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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2019 12:57:03 GMT
Have they removed the aisles for this show, or is it just how the seating plan appears on the website? My pet peeve lol - don't even get me started ;-) Front stalls layout used to be so lovely there. Now those of us that need an aisle seat are once again consigned to the edges!
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Post by Someone in a tree on Dec 8, 2019 10:59:32 GMT
travelled up yesterday from London, so excited to this. BO handed us the tickets and programme and then I overheard punters complaining about the concert performance.
Not happy but what can you do? Well you can put more posters up around the building and get the BO staff to inform you when handing out tickets. We got a refund including for the programme and then went to the pub.
Still tickets available for the rest of the run. But the train is stupid money and some coach journeys take 1hr ish and the return takes 3ish hours. Owing to the latter I won't bother and hope it comes back to the Curve or somewhere else.
Shame as the production sounds great. Hey hum
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Post by xanady on Dec 8, 2019 11:43:16 GMT
The production is world class MT in my opinion...sorry you didnt get to see it,Someone In A Tree.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Dec 8, 2019 12:52:14 GMT
Thanks @xandy.
I don't read reviews and this board until after I've seen a show (I want no spoilers). I am now resigned to the fact that I won't be seeing this production so reading about it today makes it sound great. I love the concept for the prologue and Krupke (a song I have always questioned it's place in the show). But hey hum.
My partner and I have had a terrible two weeks due to his ongoing treatment for Myeloma and the prospect of jazz hands and gang warfare was going to be a perfect tonic but in actual fact the myeloma puts a semi staged concert performance in Leicester into perspective, no one lost an eye!
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Dec 8, 2019 15:01:34 GMT
travelled up yesterday from London, so excited to this. BO handed us the tickets and programme and then I overheard punters complaining about the concert performance. Not happy but what can you do? Well you can put more posters up around the building and get the BO staff to inform you when handing out tickets. We got a refund including for the programme and then went to the pub. Still tickets available for the rest of the run. But the train is stupid money and some coach journeys take 1hr ish and the return takes 3ish hours. Owing to the latter I won't bother and hope it comes back to the Curve or somewhere else. Shame as the production sounds great. Hey hum I'm really sorry you had a wasted journey yesterday. I live in Kent but regularly travel to see shows at the Curve and find it an easy and economical journey. The train from London to Leicester costs from £39 return booked in advance, a third less with a (eg Two Together) railcard. The Curve is an easy 8-10 minutes walk from the railway station. If you just pay at the station on the day an off peak return starts at £64. Not cheap but it is a quick journey taking just over an hour and there are very frequent departures. Can only be done for matinees though. The National Express coach from Golders Green takes twice as long, plus a further half hour from/to Victoria, but the cost is much lower, typically £11 return booked in advance or about £16 return booked the day before travel. I usually travel to Leicester by train and return by coach on the 17.45 departure. I do have a senior railcard and therefore pay around £20 total return when I book from London. I can do it from Kent for £28 return. It's a fabulous production of West Side story and well worth having another try to see it.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Dec 8, 2019 18:21:47 GMT
travelled up yesterday from London, so excited to this. BO handed us the tickets and programme and then I overheard punters complaining about the concert performance. Not happy but what can you do? Well you can put more posters up around the building and get the BO staff to inform you when handing out tickets. We got a refund including for the programme and then went to the pub. Still tickets available for the rest of the run. But the train is stupid money and some coach journeys take 1hr ish and the return takes 3ish hours. Owing to the latter I won't bother and hope it comes back to the Curve or somewhere else. Shame as the production sounds great. Hey hum I'm really sorry you had a wasted journey yesterday. I live in Kent but regularly travel to see shows at the Curve and find it an easy and economical journey. The train from London to Leicester costs from £39 return booked in advance, a third less with a (eg Two Together) railcard. The Curve is an easy 8-10 minutes walk from the railway station. If you just pay at the station on the day an off peak return starts at £64. Not cheap but it is a quick journey taking just over an hour and there are very frequent departures. Can only be done for matinees though. The National Express coach from Golders Green takes twice as long, plus a further half hour from/to Victoria, but the cost is much lower, typically £11 return booked in advance or about £16 return booked the day before travel. I usually travel to Leicester by train and return by coach on the 17.45 departure. I do have a senior railcard and therefore pay around £20 total return when I book from London. I can do it from Kent for £28 return. It's a fabulous production of West Side story and well worth having another try to see it. FrontroverPaul after westside did you get the 17.45 coach? Please and ta
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Dec 8, 2019 18:38:03 GMT
I didn't actually, I had booked Dear Evan Hansen the same evening so I travelled back to London on the 17.13 train with an advance ticket
West Side story started at 14.07 when I saw it and finished at 16.25ish.
I'm next in Leicester for Phantom Of The opera in March and will return by the 17.45 coach then unless I again book a London show the same evening.
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Post by sophie92 on Dec 8, 2019 19:15:39 GMT
I'm really sorry you had a wasted journey yesterday. I live in Kent but regularly travel to see shows at the Curve and find it an easy and economical journey. The train from London to Leicester costs from £39 return booked in advance, a third less with a (eg Two Together) railcard. The Curve is an easy 8-10 minutes walk from the railway station. If you just pay at the station on the day an off peak return starts at £64. Not cheap but it is a quick journey taking just over an hour and there are very frequent departures. Can only be done for matinees though. The National Express coach from Golders Green takes twice as long, plus a further half hour from/to Victoria, but the cost is much lower, typically £11 return booked in advance or about £16 return booked the day before travel. I usually travel to Leicester by train and return by coach on the 17.45 departure. I do have a senior railcard and therefore pay around £20 total return when I book from London. I can do it from Kent for £28 return. It's a fabulous production of West Side story and well worth having another try to see it. FrontroverPaul after westside did you get the 17.45 coach? Please and ta I had booked the 19.00 coach back to London but there is absolutely enough time to make the 17.45 after a matinee
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Post by TallPaul on Dec 9, 2019 9:40:26 GMT
As Megabus is part of Stagecoach, I assumed that when the East Midlands franchise transferred to Abelio, it would no longer be possible to book relatively affordable travel on that route. Reader, I was wrong.
For travel on 11 January 2020, for example, it is currently possible to book a ticket on the 11:34 service from St Pancras, returning on the 19:13 from Leicester, for only £10.11 each way.
Hope that helps!
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Dec 9, 2019 11:05:53 GMT
As Megabus is part of Stagecoach, I assumed that when the East Midlands franchise transferred to Abelio, it would no longer be possible to book relatively affordable travel on that route. Reader, I was wrong. For travel on 11 January 2020, for example, it is currently possible to book a ticket on the 11:34 service from St Pancras, returning on the 19:13 from Leicester, for only £10.11 each way. Hope that helps! Yes Megabus (Stagecoach) came to an agreement with Abellio to continue the Megatrain service on a limited number of routes and services. Unless the system has changed Megatrain tickets go on sale at the stroke of midnight 45 days in advance. They used to start @ £1 plus a 50p booking fee for any number of tickets purchased in one transaction but there was usually only one seat on each included service sold at that price and by 00.03 the £1 tickets would all be gone so you had to be in the know and quick. They currently start @ £10.11. I would sit at the computer from 23.58 when I needed to travel 45 days ahead and had about an 80% success rate at getting a return for £2.50 between London and Leicester or Sheffield to see matinees at the Curve or Crucible and also at the Bristol Hippodrome. It was a few complaints about the difficulty in getting £1 tickets on Megabus services that led to the Advertising Standards Agency banning advertising for them and Megabus dropping them (and Sid) but I made about 400 £1 journeys in nine years @ £1 including around 50 by train. Megabus even had a free travel promotion in January February though that didn't include trains. I didn't qualify for a railcard then so it saved me a heap of money. Happy Days. Slightly OT but may help a few more people see West Side Story in Leicester so hopefully an acceptable post.
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Post by sophie92 on Dec 9, 2019 17:30:53 GMT
Matt Trevorrow has now joined the cast as a swing
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Post by Someone in a tree on Dec 9, 2019 17:42:34 GMT
My partner and I have had a terrible two weeks due to his ongoing treatment for Myeloma Hope your partner gets better soon, Someone in a tree. Thankyou xx
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Post by sophie92 on Dec 10, 2019 6:50:18 GMT
Matt Trevorrow has now joined the cast as a swing Michael Anderson has also joined - both performed last night with one day of rehearsal
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Post by ABr on Dec 10, 2019 8:18:42 GMT
I don't want to say I told them so, but Curve have always played a risky game with never having official Understudies or Swings for the majority of their bigger shows. They had to throw on Darren Bennet who was playing Fizzywig with 48 hours notice when Jasper Britton who was playing Scrooge fell ill. We were booked and actually saw his second performance, he was amazing, half off book, half script in hand. They had a less dicey situation with Legally Blonde where one of the 3 Delta Nu girls left the production early on, so because they had no swings, for the majority of the run, they only had 2, for her only to be replaced in the last week of the run. Its remarkable what some performers can do with such short notice, but even if they don't display/advertise there Understudy system, I do think most major shows with significant runs should have that safety male and female swing, for situations just like this.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Dec 10, 2019 9:32:00 GMT
I do agree but it does drive up the cost and maybe the unplanned approach generally works.
The only time I've had a performance actually cancelled was La Cage at the Chocolate Starfish. The MCF always now recuit understudies.
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Post by frontrowcentre on Dec 10, 2019 10:59:43 GMT
I was there last night. Doubting between seeing something in the West End or this I decided to go and booked yesterday morning, driving three hours didn’t seem a lot compare to fighting the overcrowded streets of London this time of the year. Hadn’t read this board for a couple of days and didn’t have a clue about the concert version. I read the comments just after I booked but then rang the theatre to be told that they were back to normal. M23-M25-M40-M1 and I arrived to The Curve. Watching pictures of past productions I hate myself for missing so many. I’ve only been here twice before for Gypsy and Hairspray. The show was delayed for a few minutes and Nikolai Foster addressed the audience explaining what had happened the previous days and that they managed to find two replacements who only had one day to rehearse and that they will be holding a scrip while performing. The show stars and it feels weird not see the familiar Jeremy Robins choreography. But I warm up to it as it’s cleverly done and adds some very interesting choices. Love this Maria, different approach to the usual version. Less innocent/naive, more cocky/funny. Not a soprano I think but I like her voice, it got even better in act two. A native Puerton Rican I think, perfect Spanish. Same as Bernardo (Colombian I think) and the two shark girls. Brilliant that The Curve managed to cast real Latinos when they seem to lack in the West End so often. Anita kills it. No purple dress but this girl owns the stage. America is done with only three girls. This is no a problem as this girls fill the space brilliantly. However I would have appreciated a couple more girls on each band. The small cast it’s quite obvious in a few scenes. Supernumerary actors are to obvious and most of the time they just stand looking on the sides of the stage without really interacting with the rest of the cast (a part from Somewhere where they all dance and sing together) Cool was cut short with no dancing sequence I guess the two last minute understudies didn’t have time to learn it. However Gee, Officer Krupke was fully staged. Kudos to this two wonderful boys and also to the rest of the cast who had to work around them, I guess it hasn’t have to be easy to perform in these circumstances specially the rest of the Jets who shared a lot of scenes with them. I picked my seats honouring my nickname but I would recomend to sit a few rows back as a lot of action happens stage front and for some scenes you really have to look up. Amazing production I had forgotten what a wonderful score this is and why this is up there on my list of my favourites. Posible the best musical ever writing. Don’t miss it!
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Post by HereForTheatre on Dec 19, 2019 8:52:59 GMT
Extended by a week and on until 18th now, if that makes it easier for anyone to see it now. So pleased it's doing well
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Post by ABr on Jan 15, 2020 9:38:19 GMT
Managed to catch this while in Leicester at the weekend. We got to single seats on the back row of the Circle, technically next to each other, but one seat is on a raised section with 6 other seats. Even though it was the back row upstairs, the view was perfect, there really isn't a bad seat at Curve (bar the side seats, which are cheap as chips, but you do lose a lot of stage due to the angle) Having never seen the stage show, and only watching the film for the first time a couple of months ago, I pretty much went in cold, other then knowing the classic songs. We thoroughly enjoyed it, and thought overall it was a great production. Performances were about 75% for us, there was nothing wrong with them, at times we felt Maria's (Adriana Ivelisse) voice wasn't the strongest, though lovely at times, it did miss something for us. Tony (Jamie Muscato) was a bit dead behind the eyes sometimes, which worked really well when he was playing JD in Heathers. They did have some really lovely moments together, and I did actually find there relationship very believable. I felt that the ensemble really carried the show, pulling it through the story, framing the entire piece. Anita (Carly Mercedes Dyre) was a real highlight, and I thought it was really interesting to see America with only the 3 girls. Now after seeing the show, we are both really intrigued by the changes being made for the Ivo Van Hove production, currently in previews on Broadway. When you hear 'I feel Pretty' and the 'Somewhere' Ballet are cut, and also removing the interval, you go 'what?!' Now seeing the show, I really can see how it might work, IFP feels so superfluous, I get the intent behind it, but really, it adds very little other then adding some lightheartedness to the beginning of Act 2. I think I'd now prefer to see an altered/updated version of WSS now I've seen the 'original'. Overall a wonderful production, with very little to pick at honestly. If you've never seen WSS, I think this is a great production to pop that cherry! 4 1/2*
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Post by HereForTheatre on Jan 15, 2020 15:38:28 GMT
Ryan Anderson is on as Tony for the show this afternoon. I think Jamie injured himself from what I heard when the director talked to someone but I could have heard wrong. I think some other members are out too and it's a reduced cast. He's doing a good job but I certainly preferred Jamie.
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Post by HereForTheatre on Jan 15, 2020 16:57:25 GMT
Jamie Muscato injured his foot on stage last night and the understudy, Ryan Anderson, had to go on mid show having never played the role properly before. He was on again today and I assume until the end of the run now. He did a good job but I preferred Jamie's slightly more laid back acting style and his voice, Ryan seemed a bit more exaggerated in his acting and didnt quite go for all the notes as full out as Jamie but for saying it was only his first full show then big congrats to him, great job. There were some other covers on as well so it seems its a good job that they hired them swings over Xmas cus I think they were all on today. I think we were still missing a couple though.
Great news as well folks, the gun timing was spot on this time!👌
Everything was great. The set design and lighting and the orchestra are as great as ever. I really felt like this time I preferred act 2 though and before I don't think I had a preference. Adriana seems to have got a lot stronger since I saw her in November and Carly was as feirce as ever. Isaac Gryn deserves a shout out as Action too because the Gee Officer is really all his and its brilliant.
Apparently Cameron Mackintosh was in last night so it was unfortunate that happened with Jamie.
Not full bit I expected that as this week is the extension and only went on sale a few weeks ago.
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Post by thenightowl on Jan 15, 2020 18:15:30 GMT
Ooh, interesting that Cameron was in last night. I have a hunch that this production will crop up again somewhere in the near future. At the new season launch on Monday, Chris and Nikolai mentioned they’d had recent discussions with the Bernstein estate and were going to have a meeting with one of his sons. They didn’t elaborate any further on this but as the production is about to close I don’t see why there would be any need for further discussions. I guess we’ll see, but I look forward to any future developments, it’d be nice to see this get life further afield!
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Post by HereForTheatre on Jan 15, 2020 18:41:17 GMT
Ooh, interesting that Cameron was in last night. I have a hunch that this production will crop up again somewhere in the near future. At the new season launch on Monday, Chris and Nikolai mentioned they’d had recent discussions with the Bernstein estate and were going to have a meeting with one of his sons. They didn’t elaborate any further on this but as the production is about to close I don’t see why there would be any need for further discussions. I guess we’ll see, but I look forward to any future developments, it’d be nice to see this get life further afield! I am nearly sure they said Cameron, i overheard Nikolai talking to someone and he said something about everyone being terrified last night because <insert name> was in watching and i'm pretty sure i heard Cameron but it could be someone else and i'm talking crap haha! I think the issue with a further life is the Broadway production and i guess whether they want to bring that over here, i assume their might would win out against one of our regional WWS's.
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Post by thenightowl on Jan 15, 2020 18:59:17 GMT
I think the issue with a further life is the Broadway production and i guess whether they want to bring that over here, i assume their might would win out against one of our regional WWS's. After the 'To Kill a Mockingbird' cancelled tour, I'm sure that's a big possibility and for Curve definitely a big concern if there's to be some continued life for this production and maybe why they need further discussions with the Bernstein estate? Before the production started there were no plans for it to transfer or have a further life after this run so its probably just wishful thinking on my part.
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Post by HereForTheatre on Jan 15, 2020 19:04:35 GMT
I think the issue with a further life is the Broadway production and i guess whether they want to bring that over here, i assume their might would win out against one of our regional WWS's. After the 'To Kill a Mockingbird' cancelled tour, I'm sure that's a big possibility and for Curve definitely a big concern if there's to be some continued life for this production and maybe why they need further discussions with the Bernstein estate? Before the production started there were no plans for it to transfer or have a further life after this run so its probably just wishful thinking on my part. What prompted them to talk about it? Were they asked or did they randomly just say it? Also did they mention anything about the next xmas show?
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jan 15, 2020 19:17:42 GMT
I'm so glad this extended and I got the chance to see it as it was astounding. I started to cry during Tonight and didn't really stop. I was a wreck at the end.
Krupke for the first time seemed to fit. Hurrah! But this production has so many other assets and unfortunately it is more pertinent than ever.
I wonder if I will see a better show this year?
It was my first time to the Curve and its non an architectual gem but as a theatre it works really well. At the end the loading doors were opened so we could peak onto the stage. Loved it. Does this normally happen?
I also clocked Bill Buchurst in the foyer I thought about thanking him for Ghost Quartet and Assassins but chicken out!
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Post by HereForTheatre on Jan 15, 2020 19:36:05 GMT
I'm so glad this extended and I got the chance to see it as it was astounding. I started to cry during Tonight and didn't really stop. I was a wreck at the end. Krupke for the first time seemed to fit. Hurrah! But this production has so many other assets and unfortunately it is more pertinent than ever. I wonder if I will see a better show this year? It was my first time to the Curve and its non an architectual gem but as a theatre it works really well. At the end the loading doors were opened so we could peak onto the stage. Loved it. Does this normally happen? I also clocked Bill Buchurst in the foyer I thought about thanking him for Ghost Quartet and Assassins but chicken out! That always happens yes with their own shows. Not usually for tours and stuff that comes in though. I think it's architecturally very interesting myself, that building. I guess Bill was there for meetings about Sister Act, which they are co-producing and opens there. When did you go, today?
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Post by thenightowl on Jan 15, 2020 19:42:38 GMT
What prompted them to talk about it? Were they asked or did they randomly just say it? Also did they mention anything about the next xmas show? They were talking quite generally about the show whilst sat at Doc's bar, telling us how thankful they were at the response for the show from audiences and critics, saying something along the lines of for this show they managed to get every aspect of the show complimenting each other perfectly (from set, cast, show, choreography, sound, lighting etc) they agreed it's not very often that happens (as much as that it what they're aiming for). It was very casually talked about. Slightly off-topic here, but whilst I'm taking about the season preview night: They also mentioned White Christmas being the Christmas show for the Edinburgh Playhouse this year, further continuing the life of their Christmas 2018 production. Sadly no announcements were made for this years Christmas production, although in the next few weeks they should be able to announce what it will be. Within the next month The Phantom of the Opera will be opening which has finally involved ALW with Curve and this relationship has only just started. We were told that two further ALW productions will be coming to the theatre at some point in the near future, nothing about what shows was said, but this is great for Curve. I imagine that Leicester will probably get the School of Rock tour and this will be one of the two. They have two more big productions to announce in the next 3-4 months but nothing more was said. Interestingly enough they'd only got confirmation that morning that they'd secured the rights to stage Roman Holiday and managed to get two West Side Story cast members to learn a song each to perform for us The final song of the night was a performance of Over the Rainbow sung beautifully by Adriana Ivelisse which we were led to believe is a clue to a future production. We'll see.
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Post by HereForTheatre on Jan 15, 2020 19:55:08 GMT
What prompted them to talk about it? Were they asked or did they randomly just say it? Also did they mention anything about the next xmas show? They were talking quite generally about the show whilst sat at Doc's bar, telling us how thankful they were at the response for the show from audiences and critics, saying something along the lines of for this show they managed to get every aspect of the show complimenting each other perfectly (from set, cast, show, choreography, sound, lighting etc) they agreed it's not very often that happens (as much as that it what they're aiming for). It was very casually talked about. Slightly off-topic here, but whilst I'm taking about the season preview night: They also mentioned White Christmas being the Christmas show for the Edinburgh Playhouse this year, further continuing the life of their Christmas 2018 production. Sadly no announcements were made for this years Christmas production, although in the next few weeks they should be able to announce what it will be. Within the next month The Phantom of the Opera will be opening which has finally involved ALW with Curve and this relationship has only just started. We were told that two further ALW productions will be coming to the theatre at some point in the near future, nothing about what shows was said, but this is great for Curve. I imagine that Leicester will probably get the School of Rock tour and this will be one of the two. They have two more big productions to announce in the next 3-4 months but nothing more was said. Interestingly enough they'd only got confirmation that morning that they'd secured the rights to stage Roman Holiday and managed to get two West Side Story cast members to learn a song each to perform for us The final song of the night was a performance of Over the Rainbow sung beautifully by Adriana Ivelisse which we were led to believe is a clue to a future production. We'll see. Thanks for all that. Well if you combine the song choice of Over the Rainbow and the mention on ALW relationship starting.....i'd probably bet The Wizard Of Oz is the Xmas show? We'll see. I have to say, despite me not seeing it yet and wanting to, i'd find that slightly uninspiring only because quite a few other regional theatres have done it over the last two years.
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Post by thenightowl on Jan 15, 2020 20:02:13 GMT
Thanks for all that. Well if you combine the song choice of Over the Rainbow and the mention of ALW shows coming to the theatre.....i'd probably bet The Wizard Of Oz is the Xmas show? We'll see. I have to say, despite me not seeing it yet, i'd find that slightly uninspiring only because quite a few other regional theatres have done it over the last two years. No problem, that was my initial thought and I also find it rather uninspiring so hope its not. I also hope there's an interesting link to that song being performed, as if it is The Wizard of Oz, that would be too obvious a song to have, surely? Who knows, I won't be holding my breath!
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Post by thenightowl on Jan 15, 2020 20:03:36 GMT
It was my first time to the Curve and its non an architectual gem but as a theatre it works really well. At the end the loading doors were opened so we could peak onto the stage. Loved it. Does this normally happen? That always happens yes with their own shows. Not usually for tours and stuff that comes in though. I think it's architecturally very interesting myself, that building. I love that they bring the theatre apron up after their productions, it really fits with the open ethos of the theatre. It helps show the backstage part of theatre to anyone with an interest on their way out and that can only be a good thing too. Curve often gets a lot of criticism for its architecture, but there's nowhere else like it, and that's part of what makes it special for me. The theatre itself offers on the of the best theatrical experiences you can get (seat comfort and viewing experience from around the auditorium is great) and the studio is a really interesting space that I've seen in countless layouts and setups over the years.
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