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Post by Dr Tom on Oct 30, 2022 20:20:02 GMT
London to Birmingham is pretty good as you have two lines (and three competing train companies). Unfortunately, My Fair Lady is a long show so you can't risk a train before about 22:50 and Aviva is currently down to one train an hour.
There did use to be a 12:30am or so coach from Birmingham to London too, so that is an option. Very well placed for Birmingham theatres and you can sit in the gay village while you wait. Not sure if that still runs or not. I always used to do things in the other direction.
I appreciate all of this depends on onward connections in London when you get there. The late trains from Birmingham (if they still run) take about an hour longer than the peak time trains. The coach is also not a fast option.
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Post by longinthetooth on Oct 30, 2022 20:30:43 GMT
I don't live in London though. Getting from anywhere to London is usually easier than getting between two places neither of which are London. A few weeks ago I went to Colchester to see a play. It took me 2h15 & 4 trains to get there & I only live in the next county! There's also the issue of cost. I went to university in Bristol so I'm well aware how expensive GWR train tickets are, & the train to Birmingham isn't cheap either. Plus of course at the moment there are so many train strikes. If you book a train 3 months in advance to get a cheaper ticket & there's a strike that day then you're screwed. Exactly this. For any touring show I have to travel to, and cross, London to catch a train to my destination. Where I live is something of a cultural wilderness, with no decent theatres or shows. As far as London is concerned, I can't currently afford top price tickets, so wait for the offers to appear. There has to be 14 days notice of a strike, so I daren't book more than two weeks in advance. I can only go to matinees, and have missed out on countless shows recently when a strike has been called on a day I had earmarked. On the bright side, it's saving me a fortune!
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3,938 posts
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Post by Dawnstar on Oct 30, 2022 21:09:45 GMT
London to Birmingham is pretty good as you have two lines (and three competing train companies). Unfortunately, My Fair Lady is a long show so you can't risk a train before about 22:50 and Aviva is currently down to one train an hour. London is fortunate. The latest I can leave Birmingham to get back to Cambridge is the 9.15pm train. A few years ago a concert performance of The Yeomen Of The Guard I was booked to see changed its running time to nearly an hour longer than originally announced so I had to frantically book overnight accommodation as I suddenly couldn't get home that night! For My Fair Lady I would be limited to a matinee in order to day trip. Exactly this. For any touring show I have to travel to, and cross, London to catch a train to my destination. Where I live is something of a cultural wilderness, with no decent theatres or shows. As far as London is concerned, I can't currently afford top price tickets, so wait for the offers to appear. There has to be 14 days notice of a strike, so I daren't book more than two weeks in advance. I can only go to matinees, and have missed out on countless shows recently when a strike has been called on a day I had earmarked. On the bright side, it's saving me a fortune! I can get to Birmingham without going via London but it takes about as long as going via London so it's not exactly massively helpful! For Bristol my only reasonable route is via London. I've just looked up train fares to both Bristol & Birmingham for midweek 3 months in advance & oddly the advance tickets for Bristol are actually nearly £20 cheaper than for Birmingham, even though it's a slightly longer journey, so if that's still the case when February & March go on sale then it looks like Bristol would be the better option. Though one of the 2 weeks it's in Bristol is the spring half term so I'd have to avoid that week. If only it was coming to Norwich or Milton Keynes! They're the 2 theatres I usually use to catch the big touring musicals (they never come to Cambridge as we don't have a big enough theatre).
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Post by h86 on Nov 10, 2022 16:35:27 GMT
There is a great offer on for this currently if you have a M&S card - £20 for a great choice of seats for certain performances.
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Post by FairyGodmother on Nov 16, 2022 20:30:45 GMT
Yes, I saw that earlier, and thought I'd take advantage.
Confusing how the offer works a bit differently for every theatre though!
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Post by FairyGodmother on Nov 17, 2022 8:57:13 GMT
I can't get Manchester to work at all, and can't believe they've all gone already...
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Post by FairyGodmother on Dec 14, 2022 23:29:57 GMT
I saw this tonight and absolutely loved it. Lesley Garrett got a round of applause after her three line solo. The lady next to me asked if Higgins was one of the McGann brothers, which I could actually see! Loved the sets, Charlotte Kennedy was amazing, great all round. The music sounded fab too, and I loved the Ascot horses. One question though, what was the red basket on a pulley in the study? I don't think it worked tonight, he went over to it quite early on and it didn't move, then it just hung there swinging gently the rest of the night.
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Dec 15, 2022 2:41:15 GMT
Having seen MFL many times there's a couple of things I've often wondered.
Why does Eliza say "I ain't got no parents" when her father Alfie Dolittle is featured strongly ?
And why does she say French lessons cost " 18 pence an hour " to justify why she won't pay more than a shilling (= 12 pence) for English tuition? Surely she would have said " One and Sixpence". Having grown up in the pre-decimal era, people only referred to pennies up to eleven pence. 12 pence and up as sums of money only came into use after decimalisation.
Any suggestions ?
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Post by FairyGodmother on Dec 15, 2022 14:38:18 GMT
Oh, I'll tell you what I did find strange. Why Mrs Pearce had such a strong regional accent, I couldn't believe that Professor Higgins would put up with it.
Can't Lesley Garrett manage RP?
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6,370 posts
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Post by Jon on Dec 15, 2022 14:40:59 GMT
Oh, I'll tell you what I did find strange. Why Mrs Pearce had such a strong regional accent, I couldn't believe that Professor Higgins would put up with it. Can't Lesley Garrett manage RP? Mrs Pearce was Scottish in the Broadway revival and I believe the same in London. I assume Higgins wouldn't dare mock his housekeeper or she'd shove his dinner where the sun doesn't shine!
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Post by FairyGodmother on Dec 15, 2022 14:57:48 GMT
She definitely wasn't Scottish last night! Midlands I thought. And you're probably right.
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Post by aingidh on Dec 17, 2022 11:00:52 GMT
Saw this in Edinburgh last night, what a wonderful show! Just what I needed to get me in the Christmas spirit. Big sets, beautiful costumes and a fab cast makes a great all around show. Initially the full principal cast were on, but Charlotte Kennedy had to go off after act 1 so Rebekah Lowings took over Eliza for act 2. Both girls were brilliant and the change was done very seamlessly. would definitely recommend giving this a watch!
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Post by sukhavati on Dec 23, 2022 6:20:29 GMT
One question though, what was the red basket on a pulley in the study? I don't think it worked tonight, he went over to it quite early on and it didn't move, then it just hung there swinging gently the rest of the night. That was for passing props from the upstairs part of the set in Higgins study down to the ground floor. I know it was used both times I saw it, I just can't remember if it was a book or another prop.
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Post by FairyGodmother on Dec 30, 2022 1:03:35 GMT
Thank you!
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Post by hadeswasking on Jan 7, 2023 19:11:50 GMT
Just out of the final matinee of the Edinburgh tour stop. Fantastic audience this afternoon. (I think this was the first time they managed to open the balcony at this stop and it made a hell of a difference! So much energy and a fuller sound than you'll get in the stalls, please fix this Edinburgh Playhouse)
Here are my quick thoughts:
I fell in love with this show way more than I expected to, ended up seeing it 3 times and enjoyed it every time just as much as the last. This stop was wayyy longer than it needed to be, but I'm grateful for it.
I had never seen the movie so wasn't really sure what to expect. The script is funny, the music is mostly beautiful and THAT cast!
Charlotte Kennedy is fantastic as Eliza, I feel like this role is very easy to get wrong. Charlotte makes you care about the character whilst having such a great voice. I also had the chance to see Rebekah in the role and she is just as good!
Michael Xavier's Henry Higgins is a treat to watch. He brings all the quirks needed to make this character such just so entertaining. - His comedic timing is fantastic, especially during his songs! He bounces off of Middleton's Pickering wonderfully.
Tom Liggins is charming as Freddy! I can imagine other versions of this character not being as likeable but he has the heart and the VOICE to make you root for him! #JusticeForFreddy. Can't wait to see what he does next. With that voice, he would make a FANTASTIC phantom eventually.
Adam Woodyatt as Alfred, I would say is the weakest link in this marvelous cast. Only for one reason, his singing. His line-readings are alright, but I'm not a fan of the solo parts of his songs. Luckily the ensemble take over just in time before your ears bleed. He does know how to charm the Edinburgh crowd though.
I was expecting a somewhat lackluster set after reading 1 or 2 things before going in. But I thought the set was great here! That house is impressive, especially for a tour. The rest of it also worked for me!
I've also seen a clip of the old ending, if this had happened here I would've been quite upset.
Go see it if it's near you. If your local tour stop is as sold as Edinburgh was, it needs your support. I promise you'll have a loverly time!
4 stars. VERY CLOSE to 5
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Post by FairyGodmother on Jan 8, 2023 18:37:08 GMT
The ending made me nervous for a minute, it looked like she was going to fall into the orchestra pit from where I was sitting!
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Post by brenth on Feb 17, 2023 7:11:31 GMT
I saw this yesterday in Bristol and wasn’t expecting much, but I loved it! Michael Xavier is a true leading man: charismatic, charming and he holds the stage at all times. Eliza was wonderful and I was reall rooting for her. I was moved at some points and realised how good the book is and how modern. The set and costumes look fantastic and the whole show was lovely with one caveat: I’m sorry but Adam Woodyat was a major disappointment, Alfred Dolittle must be highly charismatic and command the stage, two things AW can’t do. All of his scenes made me a little nervous and Get me to the Church was a disaster for me. This song is probably the most loved and famous in the show and the audience were willing it to go well, but at times it felt really off and sometimes AW got lost amongst the dancers and rather than carrying the scene he seemed overwhelmed by it. You need an actor with a big personality and brilliant comic timing and AW paled into comparison with the rest of the cast. It’s still a lovely show and we’ll worth seeing.I loved it!
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Post by jacob on Feb 21, 2023 22:59:16 GMT
Went into this one blind this evening as I didn’t want to miss it .. sadly left a little disheartened with after an ending like that!! the book was ok with a few good laughs but it’s reallyyyyy long. painfully long. The cast were absolutely brilliant though, just not a fan of the material😭
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Post by solangelafitte on Feb 26, 2023 22:42:56 GMT
I saw this yesterday in Bristol and wasn’t expecting much, but I loved it! Michael Xavier is a true leading man: charismatic, charming and he holds the stage at all times. Eliza was wonderful and I was reall rooting for her. I was moved at some points and realised how good the book is and how modern. The set and costumes look fantastic and the whole show was lovely with one caveat: I’m sorry but Adam Woodyat was a major disappointment, Alfred Dolittle must be highly charismatic and command the stage, two things AW can’t do. All of his scenes made me a little nervous and Get me to the Church was a disaster for me. This song is probably the most loved and famous in the show and the audience were willing it to go well, but at times it felt really off and sometimes AW got lost amongst the dancers and rather than carrying the scene he seemed overwhelmed by it. You need an actor with a big personality and brilliant comic timing and AW paled into comparison with the rest of the cast. It’s still a lovely show and we’ll worth seeing.I loved it! Agree with all of this. I really loved Harry Hadden-Paton in the role and didn't think it could be topped but I think Xavier might have just edged him out as my favourite. His I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face and final scene are really lovely work. I saw the tour early in the run and again this past week, and while every other performance had become richer and the actors had added lovely new moments, Adam's performance was almost note for note the one I had seen already months before, no new depth. Granted I still preferred him to Stephen K. Amos, but after seeing both Norbert Leo Butz and Danny Burstein at Lincoln Center I've really felt the most recent Doolittles to be lacking that same command of the stage. But other than that, a gorgeous production I've enjoyed seeing sporadically since 2018 and will be sad to see it come to a close.
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Post by sukhavati on Feb 27, 2023 6:18:13 GMT
Went into this one blind this evening as I didn’t want to miss it .. sadly left a little disheartened with after an ending like that!! the book was ok with a few good laughs but it’s reallyyyyy long. painfully long. The cast were absolutely brilliant though, just not a fan of the material😭 Shaw always said that Eliza ended up with Freddie; he never wanted her to end up with Higgins. It's not meant to be happily ever after like the Hollywood adaptation's ending.
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Post by solangelafitte on Feb 27, 2023 15:18:52 GMT
Much to the disappointment of the exasperated older Welsh lady next to me who loudly whispered "Oh just bloody kiss 'er!" when Eliza returned.
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Post by hadeswasking on Feb 27, 2023 15:44:53 GMT
I don't think I could've ever returned to this one if it was the original ending. I was very worried it was heading that way the first time!
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Post by Being Alive on Feb 27, 2023 15:45:29 GMT
It's a much more satisfying ending this way round.
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Post by Dawnstar on Feb 27, 2023 18:39:52 GMT
As I don't think I'm going to be able to see this, may I ask what ending is used?
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Post by couldileaveyou on Feb 27, 2023 18:44:10 GMT
As I don't think I'm going to be able to see this, may I ask what ending is used? The London Coliseum/Broadway revival one, Eliza walks away through the stalls at the end
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Post by mrbarnaby on Feb 27, 2023 18:48:06 GMT
As I don't think I'm going to be able to see this, may I ask what ending is used? The London Coliseum/Broadway revival one, Eliza walks away through the stalls at the end Shouldn’t that have a spoiler toggle for people who haven’t seen it ?
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Post by FairyGodmother on Feb 27, 2023 19:19:00 GMT
The London Coliseum/Broadway revival one, Eliza walks away through the stalls at the end Shouldn’t that have a spoiler toggle for people who haven’t seen it ? Probably, yes. She didn't actually do that in Edinburgh, just went off at the side of the stage, after walking forward to the point I thought she was going to end up in the pit! Presumably it doesn't work that well in theatres with no central aisle.
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Post by jacob on Feb 27, 2023 20:02:52 GMT
Went into this one blind this evening as I didn’t want to miss it .. sadly left a little disheartened with after an ending like that!! the book was ok with a few good laughs but it’s reallyyyyy long. painfully long. The cast were absolutely brilliant though, just not a fan of the material😭 Shaw always said that Eliza ended up with Freddie; he never wanted her to end up with Higgins. It's not meant to be happily ever after like the Hollywood adaptation's ending. Disheartened in the sense that we see Eliza (rightfully) leave Higgins after a minute or two of complete silence before a blackout. Maybe I meant underwhelming ..
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Post by sukhavati on Feb 28, 2023 7:28:24 GMT
Shaw always said that Eliza ended up with Freddie; he never wanted her to end up with Higgins. It's not meant to be happily ever after like the Hollywood adaptation's ending. Disheartened in the sense that we see Eliza (rightfully) leave Higgins after a minute or two of complete silence before a blackout. Maybe I meant underwhelming .. Understand. Those moments after she leaves are totally dependent on the reaction of the actor who plays Higgins. If he's low key bewildered, that doesn't deliver the same emotional impact as an actor who chooses to show he realises he just lost his last chance.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Feb 28, 2023 7:51:43 GMT
Disheartened in the sense that we see Eliza (rightfully) leave Higgins after a minute or two of complete silence before a blackout. Maybe I meant underwhelming .. Understand. Those moments after she leaves are totally dependent on the reaction of the actor who plays Higgins. If he's low key bewildered, that doesn't deliver the same emotional impact as an actor who chooses to show he realises he just lost his last chance. I think it's also important that you SEE Eliza walking away, which might not be the case from balconies and dress circles
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