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Post by n1david on Dec 18, 2020 14:29:30 GMT
Well it hasn't been the theatrical year that any of us expected or wanted, but in honour of the shows that came along early in the year, and those squeezed in between lockdowns, and those cast to all and sundry over the internet, I think we should have another go at compiling Theatreboard's Top 5 shows of the Year. Last year was won by Come From Away, and the thread, and the final results are here: theatreboard.co.uk/post/328812/threadSo this year if you can post your Top 5 in this thread, and I think this year we should include anything you've seen in a theatre or streamed over the internet, or shown on TV - so call it a theatrical experience rather than theatre show as such - I am not going to rule anything out of order. I will tot things up again and post the results on January 1. |
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Post by CG on the loose on Dec 18, 2020 14:53:42 GMT
Even this year, almost impossible to pick just five... but here we go.
Pre-lockdown:
- & Juliet at the Shaftesbury
- Operation Mincemeat at Southwark Playhouse
Between lockdowns (primarily for atmosphere/experience reasons after so long away from live theatre):
- Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent's Park OAT, the final show of the run
- Songs for a New World at the Palladium
Online:
- 15 Heroines (in three parts) from Jermyn Street Theatre
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370 posts
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Post by edi on Dec 18, 2020 15:03:00 GMT
I saw it just before the end of last year, but I am cheeky enough to include it because it was SOOO uplifting
1) & Juliet /shaftesbury
Before lockdown
2) The Visit - National
3) Uncle Vanya - Harold Pinter
Between lockdowns
4) Educating Rita - Kingston Rose
Free Online
5) Madness of King George - cannot recall which theatre sorry
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Post by londonpostie on Dec 18, 2020 15:15:47 GMT
God, this is tragic. Anyway
Madam Butterfly at the ENO
Evensong at St Paul's Cathedral (any day not tier 3)
Tottenham vs. Arsenal (2-0)
Krapps Last Tape / Eh Joe / The Old Tune at Jermyn St
Parakeets in Brockwell Park, returning to roost in massive flocks at dusk (any day)
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Dec 18, 2020 16:55:07 GMT
Oh God, I've not been keeping track of what I've seen since lockdown very well (and it's depressing going back to see all the things I had lined up that were cancelled this year). Hopefully I've not forgotten anything:
5. Romantics Anonymous - Bristol Old Vic (online)
4. Nine Lessons and Carols - Almeida Theatre
3. The Welkin - National Theatre
2. Ghost Quartet - Boulevard Theatre
1. Pass Over - The Kiln
I guess live theatre really is just a better experience. Even though I enjoyed a lot of the livestreamed stuff I watched this year, none of them have left that magic/electric feeling in my memory compared to any of the in person shows I managed to see.
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Post by alece10 on Dec 18, 2020 17:06:34 GMT
Well I hardly saw anything that wasn't cancelled or postponed but I have managed to scrabble 5 together.
1. Songs for a new world - Palladium
2. WOS awards
3. Kings of Broadway- Palace Theatre
4. Pantoland at the Palladium
5. Talking Heads - Bridge Theatre
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Post by ruperto on Dec 18, 2020 17:20:20 GMT
Here's my top 5. It was shaping up to be a vintage year before it all turned to ****
1. Peeping Tom: Child (Kind) at the Barbican (part of the London International Mime Festival). This received one of the longest and most enthusiastic standing ovations I've ever encountered, and I'm really hoping it makes a return visit...
2. Three Sisters at the Lyttelton
3. Uncle Vanya at the Harold Pinter
4. Women Beware Women at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
5. The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the Dorfman
My runners up would be the Amelie musical at The Other Palace, and Bed Among the Lentils (Talking Heads) at the Bridge Theatre
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Post by catcat100 on Dec 18, 2020 17:29:05 GMT
Have been thinking about this for a week or so since going to almeida last week so in no particular order
Nutcracker - Royal Ballet
Nine lessons and carols - Almeida
Miss Fozzard finds her feet - Bridge
Revenger's tradegy - Barbican
Jane Eyre - online
A special mention goes out to my sofa which has performed spectacularly under increasing pressure throughout 2020
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Post by lichtie on Dec 18, 2020 18:04:20 GMT
Tricky as I've not been to many, and I'm not sure all of the online ones I've seen have been quite up there. So...
On the most enjoyable front:
1. Pride and Prejudice (sort of) Leeds Playhouse
2. Xmas Carol (Old Vic - from January so the real live version - haven't seen the online version for this Christmas).
On the OMG we're back in the theatre, someone could be making balloon animals and it would be good front:
3. Blindness (Donmar) (actually I thought this was genuinely innovative and they deserved great credit for coming up with an in venue thing before anyone else)
4. Talking Heads (Bridge) (this was The Shrine/Bed Amongst the Lentils as it was the only one I saw in the end, the one I'd booked at Leeds falling victim to the lockdown)
The runner-up:
5. If it's allowed I'd say Ian McKellen's cheery tales at the Pinter - alternatively an actual play, 3 Sisters at the NT, which I thought was flawed, but comes in the worthy attempt bracket.
On the plus side saved a lot on trains and hotels this year...
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Post by Forrest on Dec 18, 2020 18:11:34 GMT
Oh this is hard... I went to check my pre-lockdown list and realised I've seen so much wonderful theatre in the first three months of the year. Only it already feels like it was a lifetime ago. I also wish I'd kept a list of theatre I've seen online since the start of the year, but I'll try and do this from memory.
(Which probably means I'll come back in a few hours/days because I'd forgotten something.)
Highlights from before lockdown (in order of having seen them, not preference - I cannot get myself to rank them):
1. Endgame, The Old Vic [The best bittersweet laughter had in the theatre this year by yours truly.]
2. Uncle Vanya, Harold Pinter Theatre [Toby Jones, need I say more? After Imp and this, I now want to see Toby Jones in everything]
3. Labels, Vault festival/Worklight Theatre [Favourite small production of the year, even though it's not really from this year, but it's 2020 so there are no rules!]
4. The Welkin, National Theatre
5. A Number, Bridge Theatre [Saw this twice, and would have happily returned a third time, absolutely adored it.]
6. Afterplay, Coronet Theatre [My favourite evening at the theatre this year for theatrical reasons beyond (just) the play, so I may be a little biased on this one]
(I can't leave any of these out, I genuinely loved them all. I also loved The Sugar Syndrome at the OT, which was fabulously acted and just wonderful!)
Favourite theatre watched online:
[recorded]
1. Barber Shop Chronicles, NT At Home
2. Hamlet, Schaubuhne [The best Hamlet I've seen, but I've missed out on so many greats the rest of you have seen so that's not as big as it sounds.]
3. Three Kings, Old Vic [Proof that Andrew Scott can turn anything into gold. It makes me so happy to be surprised again and again with how versatile he is as an actor.]
4. Madness of King George, Nottingham Playhouse [Mark Gatiss being brilliant in a way only Mark Gatiss can be. Another play I simply adored.]
5. Richard III, Schaubuhne [I admittedly found Ostermeier's vision a little cold, detached and frustrating, as Richard III is a play particularly dear to me, but I loved Lars Eidinger's performance.]
[live]
The Poltergeist, Southwark Playhouse [Joseph Potter is my bright theatre discovery in a dark year for theatre!]
Biggest disappointments of the year (not counting some at the Vault festival, because I don't mean to be judgy, I just found these unexpectedly underwhelming):
[live]
The Visit, National Theatre
[online recording]
Emilia, The Globe [I'll be a lady and say it simply wasn't my cup of tea.]
Special mentions:
The Lockdown Plays, Air by Caryl Churchill [This is a bit obvious, given the fact that it's my favourite actor reading a play by one of my favourite playwrights. Pure strange, puzzling joy.]
Evening With an Immigrant, Innua Ellams, Bridge Theatre [not quite theatre for me, more like an evening with a poet, but an absolutely wonderful evening nevertheless.]
Overall conclusion:
2020 could have been such a wonderful year for theatre: it got off to a flying start and I'm still sad about the things I was supposed to see but never got the chance.
I have great expectations for 2021.
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Post by Phantom of London on Dec 18, 2020 18:33:35 GMT
I had a quick look at what board members’ chose last year. I spat my cup of tea out, when posters said it wasn’t a good year! Be careful what you wish for.
All the show I saw seem yonks ago.
Betrayal (Theatre Royal, Bath)
A Taste of Honey (Trafalgar Sudio)
Leopoldstadt (Wyndham)
Death of England (National)
Kunene and the King (Ambassadors)
Macbeth (Greenwich)
Fairview (Young Vic)
Girl From the North Country (Gielgud)
The Prince of Egypt (Dominion)
Back to the Future (Manchester Opera House)
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Post by poster J on Dec 18, 2020 18:56:06 GMT
I barely got to anything before lockdown!
My top 5:
1. Come From Away (Phoenix Theatre, cast change)
2. Jesus Christ Superstar (Regent's Park)
3. Pippin (Garden Theatre)
4. Roles We'll Never Play (Apollo)
5. Songs For A New World (Palladium)
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Post by David J on Dec 18, 2020 18:56:28 GMT
1. Jesus Christ Superstar
2. Les Miserables (Sondheim)
3. Oleanna
4. A Number
5. Uncle Vanya
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Post by n1david on Dec 18, 2020 19:13:52 GMT
Some interesting choices coming through so far!
Here are mine:
Death of England (NT Dorfman)
& Juliet (Shaftesbury)
Musik (Leicester Square)
Kylie Infinite Disco (online)
Ryan Lane will be there Now in a Minute (Vault)
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Post by david on Dec 18, 2020 19:54:00 GMT
For me -
1. A Christmas Carol (Old Vic)
2. Jesus Christ Superstar (OAT)
3. Back to the Future (Manc Opera House)
4. Merrily We Roll Along (Barn Theatre online)
5. Once (Liverpool Empire)
A big shoutout to all involved who have put theatre shows on line (NT at Home has been a life saver for me early on this year) and the maassive efforts of all those who have been able to get theatre's going with the safety measures in place which have allowed us to escape for a couple of hours to enjoy live theatre.
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Post by Dawnstar on Dec 18, 2020 20:22:51 GMT
I don't feel I can fairly compare live to online so these are the live top five.
Pre-lockdown:
Onegin (Royal Ballet)
Zorro concert (Cadogan Hall)
Cosi fan tutte (English Touring Opera)
Le Corsaire (English National Ballet)
And my only theatregoing since mid-March, a triple go of Mischief Movie Night at Regent's Park.
NB I'm excluding repeat views of The Comedy About A Bank Robbery (7 in 2020) & Peter Pan Goes Wrong (4 in 2020) because I'd already seen the productions & casts prior to 2020. Mischief Movie Night is I suppose a bit dubious under this criterion but it is at least a new plot each time!
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Post by vickyg on Dec 18, 2020 20:27:51 GMT
Okay, this will have to be in no particular order but:
Pirate Queen
Nights in the Gardens of Spain talking head
Waitress (Desi Oakley version)
Blindness
Musik
Some pretty good stuff considering it’s mostly been a year wasted in theatrical terms.
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Post by robertb213 on Dec 18, 2020 21:46:43 GMT
Lovely idea, thank you for suggesting this (as much as it's made me sad for the last 9 months!)
5. The Prince Of Egypt
4. Hamilton (I know, late to the party)
3. City Of Angels
2. Lucie Jones at The Adelphi
1. Dear Evan Hansen
My top 5 of the 25 I got to see. Last year I saw 138!
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Post by Mark on Dec 18, 2020 23:15:11 GMT
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf - Broadway Revival
Jagged Little Pill - Broadway
Moulin Rouge - Broadway
Pippin - Garden Theatre
Curtains - UK Tour
26 shows compared to 105 last year. What a dismal year. If I can break 50 next year I'll be happy.
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Post by Dave B on Dec 18, 2020 23:39:35 GMT
Death of England - NT
Flights - Clapham Omnibus
On McQuillan’s Hill - Finbourgh
Atlantic - Vault Festival
The Fourth Country - Vault Festival
We saw 48 shows, 9 of those in-between lockdowns and had 25 cancelled or postponed. I'd thought we'd break triple figures this year... but it was not to be.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Dec 19, 2020 12:07:39 GMT
I was supposed to have a great line-up in April sigh. Of the little I managed to see the best was Uncle Vanya, Endgame and Leopoldstadt, with The Prince of Egypt being the absolute worst.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Dec 19, 2020 15:09:22 GMT
1. &Juliet - Op House/Shaftesbury
2. Back to the Future - Manchester Op House
3. Gypsy - Manchester Royal Exchange
4. Funny Girl - Paris
5. Prince of Egypt - Dominion
Didn’t enjoy:
Six - Lowry, dreadful!
Les Mis Concert - not a patch on fully staged
Rent On Line - Manchester Hope Mill, didn’t work for me.
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Post by steg on Dec 19, 2020 15:10:16 GMT
Having averaged around one show a week in 2019 it was rather disheartening on reviewing the 2020 list to realise that I hadn't been in a theatre since January. However the top five of 2020, in no particular order, are:
Hamilton (Victoria Palace)
Amelie (The Other Palace)
Once (Touring, Liverpool Empire)
Treasure Island (Streaming, National Theatre)
Eugenius (Streaming, The Other Palace)
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Post by Dawnstar on Dec 19, 2020 21:41:00 GMT
I managed to fit in 31 performances in the first 2 and a half months of 2020. I didn't have a job from the end of October to the beginning of February (I'm a temp) & my mother kept urging me to cut back & not spend so much on tickets. In hindsight I am really glad that I ignored her & did a lot of theatregoing in those months!
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Dec 20, 2020 1:01:55 GMT
In no particular order:
The Welkin - NT
all of it - Royal Court
Seven Streams of the River Ota - NT
The New Tomorrow - Young Vic (post-lockdown)
Mad Forest - Bard College (a play performed live over Zoom)
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Post by Someone in a tree on Dec 20, 2020 8:03:04 GMT
1.West Side Story - Curve
2.Street Scene - Opera North
3.Teenage Dick - Donmar
4.Seven Deadly Sins - Opera North online
5.Marry me a little - Barn Theatre online
*As theatre was so rare this year I'm going to push my luck and extend the list a wee bit*
6. Jenna Russell Cabaret
7. Iolanthe - Kings Head
Absolute Worst
Rags - Park Theatre
And a huge thank you to @n1david for collating our stats, our wonderful mods for keeping us in order "it wasn't me / she started it" and to everyone else for making this place a great place to hang out
❤️❤️❤️
Merry Christmas
Xxx
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2020 8:29:44 GMT
1. Be More Chill (TOP)
2. Jesus Christ Superstar (OAT)
3. Waitress (Adelphi, Sara Bareilles)
4. Prince of Egypt (Dominion)
5. Girl from the North Country (Gielgud)
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Post by bingomatic on Dec 20, 2020 14:08:55 GMT
Normally wouldn't include concerts but I only saw 5 performances in total :-(
In date order
A Kind of People (Royal Court)
Duchess of Malfi (Almeida)
Beethoven 9th (Barbican)
Far Away (Donmar Warehouse)
Isadora Now (Barbican)
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Post by n1david on Dec 29, 2020 23:03:52 GMT
Just 49 hours to get your nominations in for your Top 5 of the year! I know none of us have seen as much as we'd like this year but if you've seen stuff onstage, online or on TV that you want to vote for you can get them added to the totals if you post them on here before midnight on Hogmanay...
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Post by sophie92 on Dec 30, 2020 10:10:51 GMT
1. West Side Story at Curve (Yes it opened last year but it closed this year so I’m counting it, as I saw it in both years). Just truly a stunning production that I would love to see come back.
2. City of Angels. I loved it at the Donmar, so what a treat to see the production again - my last show before the March lockdown!
3. The Last Five Years at Southwark Playhouse. TL5Y is one of my favourite musical and this production was delightful. I was lucky enough to see it in February and October.
4. Mischief Movie Night at Regent’s Park. My first MMN, having missed out on the Arts run, and what an absolutely brilliant way to spend a bank holiday afternoon! So much fun.
5. Rent - online stream from Hope Mill. Another of my favourite musicals.
I really enjoyed this and there were some stand-out performances, some of the best I’ve seen of those characters.
Special mention to The Last Five Years at the Minack Theatre - another wonderful production with some different interpretations and staging ideas. Also just a really great excuse for a trip to Cornwall for my first visit to the Minack.
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