The Threepenny Opera - NT (Filthy Language/Immoral Behavior)

In fact this show is DEAR to me

At school we did a radically updated version

Causing much controversy

The whores hung about the school driveway as the patrons arrived and solicited themselves

They were given elaborate back stories as to how they ended up in their current fallen states

Mac and his gang had machine guns and the school armoury had provided them with blanks for a firing round during the squaddies song

There were some brutal killings and domestic violence shown

And a local BBC personage who used to do the regional news and was a parent had filmed segments which were broadcast periodically throughout the show as newsflashes

It was great!

Definitely wasn't mad about this. It was enjoyable enough but definitely preferred the first half to the second. Post-interval it just seemed clumsy and chaotic. For me, it suffered from the exact same problems that all Rufus Norris productions I've seen have. He seems to focus on a handle of moments and create nice visuals and staging and then not really bother about the rest of the play as long as the actors are on stage delivering their lines.

I actually also really disliked the use of the revolve (which for me is a rarity). Until that point the whole production had been in typical Brecht fashion doing everything to remind us this was a simple handcrafted experience, and the sudden appearance of a very technological way of bringing on the scene change felt very jarring. Essentially there was absolutely no need to use the lift other than the fact it was there and available.

Ahhh, I envisioned you playing Mackie Messer, with your cut-throat wit and your slashing comments, all delivered with your singular sense of charm! 

What a waste of Kinnear. Who knew he could sing. I didn't get it, maybe I'm missing something but I stayed 'till the end. What an unsatisfactory ending. Nick Holder and Gwynne made it worth watching….just.

Oh dear... a dud then? I was so looking forward to this. I'll know for myself in a couple of weeks...

I really enjoyed it although wasn't convinced by Rory Kinnear.

This production is different but musically very strong. It'll be interesting to read your thoughts about it when you've seen it.

For some reason I was surprised by how much singing there was in this, you'd have thought the title was something of a give away!

I found this somewhat mixed, I zoned out a bit at times, think perhaps actually it was the singing, not due to quality of it but I slightly lose focus and would prefer them to be speaking lines so figure that's me for plays over musicals. But loved the staging, all the visible stage hands and props etc. after Lynette's approval of the revolve I think I had unreasonably hopes of it doing something impossible like taking off but yeah that lifting set worked for me and don't think i've seen anything recently with so much on and off and lowering of bits so it was nice to see. Now ready the comments I agree that not sure that Kinnear has something that would make these women fall for him physically but physiologically it made sense to me, he was threatening, the kind of guy who would casually knife someone, had a dominating stage presence and loved his voice. I was third row and his staring eyes where really quite disconcerting. Would probably have to come down on the side of those who found Craig a bit bland, lovely singing voice and liked the portrayal of a Polly that much more than some naive seduced girl but not enough fire for me I think. Ably supported elsewhere by as strong case, really liked Sharon Small, i assumed the singing was deliberately a bit rough round the edges for the character.

Pretty sure most people came back after the interval though goodness people are slow getting to their seats aren't they, wandering in drink in hand so it all goes up late, was on a rush for the only train so was clock watching big time and was my excuse for inadvertently kicking the man behind me as a did a mad scramble over my seat (sat in front of that middle aisle) as i ran for it at the end but everyone seemed loudly clapping.

Enjoyed this very much. Loved the use of the revolve and paper scaffold sets. Hugely entertaining, a factor which sometimes gets lost amidst all the po-faced Brechtian theory (I recently studied Life of Galileo for uni and much preferred The Threepenny Opera).
PS - didn't find Rosalie Craig bland in the slightest. That high note was wow!

Hoping this is bonkers enough to hold my attention tonight.

Someone else mentioned this in a tweet last night, but this wasn't a line added post-referendum, it was in the show I saw a couple of weeks ago...

That's interesting - did the audience react as if it was a referendum moment a few weeks ago?  It felt really pointed last night.