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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2020 15:56:01 GMT
Everyone should quickly overreact to reports from an initial preview or two.
Cancel your tickets.
Protest in the streets.
Express dismay on social media.
And for heaven's sake ... clutch thy pearls tightly.
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Post by partytentdown on Feb 1, 2020 16:12:20 GMT
Everyone should quickly overreact to reports from an initial preview or two. Cancel your tickets. Protest in the streets. Express dismay on social media. And for heaven's sake ... clutch thy pearls tightly. This person clearly didn't sit through Macbeth. |
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Post by Jan on Feb 1, 2020 18:15:47 GMT
Everyone should quickly overreact to reports from an initial preview or two. Cancel your tickets. Protest in the streets. Express dismay on social media. And for heaven's sake ... clutch thy pearls tightly. Fortunately no-one has done any of those things then. In my experience early word-of-mouth of NT productions is invariably correct, it is unusual in that respect. Let’s see. |
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Post by lynette on Feb 1, 2020 18:30:22 GMT
Who is Biggins Wayne?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2020 18:53:35 GMT
Well, I may be looking in the wrong place but searching twitter for both the NT and the play title and the only negative comment is the one posted earlier. Bit of a lovefest for Lesley Manville though (it is a great part).
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Feb 1, 2020 18:58:54 GMT
Well, I may be looking in the wrong place but searching twitter for both the NT and the play title and the only negative comment is the one posted earlier. Bit of a lovefest for Lesley Manville though (it is a great part). She's also just brilliant in everything I've seen her in. |
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Post by scarpia on Feb 1, 2020 20:56:09 GMT
Looking forward to this; but can anyone explain to me what has happened to the NT's pricing recently? I've missed three recent productions there as I felt the prices were far too high for what is a subsidised theatre, and comparing it to prices I paid for NT productions only around 5 years ago.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2020 21:17:00 GMT
On the other hand about 40 years ago I saw a production of Dr Faustus where all the devils and associated visions were hand-puppets. That was pretty bad. It was in some strange Jacobean-style theatre space on the South Bank somewhere, don’t think it’s there any more. Digging around a bit there is a long tradition of Faust puppet plays wepa.unima.org/en/faust/ |
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Post by crowblack on Feb 1, 2020 21:30:42 GMT
there is a long tradition of Faust puppet plays If I had Matthew Sweet's 'theatre time machine', one of my stops would be to see whatever it was a very young Peter Lorre was doing with Richard Teschner's puppet theatre in Vienna. The images I've seen of the puppets themselves are quite stunning. |
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Post by Polly1 on Feb 1, 2020 21:39:32 GMT
Looking forward to this; but can anyone explain to me what has happened to the NT's pricing recently? I've missed three recent productions there as I felt the prices were far too high for what is a subsidised theatre, and comparing it to prices I paid for NT productions only around 5 years ago. After the loss of the Travelex sponsorship, they had to make money elsewhere to maintain some cheap seats, so they've made the "best" central stalls into premium-priced ones. I think that's the party line, but all prices are very much in line with commercial productions now. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2020 2:53:50 GMT
Everyone should quickly overreact to reports from an initial preview or two. Cancel your tickets. Protest in the streets. Express dismay on social media. And for heaven's sake ... clutch thy pearls tightly. Fortunately no-one has done any of those things then. In my experience early word-of-mouth of NT productions is invariably correct, it is unusual in that respect. Let’s see. It was sarcasm. |
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Post by dlevi on Feb 2, 2020 6:04:03 GMT
Looking forward to this; but can anyone explain to me what has happened to the NT's pricing recently? I've missed three recent productions there as I felt the prices were far too high for what is a subsidised theatre, and comparing it to prices I paid for NT productions only around 5 years ago. After the loss of the Travelex sponsorship, they had to make money elsewhere to maintain some cheap seats, so they've made the "best" central stalls into premium-priced ones. I think that's the party line, but all prices are very much in line with commercial productions now. The prices have been steadily creeping up over the past couple of years and while it is basically in keeping with commercial pricing, it is getting a bit out of control - especially in the Dorfman. The expansion of the food activities into the area near the bookstore is indicative of that, as is the expansion of what the bookstore sells - can postcards of Big Ben be far behind? All of this though is beside the point - the programming itself is off balance. There were plenty of empty seats in the past year especially the rather long run of Peer Gynt ( which should've been taken off early). I know its a constant discussion of what should a National Theatre be - I know they need to serve everyone but I think that Rufus in wishing to be more democratic in the programming choices and the decision making process is losing whatever his vision of a National Theatre was, which got him the job in the first place. (That said, their audience outreach initiative for Three Sisters appears to be working, at the matinee I attended I think at least 50% of the near capacity audience was Black. And that hasn't been the case in the past. ) |
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Post by showgirl on Feb 2, 2020 6:14:40 GMT
It's great if the NT's outreach is working and recent plays like Barber Shop Chronicles, Nine Night and The Three Sisters have clearly helped attract audience members from one under-represented group. The conundrum however is surely how the NT can build on this interest whilst balancing it with the need to maintain/raise prices and increase income?
I'm sure some of the NT's target groups have benefited from the usual ticket offers as I've received some myself (eg from Afridiziak - well worth signing up with if you haven't already), but as a long-term regular I am attending less and generally only when I can still get a £15 ticket in the front stalls of the Lyttelton or (rarely alas) Olivier, or an offer/Friday Rush for the Dorfman. I may splurge occasionally on the seniors' midweek matinee deal for a well-reviewed longer production, purely for comfort, but the NT isn't gaining more income from me and in fact is losing it if inflation is factored in. So who are the people who can both afford to pay more and are willing to do so and are there enough of them to sustain the new pricing model long-term?
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Post by sf on Feb 2, 2020 9:01:09 GMT
Everyone should quickly overreact to reports from an initial preview or two. Cancel your tickets. Protest in the streets. Express dismay on social media. And for heaven's sake ... clutch thy pearls tightly.
I haven't cancelled my ticket, but I have rebooked - only because I don't think I'd get the best out of a rather heavy show that's four hours long if I see it the day after I've done a twelve-hour flight across nine time zones. I want to see it, not sleep through it.
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Post by callum on Feb 2, 2020 10:01:14 GMT
So who are the people who can both afford to pay more and are willing to do so and are there enough of them to sustain the new pricing model long-term? NT would think it’s the younger student audience who stay in London even after they’ve used Entry Pass for a few years, become affluent young professionals and then start acquiring a bit of dosh in their mid-late twenties. Whether this is true or not I have no idea...! |
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Post by Jan on Feb 2, 2020 10:25:01 GMT
I think the argument that the NT and others put forward that they need to attract a younger audience “because where is the next generation of theatre-goers going to come from ?” is spurious. The average age of the Orange Tree audience looks about 65 and has done for the past 30 years.
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Post by learfan on Feb 2, 2020 11:21:23 GMT
I think the argument that the NT and others put forward that they need to attract a younger audience “because where is the next generation of theatre-goers going to come from ?” is spurious. The average age of the Orange Tree audience looks about 65 and has done for the past 30 years. You could say that about a lot of other theatres too, i look the youngest one frequently and my salad days are long gone! |
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Post by lynette on Feb 2, 2020 13:03:38 GMT
You could say that you increase your theatre going when you don’t need to worry about babysitters or having to get to the airport 5am for a business trip...etc. Introducing kids to theatre is vital so that they remember it when that time finally comes. Kids’ shows always remembered and those few grown up ones that you can afford for all the family once or maybe twice a year. Taking 18 month grandson to a theatre babies’ show soon.
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Post by learfan on Feb 2, 2020 14:00:47 GMT
You could say that you increase your theatre going when you don’t need to worry about babysitters or having to get to the airport 5am for a business trip...etc. Introducing kids to theatre is vital so that they remember it when that time finally comes. Kids’ shows always remembered and those few grown up ones that you can afford for all the family once or maybe twice a year. Taking 18 month grandson to a theatre babies’ show soon. I started taking my two when they were school age, even to Shakespeare! And continued throughout their school years. Glad to say they still go and it even put my son on the path to drama school where he got a first last summer. So we have two next generationers already. |
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Post by MrBraithwaite on Feb 3, 2020 8:31:23 GMT
This topic seems to drift off slightly, but if there are no actual reports on the show... I am looking forward to seeing it, however long and terrible it might be, certainly not cancelling my ticket.  |
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Post by Polly1 on Feb 3, 2020 9:49:30 GMT
This topic seems to drift off slightly, but if there are no actual reports on the show... I am looking forward to seeing it, however long and terrible it might be, certainly not cancelling my ticket. Yes, although I did swap to a matinee, I'm determined to see this, having waited 40+ years since studying it for German A-level. |
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Post by edi on Feb 3, 2020 23:37:14 GMT
3 h 40 mins tonight and it went quite fast. Enjoyed the play, huge cast and some amazing performances and great staging. First part really good, 1 h 15 mins went very quickly. Lots of stuff could easily be cut from part 2 and 3 and they could cut the second break too.
Recommended
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Post by nash16 on Feb 3, 2020 23:45:22 GMT
Positives
Lesley Manville
Hugo Weaving (topping even LM in the acting stakes. His character really is the heart of the piece and he is an incredible stage presence).
The indomitable Sara Kestelman.
The ambition of it all.
Certain visual moments.
The set up
Negatives
It’s 4hrs long.
The fact that once the predicament/offer has been announced/made, there is little drama in the subsequent musings on the fate of one character.
It’s 4hrs long.
The pointless supernumeries and choirs and kids and...
It’s 4hrs long.
Whoever decided to put LM up in a gantry for most of Act 2. Who has she pissed off?
It’s 4hrs long.
It’s such a shame they decided to take it all so seriously, whilst at the same time hoping to Ali their in comedic elements (the blind men...and other movements) that subsequently just do not land.
It is criminal they’ve allowed Kushner, despite some wonderful fleeting lines and moments, be allowed to indulge in this way.
The play could easily be done either straight through or 2 and a bit hours with interval, max.
As a result, the idea and drama get diluted and diluted and diluted until you just don’t care about the fate of said character and just want the whole thing to end.
Herrin has filled the Olivier with Vicki Mortimer and co, but it hasn’t the energy or the excitement or head drive to keep us all engaged.
Weirdly, a sort of flop, if not for the grandeur and stillness of LM and the brilliance, especially towards the end, of Weaving.
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Post by edi on Feb 4, 2020 7:19:36 GMT
I thought the first act was brilliant, it set the drama up very well and the stage effects supported the story well.
The second act is only 40 mins and it was partly telling the story (still brilliant) and partly the old woman's monologues on a very raised platform. I agree that it was a bad idea. Hard to see hard to hear.
The 3rd act was 1 h 5 mins and in my opinion this was the weakest and most diluted. It did lose some of the dramatic effects and diluted the good story. Lots could be cut here to tighten it up.
Still, I didn't know the play before I went and the storyline kept my interest up. Luckily the bits I didn't like were towards the end and by that time I was too hooked to lose my interest.
I would be interested to know how they change it during reviews.
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Post by peggs on Feb 4, 2020 13:14:47 GMT
Any blood if it's a revenge play please?
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