236 posts
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Post by undeuxtrois on Aug 8, 2021 22:05:46 GMT
Code “Heather50” for Liverpool shows.
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128 posts
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Post by emeraldbaudelaire on Aug 11, 2021 11:19:31 GMT
Has anyone been to the touring version yet? I am looking forward to hearing about the cast for that.  |
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Post by stevej678 on Aug 11, 2021 11:35:13 GMT
Has anyone been to the touring version yet? I am looking forward to hearing about the cast for that. Seeing the matinee tomorrow in Leeds! I wasn't overly enamoured with Heathers at The Other Palace, even though on paper it should be right up my street, so looking forward to giving it another chance. |
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Post by stevej678 on Aug 12, 2021 17:16:23 GMT
Really enjoyed this today in Leeds so much more than when it was at The Other Palace.
It might be the first stop on the tour but it looks like there's great chemistry between the cast already and some serious vocal chops on display. Lizzy Parker was especially good (making her professional debut) as Heather McNamara and Maddison Firth a magnetic presence as Heather Chandler. Rebecca Wickes kept the gurning and goofiness fairly well restrained and I liked her portrayal of Veronica all the more for it. I think the vulnerability Lizzy brought to Heather M and inner turmoil that Rebecca brought to Veronica made the characters so much more relatable and three dimensional than their predecessors managed at The Other Palace. Mairhi Angus gives the other standout performance as Martha.
No crazy antics from the audience to report, just applause and cheers in all the right places. The benefits of a midweek matinee! I thought the cast thoroughly deserved the standing ovation they eventually received at the curtain call. Very tempted to see it again during its two week stint in Liverpool starting next week.
It's the first time I've been to Leeds Grand for several years but inside it's surely up there as a contender for the most stunning auditorium in the country. A gorgeous theatre! The only disappointment was the lack of physical programmes, just a QR code to scan for a free digital programme with cast bios.
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236 posts
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Post by undeuxtrois on Aug 13, 2021 17:30:10 GMT
UK Tour performances in Leeds cancelled this Friday and Saturday due to a positive COVID test in the company.
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2,261 posts
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Post by richey on Aug 13, 2021 17:31:49 GMT
UK Tour performances in Leeds cancelled this Friday and Saturday due to positive COVID tests in the company. Liverpool performances postponed for next week too / |
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236 posts
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Post by undeuxtrois on Aug 13, 2021 17:33:36 GMT
UK Tour performances in Leeds cancelled this Friday and Saturday due to positive COVID tests in the company. Liverpool performances postponed for next week too / Oh, fantastic! I’m on holiday on every single date for Liverpool 🙃 guess I’m going to have to wait until Manchester now. Gutting for everyone. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 13, 2021 17:59:45 GMT
In accordance with TheatreBoard law as we have a WE production running concurrently with the tour I've created separate threads.
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433 posts
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Post by alison on Aug 13, 2021 22:05:56 GMT
Gutted that I'm going to miss the tour in Liverpool now - I need to do a matinee for trains and I'm already booked on the two matinee days of the second week.
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3,316 posts
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Post by david on Aug 23, 2021 22:44:19 GMT
Having a lacklustre viewing of POTO yesterday afternoon, I was really hoping a return to the Liverpool Empire would be more rewarding. Having never taken an interest in watching Heathers the musical in any of my London trips, the ATG card came in handy in booking a cheap ticket in the stalls for what was meant to be the first night last week. However was cancelled due to COVID so my rescheduled trip (with an upgraded seat ticket) was tonight. Firstly, great work by the Empire FOH team tonight in getting everyone COVID pass checked and seated in super quick time with only a few minutes delay to curtain up. Secondly whoever put together the playlist of the preshow and interval music needs a shoutout. A great selection of 80’s music to get us all in the right mood.
From my viewing tonight, this really was a cracking watch and a great way to kickstart my Liverpool theatre viewing. Producers Bill Kenwright and Paul Taylor-Mills have assembled a magnificent cast for this tour. Fantastic vocals and delivery of the script with plenty of humour as well as emotional depth when needed from all the cast. Certainly the audience were very appreciative of the lack of clothing for the two jocks in Act 2 whenever they appeared on stage.
The score itself was a lot of fun to listen to live with great mixture of songs delivered with plenty of energy by the band of 6 but with a wonderful sound design, sounded much bigger. It’s definitely a score I’d listen to again in the future.
A really great night out with plenty of humour and I’d definitely say it’s worth getting a ticket for this touring cast. 4⭐️
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Post by marob on Aug 23, 2021 23:25:40 GMT
david I saw it today myself, but in London. What’s the reaction like on the tour? I would have seen it in Liverpool if I wasn’t down here, but I’m tempted to revisit it next year in Manchester. I’m assuming this production is still new enough that you don’t get any of the constant cheering from hardcore fans yet outside London?
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3,316 posts
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Post by david on Aug 23, 2021 23:42:43 GMT
marob it was a really positive audience tonight, though there was plenty of cheering and whistling when the guys took off their shirts, particularly for the two guys playing the jocks and the opening number in Act 2 - My Dead Gay Son Got the biggest cheer of the night. There was definitely a larger younger audience in the Empire tonight (teens to mid 20s) than I normally see. Though frustratingly, several auduence members decided to contribute their own unscripted additions to the show by shouting out stuff.
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Post by hannechalk on Aug 24, 2021 9:46:16 GMT
I thoroughly enjoyed Heathers last night at the Liverpool Empire, for the £17 I spent for a seat in row E in stalls it was definitely worth the money!
I can understand why the show has such devoted fans. The songs are catchy, and the whole cast had fantastic vocals, plus great comedic timing.
Some of the audience members did not, however, and laughed during the dark serious parts. After the interval there were also increased attempts by some people in the audience to try and get attention from the cast by shouting out things.
I loved it!
However, I disagree with David regarding the Empire's crowd management. It was rubbish. My ticket said I had to be there at 6pm so they could manage the flow of visitors effectively. I have no interest in the bar or merchandise, nor did others, and thought we'd be allowed to our seats immediately. I even brought a book to entertain myself till the show started. Staff attempted to send people upstairs, as there would be more space, and not to forget the more expensive bar. It was evident from people sitting on the stairs, and people walking up the stairs and coming straight back down again, this was not the case. The merchandise stall was also in the entrance foyer, and I've never seen such an enormous queue for merchandise. So a lot of people were crammed in little space, and at one point they weren't allowing any more people in the building - but the auditorium doors stayed shut till about 650pm. I just cannot understand the reason for this. They should have said on the ticket 'If you wish to use the bar or buy merchandise, please arrive at 6pm. If you wish to go straight to your seat upon arrival, please arrive at 645pm'. I was also not scanned regarding vaccinations, they just scanned my ticket.
So long story short - if you've booked to see it this week, and you just want to go straight to your seat upon arriving, just get there for 645pm.
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Post by hannechalk on Aug 28, 2021 14:20:20 GMT
I am offended however, that Kenwright seems to have built a carbon copy for the tour and not extended it at all - i saw a photo on Twitter the other day of it in Liverpool Empire, looking like a postage stamp in the middle of the stage. Really REALLY disappointed by this latest production. I saw it at the Liverpool Empire, and if you mean the set seemed too small for that kind of stage, I did not have that idea at all. The opening 'wall' pretty much filled all of centre stage. Throughout the set filled all of the stage adequately without it looking too small or inadequate. The stand up-bit was in the tour as well - JD 'shines a light' on a bloke in front row, pretending he's Ms Fleming's ex, and she improvises on that. |
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Post by drfootlights on Aug 28, 2021 15:21:47 GMT
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 28, 2021 15:30:09 GMT
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Post by LaLuPone on Aug 28, 2021 16:35:07 GMT
God that’s embarrassing 😳
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Post by david on Aug 28, 2021 21:31:51 GMT
2nd viewing at the last night in Liverpool and I still think it’s a great show. The audience tonight were fantastic to be part of. There was definitely more fans of the show in tonight (a definitely younger audience) with some even coming dressed as their favorite Heather. With my first watch a few days ago, there was plenty of idiots in the audience shouting out stuff but tonight the audience was impecciably behaved and apart from a few cheers with the jocks in just their underwear, it was nice to watch the show in peace. Thanks to marob for the discount code. I managed to bag an end of aisle seat 4 rows from the front for £25. A great view. No issues tonight getting into the Empire having arrived earlier based on my experience earlier on in the week, giving me chance to get to the box office and spend some theatre vouchers I found hidden away at home on upcoming shows at the Empire. The cast and band still sounded great delivering those great numbers. The size of the set filled the large Empire stage just fine. For a show I hadn’t intended to watch, I have had a great time watching this touring production. |
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Post by marob on Aug 28, 2021 22:06:11 GMT
david You should really be thanking @tallpaul because if he hadn’t have mentioned manchestertheatres.com then I wouldn’t have looked at the Liverpool equivalent.
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3,316 posts
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Post by david on Aug 28, 2021 22:24:07 GMT
david You should really be thanking @tallpaul because if he hadn’t have mentioned manchestertheatres.com then I wouldn’t have looked at the Liverpool equivalent. Thanks also to TallPaul for the initial idea for the discount code! |
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Post by TallPaul on Aug 29, 2021 8:04:04 GMT
Stop it already you two. You'll make me blush. 😊
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Post by properjob on Sept 2, 2021 18:40:37 GMT
I saw it in Nottingham where it fitted fine and filled the stage. I assume like all touring productions it has to fit on the smallest stage and so will look small if it plays a much much bigger stage on the tour. This isn't unique to Heathers.
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Post by danb on Sept 2, 2021 21:58:51 GMT
The set reminds me of a T.I.E. Piece we did at uni…
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4,361 posts
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Post by shady23 on Sept 10, 2021 22:45:32 GMT
Very interesting to read about the different organisation for different theatres.
I went to the show tonight in Newcastle and walked past the City Hall on the way, an all seated theatre-sized concert venue (Billy Ocean was on tonight), security clearly telling everyone in the queue to get their Covid passes ready for inspection. At the Theatre Royal there were no such checks, just being advised to wear face masks when not eating or drinking. The majority of people were not wearing masks in the auditorium at all despite announcements etc to wear them. If this was an ATG venue they would ask for a covid pass to come in so seems little consistency between theatres. No entry times but we were told not to consume any food or drink in the bar areas, you were to bring them to your seats.
As for the show I did enjoy it and thought the cast was great. Rebecca Wickes especially wonderful as Veronica. She could have been auditioning for Elphaba with that performance. Really talented lady.
Mhairi Angus as Martha was fantastic as well, the crowd (very full but it is Friday night in Newcastle) especially loved the two jocks.
I had no idea of the subject matter. Had I have done I am not sure I would have chosen to watch it today on world suicide prevention day. There was no reference to that at the end which was a missed opportunity really as it was a very emotional show tonight.
Not sure I would go and see it again unless someone I liked was cast in it but it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
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Post by shady23 on Sept 19, 2021 6:44:15 GMT
The matinee in Sheffield was cancelled as five were sick. The evening performance went ahead as, I presume, one or some of the London cast got on a train up there.
Some people were complaining on Twitter about it but shows aren't cancelled at a whim and we have no idea all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to keep these shows going.
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