The Hunt (Almeida)

Bit of a queue but painless public booking this morning - got my favourite £20 pillar seat

Same here @baemax...I might even be sat next to you in the pillar seats again (it was me at Shipwreck last Saturday - nice to briefly chat with you).

Thank you, can't guarantee that I will prove to be a great addition but am looking forward to playing a more active role!

Saw it tonight. It's incredibly good. Grips like a vice and doesn't let go; I was spellbound throughout. You know when Es Devlin is the designer that it will be visually stunning. Great lighting, soundscape. Some people may take issue with some of the symbolism. Tobias Menzies was excellent, and the child actors were outstanding. I could definitely imagine Sonia Friedman taking this to a larger audience.

Only note of caution to those in the gallery stage left - some of the action occurs beneath there but nothing major.

Act 1 is around 50 minutes, the interval is 15, and the second act is an hour so out by around 9.40pm.

Oh Rory I was also there. I feel very similarly, I was very engaged throughout and there were some fantastic moments of theatre in this. The visual design is striking, centring around a house in the centre of a raised stage kitted out with electrochromic glass, which is used by Goold very well. It's a very loud production, and because I know people feel strongly about these, I might as well point out that there are sudden loud noises which occur without warning. The moments with the most tension though are left completely unadorned, just actors on a stage, and there was one scene in particular which had me really squirming in discomfort, which I take to mean that the show was working very well.

Tobias Menzies gives a very understated but effective performance in the lead role, he's onstage essentially for the whole show. The kids were terrific as well, particularly the young boy who was absolutely hilarious and has more confidence than I will ever hope to have. The true star of the show however was the character Max, whom I also saw walking around during the interval outside having a great time. There should be more Max's out there.

I don't think this is a play about child sexual abuse particularly, it's more about the fear and hysteria that understandably erupt from such accusations. Parts of it are uncomfortable, but I thought sensitively handled by the writer. Completely by mistake, I brought my primary-school-teacher friend with me, who brought a lot of baggage to this tale I did not necessarily have, although we both agreed about a scene with a rather unrealistic portrayal of how this situation might be handled in the real world. She felt that ruined the show for her, it definitely did not for me. My only complaint was around the denouement, which I thought was the teeniest tiniest bit unsatisfactory, but I'll say no more than that.

Another great play at the Almeida, roll on the next.

Saw tonight’s performance. I’m in total agreement with both Rory and andrew with their thoughts about this production. It’s an excellent production in terms of its plot and it’s handling of a very emotive subject as well as how it’s staged.

Yes at times it was an uncomfortable watch as an audience member, but I thought the way the subject of perceived child abuse and it’s impact on individuals was well handled. Thankfully, alongside the darker plot points, there was some light relief from the Hunting Lodge crew, particularly in Act 1.

Acting wise, I thought Tobias Menzies’s performance as Lucas really was superb. Yes it was a understated performance which I thought worked really well, contrasting well against the more angst ridden hunting lodge and Lucas’s friends.

While the adult cast were all great, a big shout out to the 2 kids tonight. George Nearn Stuart and I think it was Taya Tower. For 2 young kids, their performance over the 2 hours really should be commended. Both oozed a level of confidence and an acting ability that defies their age and I was just stunned at how good both were.

A great set design combined with an effective lighting and sound design really helped drive the plot forward and provide the necessary tension when required.

This is definitely worth a watch and having got a £20 side stalls ticket, I felt it was money well spent and was definitely worth watching. Another great Almeida production.

Definitely agree with you about the ending. It didn’t appear to be very clear how the whole thing was wrapped up or what it signified. As you say, hopefully it’s something to work on in upcoming days. 

Anyone know the running time?

It was just as ambiguous as it was in the film. I'm not sure how to do a spoiler tag on here so I won't elaborate, but I think it was just as clear as they ended it to be.

Also the fact that Max didn't come out at the curtain call absolutely ruined the whole experience (I kid but I did miss him).

I don't remember anything being particularly loud, do you andrew?

Yes, a bit I suppose.

I have a feeling I'll remember this for a long time. It's the kind of play you want to go somewhere and talk about afterward. Lots of plays have 'dramatic tension'... this just had tension. Pulse-racing, breath-holding tension. Even when a couple of developments were well-telegraphed, knowing what was going to happen didn't lessen the dread or the impact.

A note on the loud noises and the end: