end of the wall at the side, so the actors exit through that and then have space to exit through the real door. If that makes sense! I sat in one of the pillar seats in row O which was fine for £20 but did require a bit of head ducking to see the action at some points. Given the choice, I would go for seats on the right hand side of the auditorium (as you face the stage) so you can see the bits that happen outside the windows at the other side of the stage. Stage left? |
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Post by crowblack on Jan 19, 2020 15:02:07 GMT
Regarding the door, appreciate the sign has to be there, but I was thinking along the lines of a fake door running diagonally from the end of the wall at the side, so the actors exit through that and then have space to exit through the real door. If that makes sense! I wondered if it was an audience safety precaution? It's an old theatre and a production using candle flames so maybe in an emergency it's an identifiable escape route they might need to quickly flag up? Also, post Bataclan it's not just fires they have to think of, as the bag searches attest (I had my bags searched 4 times going into venues on Friday). |
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Post by dlevi on Jan 19, 2020 15:15:21 GMT
I was at Yesterday's matinee as well and thought the production was rather wonderful. Mr McPherson's adaptation is both contemporary and respectful. I agree with the previous poster who said the play is very much set in the NOW. And the costumes while basically in period also contain elements which are clearly contemporary which leads me to the exit door on the back wall. I think it falls into the overall concept of keeping the production balanced between period and contemporary. It's Mr Rickson and Ms Smith's nod to always acknowledging the fact that we're watching a play. I think it works marvelously. Like like last year's Rosmersohlm production I think this is a classy old-fashioned West End hit.
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Post by harry on Jan 19, 2020 17:09:40 GMT
I’m pretty certain the door at the back is actually just part of the set design, rather than a genuine unaltered regular emergency exit. The door stage left also has fire door emergency exit signage on it and is definitely not a real permanent wall or door, and the red utilitarian electric lights run all the way around the set interspersed with the candelabra. I think, like so much else in the production, it’s to highlight the anytime/everytime nature of the story and setting.
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Post by crowblack on Jan 20, 2020 9:50:24 GMT
it’s to highlight the anytime/everytime nature of the story and setting. But who has a fire door like that in a domestic/country house? There's an extinguisher too - last time I noticed one of them on stage was The Ferryman, which also used naked flame in a 'busy' set (lots of paper on stage in Vanya) in a Victorian (hard to exit) theatre. Post Grenfell maybe they are more cautious about covering doors with flammable materials, even supposedly 'safe' ones, and it's a very deep set (last things I saw there were shallower so it was probably hidden). |
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Post by crowblack on Jan 20, 2020 9:56:48 GMT
Btw, I'm from the North and haven't been aware of people using the rather ugly expression "wang/wanging on". Now I'm suddenly noticing it all over my (very arts/theatre/writer) Twitter timeline. When did it replace "banging on/going on"? Wang was a rarely used word for cock when I was younger.
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Post by crowblack on Jan 20, 2020 17:27:45 GMT
More seriously, it was slang for that down south too, when I were a lad. I think that's where I heard it (that, or London-set sitcoms). Maybe it's just one of those things where a word used here in an unexpected context makes it stick and you suddenly start noticing it, though "banging on about it" is the expression I'm more used to. |
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Post by learfan on Jan 20, 2020 17:40:16 GMT
Wang was a rarely used word for cock when I was younger Which made the late, great, Richard Whiteley's bid to be Mayor of Wetwang even more worrying... More seriously, it was slang for that down south too, when I were a lad. Not the south im from, never heard of the word. |
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Post by lynette on Jan 20, 2020 19:17:32 GMT
Er, yes, ahem, 'wang' didn’t sit right for me either...
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Post by harry on Jan 21, 2020 13:39:27 GMT
it’s to highlight the anytime/everytime nature of the story and setting. But who has a fire door like that in a domestic/country house? There's an extinguisher too - last time I noticed one of them on stage was The Ferryman, which also used naked flame in a 'busy' set (lots of paper on stage in Vanya) in a Victorian (hard to exit) theatre. Post Grenfell maybe they are more cautious about covering doors with flammable materials, even supposedly 'safe' ones, and it's a very deep set (last things I saw there were shallower so it was probably hidden). Yes I can’t say I felt that I fully understood it (and yes I noticed the extinguisher too). I was really just pointing out that it is all there by choice and design rather than unfinished or serving a legal safety purpose. |
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Post by crowblack on Jan 21, 2020 15:58:00 GMT
I thought maybe the back wall of the set was the actual real back wall of the stage and they were using it like the Almeida sometimes does with their exposed brick back wall (does anyone know?) |
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Post by crowblack on Jan 21, 2020 17:42:54 GMT
Great interview with Toby Jones in today's Guardian btw.
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Post by intoanewlife on Jan 21, 2020 22:54:43 GMT
So the front row are rush on TodayTix? Decent view or is the stage too high?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2020 15:58:35 GMT
This destroyed me. I took the 38 bus home after, weeping enjoyably.
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Post by londonpostie on Jan 23, 2020 23:38:28 GMT
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Post by NeilVHughes on Jan 24, 2020 10:16:24 GMT
Reviews as expected have been positive, only seen 4* and 5* reviews so far.
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Post by ATK on Jan 24, 2020 13:30:27 GMT
So the front row are rush on TodayTix? Decent view or is the stage too high? Saw this from central row A. The stage is higher than I remember it for one of the Pinters, but still offers a great view of the action downstage (albeit sans feet). The massive table you can see in production photos obscures the action that takes place upstage for most of the play. You can see only heads behind the table, but unless I missed something completely very little important action takes place upstage, which is used mostly for entrances and exits. |
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Post by kathryn on Jan 24, 2020 15:48:31 GMT
Oh dear.
I had only just sworn off Chekhov as just not for me, and now you lot are making this sound like something I should see.
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Post by vickyg on Jan 24, 2020 16:50:07 GMT
Oh dear. I had only just sworn off Chekhov as just not for me, and now you lot are making this sound like something I should see. That's exactly the way I feel. I have only seen the Cherry Orchard (Young Vic production a few years ago) and came out raging that the happenings onstage were basically entirely inconsequential to the meaning of the play. I hear that this version of Vanya contains laughs thought so... |
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Post by lynette on Jan 24, 2020 22:10:13 GMT
I felt the same but am very glad I went. I wouldn’t mind going again and sitting nearer but the prices are eye watering.
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Post by theatrefan77 on Jan 26, 2020 0:24:27 GMT
Me too! Planning my second visit although I've noticed that B1 and B2 are now £45 each. They were only £25 during previews and the view was great, just very slightly restricted in a couple of moments.
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Post by demonbarber on Jan 26, 2020 1:26:19 GMT
Keep checking back on the TodayTix rush as well. I went on Wednesday afternoon and managed to get H11 in the stalls at around 12pm, amazing seat.
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Post by zahidf on Jan 30, 2020 9:02:03 GMT
Cheap tickets offer on todaytix now (35 pound stall seats)
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