The Master Builder, Old Vic

Was also there last night, started 5 mins late and 2nd intervall was 5 minutes longer than planned so probably 2 hrs 50 at the moment (though could be trimmed, and the intervals does make it feel like a long evening).

Saw the Almeida production in 2010 and hated it so much I told myself it would take something special to re-visit it again but very glad I did as it was much more enjoyable.

No alas, back in Row W (and sat in front of who I assume was the stage manager, furiously taking notes)

I'm afraid from the back of the very hot dress circle and behind a pillar this didn't do much for me. Being very tired didn't help, I'm sure - it felt like a long evening and I just didn't connect to it.

2 intervals at (approximately) 20 mins each came at about 50 mins into both acts

Just picked up my tix and was told it was likely I wouldn't be able to see anything! Only alternative was 60 pound tix. So I guess we'll treat it as a radio play but can't see us lasting 3 hours.

Baylis circle bench seats p18 and x23. Only 10 pounds but obviously really bad. I must have been mad.

Sat in X6 Baylis circle bench seats...was fine. Missed nothing with a bit of leaning. 2 intervals helped with the slightly uncomfortable seat. Ralph and co were ace...wouldn't have missed it!

Also we had a great meal across the street at Wahaca, complete with hibiscus margaritas, so overall an evening well spent.

In fairness, this probably isn't the ideal play to see when you had less than 6 hours' sleep the night before. It needs a lot of concentration. By the time I'd waited at the incredibly slow traffic lights and was heading back in to Waterloo, I think I'd made some kind of sense of it, but I feel this is one that might repay second viewing for me.

I didn't really feel like I connected with it. As foxa says, Ralph's voice is very strong (finally, an actor who can deliver multiple lines of dialogue with his back to the audience and still have every word resonate!), and my, what a beautiful voice it is. So much so that at times I was just listening to the lilt and not taking in the meaning! I get the sense that his Solness will be great, but it's not quite there yet (absolutely fair enough because these are previews after all). Since several others have said they love him already, I'll explain why in case you think I'm mad!

I loved the hand-holding with the wife, and the agonised twist of his body, in the emotional scenes. But in places there he came across a little too stagey for my liking. I also found it hard to feel any sympathy for Solness because his logic seemed so twisted. (I know this may be part of his (possible) madness and a reaction to his wife's hardship, but the full force of that didn't come across to me as he always seemed so suddenly to flip back into his unpleasant persona; it felt like that was his true persona.)

Add to this the fact that Hilda is unlikable and irritating from the word go, and that the ending comes marching inexorably towards you waving a big flag marked 'obvious'... and it's hard to care, really.

But as I say, I think this does have plenty of potential, so I may well make a return visit if time and finances allow!

Aside from the play - what was the deal with FOH telling everyone sternly that they wouldn't get back in after the intervals unless they had their ticket to show? As far as I could see they didn't bother to check anyway!

Well.

For a start the only play I ever want to see Sarah Snook (Hilde) in again is 'Titus Andronicus' so they can cut her arms off. She waved them about so much that she started off irritating and then move to increasingly distracting before being plainly unwatchable. She was awful. Actually, she went flying past the line marked 'awful' during rehearsals I think. She was no match whatsoever for Gemma Arterton in the Almeida version a few years ago.

As for Leonard Rossiter, he was very good - a bit hammy in parts but it's a part that suits him very well. Martin Hutson very good as Ragnar but Linda Emond as Aline was the standout for me. It can be a bit of a moany, thankless part but she was very touching.

Lovely set and the end is great.

The main problem I have with theatre is that it doesn't half attract an audience, I don't know if I am getting increasingly impatient or just had an irritating audience though I rather seem to moan a lot about them. Phones going off on repeat, people eating crisps (crisps?!), endless opening of fizzing drink bottles so you get the hiss, those my neighbour can hear my whispering but obviously no one else can, ahhh!

Ryan the women next to me threatened to slap Sarah Snook if there was any more arm waving and hair flipping so it wasn't just you. I'm not sure how I felt about this, RF I'd agree with those who really liked this, always watchable and moving from anger to grief via various other stations seemingly with ease. Linda Emond with not huge lines but I agree with Ryan v good, touching. Not sure about Sarah Snook, partly I wanted her to look younger as that would seemed to have fitted with her youthful impatience with weakness but couldn't agree with lady in toilet queue who said she was just too tall but then perhaps me wanting her look younger is as peaky and unreasonable. I didn't like the character so that probably influenced me. James Drefus still off. Liked the set, is that why the two intervals to change it round? Can't quite work out what I thought of the play as a whole, suspect I need to ponder it a bit and read some more insightful people than me. But for £10 preview really rather good and yes it was nice to be able to hear everything.

Do they usual just do one quick curtain call?
Oh and still doing the you must have your ticket or being given a new ticket to get back in, are people really trying to blag their way in part way through or is it a new security measure as suggested, I suppose usually it would be easier as anything to wander in after the interval when probably no bag checks or anything were taking place.

Left at the first interval

What a pile of sh*t

One of the worst audiences I have seen for a long time also