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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 9, 2020 10:41:08 GMT
They've definitely added some really good £15 front row seats for Talking Heads recently. Both singles and doubles. Some are still left if you're flexible about the dates, but mostly weekday matinees.
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Post by peggs on Sept 9, 2020 20:24:32 GMT
Thanks kit66 that's a relief, not down to go, all the trains and travel rather than the theatre particularly bit of a gamble but worried they'd all be shouting again. On the basis of the front of the telegraph my sister's family of six can no longer see anyone and since they're the only people I do see I maybe going back to mad again. |
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Post by lynette on Sept 9, 2020 23:32:58 GMT
Thanks kit66 that's a relief, not down to go, all the trains and travel rather than the theatre particularly bit of a gamble but worried they'd all be shouting again. On the basis of the front of the telegraph my sister's family of six can no longer see anyone and since they're the only people I do see I maybe going back to mad again. Can you be in a bubble with them? I am not sure how the bubble thing fits in with the new no more than 6 thing. Whoever wrote the rules, never mind the dick who thought them up, needs to go back to school, possibly reception where they still do show and tell. |
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Post by drmaplewood on Sept 10, 2020 8:07:25 GMT
They have released the front two rows of the stalls for all performances of Evening With An Immigrant - £10 or £15, with four sets of double seats and two singles. I think they did the same for Beat The Devil - I was certainly able to book a £10 seat after it was previously sold out. Possibly they do this after they've worked out the staging in case they need to keep the front row clear? Thanks for this! |
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Post by londonpostie on Sept 10, 2020 9:33:14 GMT
I went a couple of days ago* - not a sell out but I have to say it's the safest indoor environment I've experienced, and probably by a country mile. Excellently planned and super-efficient. Even your temp check is done by a machine in the ceiling. I guess the only thing - if you are vulnerable - is to let everyone out first at the end.
* 6 months and 3 days, for anyone interested  |
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 10, 2020 10:04:25 GMT
I notice TodayTix are doing rush tickets for Talking Heads as well. I'm not sure what seats you get, but I presume it's based on the ones that are still available on the day.
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Post by peggs on Sept 10, 2020 19:29:03 GMT
Thanks kit66 that's a relief, not down to go, all the trains and travel rather than the theatre particularly bit of a gamble but worried they'd all be shouting again. On the basis of the front of the telegraph my sister's family of six can no longer see anyone and since they're the only people I do see I maybe going back to mad again. Can you be in a bubble with them? I am not sure how the bubble thing fits in with the new no more than 6 thing. Whoever wrote the rules, never mind the dick who thought them up, needs to go back to school, possibly reception where they still do show and tell. I think technically we can't bubble as I don't live on my own but it would seem that I could say meet them in their garden as long as one of them stays inside! Or during school hours while childs 1 and 2 aren't there. Or while child number 4 was having a nap. But I can go back to work in my office of several hundred and the kids are at school in a 1000. How far away is this temperature checker in the Bridge ceiling? Is it super powerful? It all sounds very civilized and well run there, I guess we should have expected that from the people who made the wondrously giant ladies toilets. |
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Post by Dave B on Sept 10, 2020 20:13:25 GMT
We saw The Outside Dog & The Hand of God this afternoon. Not a full house, quite a few empty seats in stalls and both levels. We had cheap tickets off to the side and felt we missed a bit in the performances. Now that we have been a couple of times are are very happy with the comfort level and the procedures Bridge Theatre are taking, I think we'll take a chance on Rush tickets for a while now.
The Outside Dog was a bit more enjoyable, there was more to it. Both in the story and the role so Rochenda Sandall had more to work with, she was very good.
The Hand of God was funnier (unsurprisingly) but also lighter. It didn't feel like there was that much to it.
Still, after months off this is a fine start back for us.
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Post by Dave B on Sept 10, 2020 20:18:41 GMT
How far away is this temperature checker in the Bridge ceiling? Is it super powerful? It all sounds very civilized and well run there, I guess we should have expected that from the people who made the wondrously giant ladies toilets. 1.5 meters maybe? Your ticket is checked outdoors, then you are asked to move to the metal strip at the door frame. Then another FoH staff asks you to move onto a sticker and look up at the camera. They are on the radio as twice as they'll ask you to move slightly if not in the right position. I assume they then get an all clear and let you move on through the one way system. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2020 20:25:42 GMT
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Post by peggs on Sept 10, 2020 20:49:19 GMT
Smart
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Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2020 22:46:32 GMT
We saw The Outside Dog & The Hand of God this afternoon. Not a full house, quite a few empty seats in stalls and both levels. We had cheap tickets off to the side and felt we missed a bit in the performances. Now that we have been a couple of times are are very happy with the comfort level and the procedures Bridge Theatre are taking, I think we'll take a chance on Rush tickets for a while now. The Outside Dog was a bit more enjoyable, there was more to it. Both in the story and the role so Rochenda Sandall had more to work with, she was very good. The Hand of God was funnier (unsurprisingly) but also lighter. It didn't feel like there was that much to it. Still, after months off this is a fine start back for us. I thought Rochenda Sandall and Tamsin Greig had the best monologues of the lot when I watched them on TV, and did the best job with them too. |
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Post by londonpostie on Sept 11, 2020 9:35:33 GMT
email list update this morning that may interest some:
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 11, 2020 21:37:34 GMT
Saw all four Talking Heads today (5pm and 8pm). All excellent. And another theatre that got the Covid-19 precautions perfect, even telling people to replace their masks after every sip of their drink.
Interesting to see where people choose to laugh (not obvious on TV). To me, many moments are sad, to others clearly hilarious.
The highlight was Rochenda Sandall’s performance, a real acting master class. I didn’t warm to this so much on TV, but it really worked in person.
Also loved The Hand of God, possibly my favourite of the monologues. Kristin Scott Thomas delivered this perfectly as well.
Two different Stalls seats. High stool at the back for the first two (fine, but would have liked to have been closer), front row in the evening (upgraded due to a booking error, absolutely perfect seat). A very comfortable venue with lots of seats removed and impressed as always by everything the Bridge Theatre have done.
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Post by david on Sept 14, 2020 21:34:15 GMT
So after a 190 or so day enforced absence I finally managed to see some live theatre tonight. After such a long period it was just great to be able to walk into a auditorium share the experience with other people of being able to watch 2 wonderful actresses and hear the great Alan Bennett’s monologues (The. Shrine and Bed Among The Lentils) A big shout out to everyone involved at the Bridge theatre and all the other theatres up and down the country (both cast and crew) who have worked miracles in bringing live theatre back into our lives. With live theatre being absent for so long it was just great to part of a wonderful evening and no mobile phones going off or people crunching sweets or having conversations during the show was an added bonus.
From tonight’s experience, certainly I found the whole process straight forward enough. At least with socially distanced seating you haven’t got the issue of having to climb over bags and coats and try and get past people in order to get to your seat. Though one issue I did find and maybe it’s just me but having a single seat right at the front of the stalls (BB29) I certainly felt more exposed being isolated rather than being in a mass of people as you traditionally would. I’m back at the Bridge on Thursday night so hopefully it will be less of an issue. I have to say I was very impressed with the FOH team based in the auditorium who enforced the face covering rule well.
In terms of the actually production, the 60 or so minutes flew by, though the Bed of Lentils for me was the better one both in terms of Bennett’s writing (his dry Yorkshire humour is just a joy to listen to) and the performance by Leslie Mandeville.
Live theatre is back in our lives and I for one am going to cherish every single minute of it.
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Post by david on Sept 17, 2020 21:34:15 GMT
As the last night of my London theatre trip it seemed fitting to end it where the week started by watching another of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads (The Outside Dog and The Hand of God). Another joyful 64 minutes spent listening to another 2 fantastic monologues given by 2 great performers.
Rochenda Sandall’s performance in The Outside Dog was just outstanding though it was Kristin Scott Thomas in the Hand of God that out of the 4 monologues I’ve seen this week, this is the one that I actually enjoyed the most. Having the these 2 monologues paired together I thought worked well. Having the more darker one in The Outside Dog playing first allowed the night to end on a much lighter note in the Hand of God one.
Leaving the theatre tonight to get back to my hotel it gave me chance to have a look back on this week of socially distanced theatre and how I have found it having been to 3 different venues this week. Certainly it’s been great not only to have been able to actually book and to see live theatre again but from a mental health point of view it has really been a great tonic for me personally having been really down over the last few weeks. It may sound stupid but just having that notification ping on my phone saying that I’m at the theatre tonight to watch something is something that I have personally missed over these last few months. It was something to look forward to during the week and having that buzz of being able to see something live. Not having that for such a long time really was having an impact on me personally. Also it’s that social interaction with other human beings whether FOH staff or a complete stranger just discussing theatre that has been a joy to have back even if it has been in more challenging conditions.
I’ve certainly got no complaints in how these venues have handled these conditions and the set up each venue has put in place to allow the performances to go ahead. At the beginning of the week I was certainly more self conscious of being a solo theatre goer being stuck in a single seat with no one around. Though by tonight it didn’t really bother me. It certainly makes for a quicker getaway at the end of the night without trying to get past everyone.
As I said in a previous post it’s just great to have live theatre back in 2020 to brighten up these difficult times.
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Post by londonpostie on Sept 20, 2020 21:27:32 GMT
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Post by TallPaul on Sept 22, 2020 16:47:12 GMT
Well, it seems that Talking Heads will have a life beyond the Bridge. I'm not sure it qualifies as a tour, but Imelda Staunton and Maxine Peake will visit Yorkshire for a full week in November - first stop the world-famous Crucible Theatre, then the not at all famous Leeds Playhouse. 🙂
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Post by sfsusan on Sept 24, 2020 18:24:09 GMT
I saw The Outside Dog and The Hand of God last night. The theater did an excellent job of managing everything, as others have said. I thought Outside Dog was a more engrossing story and allowed a performance that had a wider range. The ending was just chilling. I enjoyed the Hand of God, and thought it was a nice, lightly humorous way to end the evening. I was (pleasantly) surprised that Rochenda Sandall seemed to get slightly more applause than Scott Thomas.
Everybody in the audience seemed very happy to be there and were compliant with distance and masks... until exiting, when masks came off and people were hugging between groups. I have to say that it was quite enjoyable to be seated by myself, with nobody behind me or in front of me (I was on Level 2, on one of the 'bends'). If this is an economically feasible way for theaters to operate, that will be fine with me.
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Post by alece10 on Oct 1, 2020 13:15:23 GMT
Saw the Maxine Peake/Tamsin Grieg monologues last night. Brilliant, especially Maxine Peake.
My first theatre trip since March so was quite emotional.
Great audience reaction. I think we all decided to clap and cheer even louder knowing there was reduced capacity.
Bridge Theatre well done! Really well organised and felt very safe indeed.
People in queue outside waiting to enter when its pouring with rain outside. Have your ticket or e mail ready before you get to the front of the queue. We would have all got in a lot quicker and dryer if had get them ready.
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Post by Dr Tom on Oct 16, 2020 18:18:51 GMT
Saw Playing Sandwiches and Lady of Letters tonight. Both excellent. Always surprises me from the gasps how many people obviously haven't seen them before.
Very simple but effective stagings. Lucian Msamati has excellent presence.
Imelda Staunton had the crowd treating the whole thing like a comedy, whether it's meant to be or not. Several people whooping in the audience and even applause before the end.
Ran about 10 minutes longer than the advertised time.
Surprisingly quite a few empty seats and blocks of 2 or 3 with only a single person sitting in them. I was in Gallery 1, which was meant to be slightly restricted view, but I actually had a great view by leaning slightly forward (no rows behind) and they avoid the edges of the stage anyway. Perfect sound levels too.
One more trip to the Bridge next week to catch the remaining two monologues.
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Post by vickyg on Oct 19, 2020 19:55:58 GMT
I saw Tamsin Greig and Maxine Peake tonight in my first post re-opening visit to the bridge. I just love Tamsin Greig, she’s so subtle and can turn humour into sadness so quickly. Quite a lot of inappropriate audience laughter which I always find so strange especially given this subject matter.
I’ve never seen Miss Fozzard before but knew immediately Maxine Peake started speaking that it was originally Patricia Routledge as I felt I watched an impersonation of PR playing a role. The mannerisms, the facial movements, the way her mouth sort of stutters open and closed, it wasn’t an original performance at all for me. Yes it was funny but imo Maxine Peake is far, far too young for the role.
I was so happy to be back at the bridge, I love it there. They have done well to make it safe and because their foyer is so big i didn’t have to be near anyone. There were a fair few spare seats though probably due to the awkward 5pm start for which I had to take the afternoon off work. There were also probably more than 50% of groups not adhering to tier 2 rules. How can 4 middle aged women or three 40-ish men for example be a household or bubble. Of course the theatre can’t police these groups but it’s disappointing that people are breaking the rules when they should never have been booking as a group and would always have needed to socially distance.
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Post by joem on Oct 19, 2020 23:31:34 GMT
I saw Tamsin Greig and Maxine Peake tonight in my first post re-opening visit to the bridge. I just love Tamsin Greig, she’s so subtle and can turn humour into sadness so quickly. Quite a lot of inappropriate audience laughter which I always find so strange especially given this subject matter. I’ve never seen Miss Fozzard before but knew immediately Maxine Peake started speaking that it was originally Patricia Routledge as I felt I watched an impersonation of PR playing a role. The mannerisms, the facial movements, the way her mouth sort of stutters open and closed, it wasn’t an original performance at all for me. Yes it was funny but imo Maxine Peake is far, far too young for the role. I was so happy to be back at the bridge, I love it there. They have done well to make it safe and because their foyer is so big i didn’t have to be near anyone. There were a fair few spare seats though probably due to the awkward 5pm start for which I had to take the afternoon off work. There were also probably more than 50% of groups not adhering to tier 2 rules. How can 4 middle aged women or three 40-ish men for example be a household or bubble. Of course the theatre can’t police these groups but it’s disappointing that people are breaking the rules when they should never have been booking as a group and would always have needed to socially distance. Sw them tonight and agree with you on Maxine Peake's performance. Funny but I struggled to understand what age her character ws. On the 4 middle-aged women and the three 40-ish men.... consider what Tamsin Grieg said about suburbia...... |
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Post by londonpostie on Oct 20, 2020 18:51:27 GMT
Just back from Maxine and Tamsin. So much fun. What a treat!
Still seats available - about 1 hour 15 mins with a 5 min interval.
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Post by Dr Tom on Oct 20, 2020 20:30:05 GMT
Saw my final two Talking Heads at the 5pm performance today. Both excellent again.
Tamsin Greig did very well with one of the more restrained monologues. But the highlight was Maxine Peake in Miss Fozzard Finds her Feet, a monologue which is both funny but incredibly poignant. Maxine got a mid-monologue round of applause when a phone went off and she said she wouldn't continue until the owner dealt with it (it was the second time a phone had gone off). Lots of applause and cheering at the end.
Hopefully the Bridge Theatre will get the opportunity to do the Talking Heads monologues they've missed sometime soon. I've really enjoyed this series and the way The Bridge shows such an awareness of Covid-19.
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