Chess

I understand that Alexandra gets a lot of flack, and that’s probably not all justified. She does annoy me a bit in general but I don’t feel it affects my view of her as a performer.
But I’ve seen every show that she’s done (Bodyguard, Sister Act and then Chess) and have strongly disliked her performances in all 3.
I just don’t think she’s any kind of actress. Which is a big problem for me. She can sing, I don’t question, but I don’t think her voice is suited to any Of the parts she has played. I disliked her voice least in Bodyguard as it’s the closest to her pop style.
Her Act 2 opened in this, on reflection, was ok, but someone else’s story I thought was poor and CJ wiped the floor with her in I Know Him So Well.
I just don’t think she has a place in theatre - it’s not me being cruel, just my honest opinion.

I wouldn't have it any other way! 

I agree with pretty much everything, I haven't been so bored in a theatre in a long while, I couldn't wait for it to be over. I didn't like the score, a part from the four famous songs, I thought it was repetitive, bombastic and some of those silly recitatives should just be dialogues. There are also some appalling lyrics and the least is said about the book the better. At the end of it I told my friend that not even Tim Rice could have written something so bad and then I was informed that it was by Tim Rice. Made perfect sense.

Absolutely agree about Janson, she's the true winner of this production. I thought Burke sang the hell out of her songs, but her diction was monstrous. I mean, maybe the faulty sound design paid an important role in this, but I spent half of "He's a Man, He's a Child" thinking she was singing in Russian. Great orchestra and I loved the set and the staging (but I was sitting in the front of the dress circle, a rush ticket from TodayTix), even if "I Know Him So Well" could have been done better.

I don't see it myself until Wednesday, but I believe they aren't new - they're from an earlier production of the show in Sydney in which the song was also given to Svetlana.

Seems the ENO is arguing its drinks policy for musicals is because they can attract bad behaviour! But then raise commercial points that would apply to all performances.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/05/05/eno-bans-audience-bringing-food-drink-musical-theatre-shows/

Went Fri eve. Those soaring orchestrations sounded glorious with the ENO orchestra and I thought the performances were faultless, especially Cassidy who was standout. Her rendition of IKHSW with Alexandre was moving, powerful and really quite beautiful.

Yes, puts me off going at all, particularly as this isn’t a policy they have for opera so either money grabbing or a snobby attitude to musical audiences who it appears they don’t REALLY want in the building making it look untidy

It’s not a food and drinks ban - just a ban on food and drink bought elsewhere! That does, admittedly, restrict the picnic options, as food choices sold within are limited!

That’s against the law. Licensed premises have to provide free drinking water. 

Saw the matinee on Saturday and thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked that it was a bit cheesy and eighties; it worked well I thought.
Michael Ball, Tim Howar and Cassidy were all great. Alexandra was OK, but miscast for me. She neither looked nor sounded right, and I couldn’t tell what she was saying a lot of the time. I do think she had some horrible, dowdy costumes though, poor thing. The ensemble work hard and are really well used, lifting a lot of the intermediate scenes. The orchestra is glorious.
The view from mid dress circle was good, and the staging combined with the screens worked well although at times I was torn which to focus on. Sound was fine. It’s very long (particularly Act 1).
Coming out, I heard a girl ask her mother “how do you know some of those songs so well, if you’ve never seen it?” Mother: “Well, they were big hits in the 80s”. “Oh, I didn’t know , I’ve heard IKHSW, which others?” Mother “One night in Bangkok was huge!” Daughter looks like mum has early onset dementia...

Well, some people do actually want to buy drinks! But yes, they’ve created a Catch 22 with the water. If people had a glass though, the system would work. They’re going to sit through one act of a musical, not trek across the Sahara.

Chess is a conundrum. This production doesn't solve it and I'm not sure it's even possible too. Yes, the score is wonderful. But the story remains as dissatisfying as when I first saw it twenty years ago. A bunch of horrible, self-involved people that you don't care about. Who cares whether Freddie or Anatoly wins? They're both pretty obnoxious. And the love story seemed slighter in this version than ever. We spend more time watching them playing chess than we do falling in love, and it's not helped by the fact that Janson and Ball are a pretty unlikely romantic couple to begin with.
Freddie is such a horrible character, and his songs are pitched so high, that you just want him to go away. And it's not helped by Tim Howar gurning away, acting badly and looking exactly like Harry Enfield playing Smashie or Nicey. By the time we're asked to feel some sympathy for him in 'Pity the Child' it's too little too late.
Michael Ball sings nicely - although he got a few of the lyrics wrong when I saw it, nothing major but when you know the score backwards it shows.
Cassidy Janson is good too: but Florence appears so late in the story, and with one of her numbers having been given to Svetlana, she doesn't feel like the main character any more. (Reflected in the fact that she doesn't get the final bow either.) Which leaves you wondering who exactly you're supposed to be rooting for.
I was relieved Alexandra Burke didn't get too self indulgent with vocal flourishes a la X Factor, but I still think she was miscast. And what had she done to annoy the costume designer? That rust coloured jumpsuit she wore at the end was horrible!
Philip Brown has a good voice but he can't act either and his speech impediment was distracting.

So overall I wasn't overly impressed with the cast or the story. The Bangkok scene was dated and cliched too. And there are also concerns over yellow face. Although again I have some sympathy: what can a director do there? Hire 15 Asian ensemble members for one song? Cut the second most famous number in the show?

Still it's a big spectacle and in spite of my seeming to slate it, I thought the plethora of 2 star reviews was a little harsh. I'd have gone for 3 stars purely for the score. The ensemble did great work too.