Walden (SFP Re: Emerge) - Harold Pinter Theatre

Can we please have better choices of single seats as well? Having to book in groups of 3 or 4, with the only option for singles being far off to the sides is ridiculous.

Looking at next Thursday's matinee, there is literally one single seat left. Are they really going to sell all those groups of 4?

Could somebody also report whether a programme and playtext are on sale too? What is the exiting process like - how long is the overall experience? Thanks

Thanks. And what’s the show like?

It’s pretty scattershot, it touches on a lot but rarely dials in on anything for more than a moment and then when it’s done - it just moves straight on. Almost like a checklist for the themes. However some of them were really enjoyable, in particular a conversation between Fehinti Balogun and Lydia Wilson' characters on the deck.


It felt overlong and I think (guess) it might be still being worked on. Less than 10 minutes after it finished (i.e. once I got through the queue for the gents), Ian Rickson and a large amount of crew were gathered around the 6th row having loud discussions about various things - including the sound (okay for us towards the back of the stalls - occasionally a little lower than we’d have liked but still audible).

Fehinti Balogun is really good and kind of feels like the heart and soul of the play. He is essentially settled in life, he has made his choices and his compromises and has picked his path. The two sisters... not so much.

Lydia Wilson is fine, has a few good moments but is left with a lot of complaining and this does go a bit one-note.

Gemma Arterton is also fine, I think she got the short end of the stick on the script, its really a lot of moaning and complaining and becomes one-note on many occasions.

Not the best night we've had at the theatre, but far from the worst.... and that is not meant to sound as damning with faint praise as it possibly does!

Bother! I was so looking forward to seeing this. I hope everyone is OK and they are able to sort this quickly. 

Well that was far from disappointing. A short snappy piece that manages to explore some very big themes. I wasn’t sure what to expect but being a fan of Ian Rickson, I was looking forward to seeing what he will bring and I can totally recommend this.

Haven’t been in a theatre since March 2020 and the sound of applause at the end actually made me quite emotional. The cast had a moment to decide what position to take their bows in too. A more broad point I suppose is that I can’t imagine a safer experience. Far safer than being outdoors on South Bank this afternoon which was way overcrowded. Would it also be wrong to say that it was actually really nice socially distanced and filtering out the tourists/casual audience members and being in a west end theatre with theatre lovers who were all engrossed in the play. No whispering, phones going off, bored children, awkward getting into and out of seats - quite an enhanced experience really.

E12 Royal Circle also offered a better than expected view for £15 but after an hour… OW! My 6’1 legs did start to ache.

Walden

The play itself was one of those that is marketed as one thing and is really something else, it is all about the relationship between the sisters and the environmental angle is a lens which allows us to focus on the sibling rivalry and parental pressures/expectations.

The acting was excellent and was completely immersed in their lives and their life choices and the time flew past, about 1¾ hours without an interval.

it was good to be in the West End again and even though there were the ever present COVID secure measures once the lights went down it was the first time I really felt being at the Theatre again since before the first lockdown, the whole thing just felt like a play that could be staged at any time not one limited by the COVID restraints and reminded me of a ‘Royal Court’ play.


Would advise getting there early and taking advantage of the facilities as if you need them during the show you won’t be let back in and 1¾ may be on the limit for some especially if you have taken the opportunity of visiting the pub beforehand.

Now that I have been to few plays over the last few weeks am now beginning to overcome my reluctance to leave the house as the habitual draw of the evening sofa is becoming weakened and this play may be the one that has finally put this habit behind me.


The only negative was that the phone of the lady next to me went off during the production and a gentleman a few places along the row kept checking his phone throughout but maybe should take it as things becoming normal but for the life of me cannot understand why people cannot just switch off their phones.

There was a QR code to scan I noticed on my way out, not sure how detailed as my phone was switched off so didn’t get a chance to scan it.

A solid four-star show. Terrific performances from all three actors.

The QR-code leads only to a list of cast and creatives. Disappointingly, no biographies are included.

On Friday 28 May, the show ran from 19:33 to 21:13. There is a point after around 45 minutes where it felt like a natural interval had been skipped. An interval would neither have helped nor hindered the dramatic flow, but it would have shown a little respect to those of us with weak bladders. Telling people they would have to leave the theatre if they needed to use the toilets during the show added to the unnecessary stress.

A really interesting evening spent watching this at tonight’s final performance. At 100 minutes long, maybe as Dr Tom said it could of been a bit shorter, but 3 terrific performances to watch. I really loved the set design from Rae Smith. Some really interesting ideas explored in this play both from the environmental aspect and the relationship between the 2 sisters.

The no readmittance if you go to the toilet mid performance was a bit tough in my opinion. It’s been crazily hot all day and with the amount of drinks I’ve had all day to stay cool, I am just glad I didn’t need the loo mid show.

No issues with my Row N stalls seat and being sat next to one of the pillars gave me a bit more room to spread out. The few positives I have taken from SD theatre is the more room you have around you and you certainly get a much quicker get away post show.