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Post by ceebee on Sept 7, 2022 14:00:46 GMT
I think it's nice to celebrate a boy for being kind, rather than tough. Casting girls doesn't make a huge difference in terms of singing etc at that age, but I don't really see there's a massive benefit to it either. Pretty sure the reason behind casting a man as Miss Trunchbull is different — she's definitely a woman, but casting a man is "theatre trickery" to make the character look more physically imposing surely? Like the costume and camera angles used in the film. The Matildas can't actually be 4 or 5, so you cast somebody taller and broader as Miss Trunchbull to get that size difference. I believe the role of Miss Trunchbull doesn't exclude females from being cast but I've yet to see a woman cast in the role. Emma Thompson in the film? |
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Post by FairyGodmother on Sept 7, 2022 14:10:00 GMT
And Pam Ferris. But you can do things with cameras that you can't do on a stage.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Sept 7, 2022 21:57:30 GMT
Charlie being a girl is a stupid idea. Clearly there is absolutely no sense these days of honouring the author who created these stories.
Looking forward to Wonkas understudy being a woman.
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Post by c4ndyc4ne on Sept 7, 2022 23:10:51 GMT
Charlie being a girl is a stupid idea. Clearly there is absolutely no sense these days of honouring the author who created these stories. Looking forward to Wonkas understudy being a woman. If the Dahl estate signed off on it then I guess that's as close to honouring the author as can be achieved these days |
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Post by FairyGodmother on Sept 8, 2022 7:48:40 GMT
There was nothing in the original Matilda novel to imply Trunchball had male genitalia under the skirt, yet men play that role quite effectively on stage, to much applause too. Would you rather a woke intervention take hold of that show also and insist boy plays boy and girl plays girl? Good point about Trunchbull - hadn't crossed my mind. I think it's quite different actually. With Charlie you're changing the character to match the actor, although it probably doesn't make a lot of difference in this case whether it's a girl or a boy. With the Trunchbull you're changing the sex of the actor, but not the character. It's more like a trouser role in opera. It's not like a pantomime where the audience are "let in" on the fact the pantomime dame is a man (while the principal boy is simultaneously treated as a male character. It's no wonder that people from abroad are often very confused by pantos!). |
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Post by TallPaul on Oct 1, 2022 9:39:55 GMT
Full cast now announced. Christopher Howell is spending Christmas in West Yorkshire. Yay!
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Post by Dr Tom on Oct 1, 2022 13:31:18 GMT
Let's note as well that the Dahl Company have signed a contract with Netflix for all kinds of spin-offs and updates. So they're very open to new interpretations of the original texts and characters.
When I read Christopher Howell, my first thought was he'd make a marvellous Willy Wonka. Grandpa George is such a small role. Still, he's always excellent.
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Post by TallPaul on Oct 1, 2022 14:05:41 GMT
So what you're saying, Dr Tom, is you'd like to see Christopher Howell's Willy? 😉 |
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Post by TallPaul on Oct 28, 2022 14:21:05 GMT
An 'exclusive' glimpse inside the rehearsal room...with added singing in the background.
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Post by og on Oct 28, 2022 17:00:01 GMT
Many thoughts.
Primarily, have they changed the score again?? The backing music here sounds like an adaption of Juicy from the London version, which didn't make it to the final Broadway version. Doesn't sound like anything I remember from either soundtrack. Then again, it wouldnt have expected them to have any studio time to record new songs for promo.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Oct 29, 2022 7:44:00 GMT
looks fab. i cant wait to see it
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Post by ceebee on Oct 30, 2022 11:02:37 GMT
Many thoughts. Primarily, have they changed the score again?? The backing music here sounds like an adaption of Juicy from the London version, which didn't make it to the final Broadway version. Doesn't sound like anything I remember from either soundtrack. Then again, it wouldnt have expected them to have any studio time to record new songs for promo. This song actually sounds like the part when the Oompa Loompas sing to Violet as she gets taken to the pressing machine, rather than "Juicy". |
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Post by og on Oct 30, 2022 12:25:43 GMT
Many thoughts. Primarily, have they changed the score again?? The backing music here sounds like an adaption of Juicy from the London version, which didn't make it to the final Broadway version. Doesn't sound like anything I remember from either soundtrack. Then again, it wouldnt have expected them to have any studio time to record new songs for promo. This song actually sounds like the part when the Oompa Loompas sing to Violet as she gets taken to the pressing machine, rather than "Juicy". In which production? I don't remember that. In London Juicy started with "Tomato soup..." then goes through the meals as she's eating the gum, which builds into the full song with the Oompa intro "And here she is, new in the number one, Chewing up the charts..." and the song ends with her exploding with the purple confetti. On Broadway there was an underscored elongated list of food as she's chewing away, then as she reaches blueberry and starts to inflate she's just taken off stage in silence and everyone moves onto the next scene, awkwardly. |
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Post by ceebee on Oct 30, 2022 14:02:04 GMT
This song actually sounds like the part when the Oompa Loompas sing to Violet as she gets taken to the pressing machine, rather than "Juicy". In which production? I don't remember that. In London Juicy started with "Tomato soup..." then goes through the meals as she's eating the gum, which builds into the full song with the Oompa intro "And here she is, new in the number one, Chewing up the charts..." and the song ends with her exploding with the purple confetti. On Broadway there was an underscored elongated list of food as she's chewing away, then as she reaches blueberry and starts to inflate she's just taken off stage in silence and everyone moves onto the next scene, awkwardly. Listening to the lyrics, this sounds like a bit of OompaLoompa "dibbidy-doo" singing (like the film) which I'm guessing has been brought in to bridge the awkward gap you mention. I preferred the London version, so I'm thinking that it might have been tweaked to create a hybrid of London/Broadway versions for this production. Can't wait to see it! |
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Post by og on Oct 30, 2022 16:48:47 GMT
In which production? I don't remember that. In London Juicy started with "Tomato soup..." then goes through the meals as she's eating the gum, which builds into the full song with the Oompa intro "And here she is, new in the number one, Chewing up the charts..." and the song ends with her exploding with the purple confetti. On Broadway there was an underscored elongated list of food as she's chewing away, then as she reaches blueberry and starts to inflate she's just taken off stage in silence and everyone moves onto the next scene, awkwardly. Listening to the lyrics, this sounds like a bit of OompaLoompa "dibbidy-doo" singing (like the film) which I'm guessing has been brought in to bridge the awkward gap you mention. I preferred the London version, so I'm thinking that it might have been tweaked to create a hybrid of London/Broadway versions for this production. Can't wait to see it! I didnt really get an 'oompa' vibe until the very last line, but could be me. It's very 70s in its disco rhythm, with synth brass and strings which is what Juicy was, hence the association. Hopefully there is no awkward gap in this version, given the director mentions "exploding blueberries". Time will tell. Less than 20 days til curtain up! |
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Post by eggemann on Nov 6, 2022 19:56:51 GMT
Suprised about the upset of a female casting for Charlie. I don’t recall gender being particularly relevant or driving in the character or their motives.
Also find it odd as in the musical, the other children have had much wilder changes in character against the original book and nobody seemed to be upset. Violet went from being always played white, and in the book a tomboy, she’s now portrayed as African-American and a social media influencer and it wasn’t accused of “box ticking” from what I recall.
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Post by Jon on Nov 7, 2022 14:15:06 GMT
Suprised about the upset of a female casting for Charlie. I don’t recall gender being particularly relevant or driving in the character or their motives. Also find it odd as in the musical, the other children have had much wilder changes in character against the original book and nobody seemed to be upset. Violet went from being always played white, and in the book a tomboy, she’s now portrayed as African-American and a social media influencer and it wasn’t accused of “box ticking” from what I recall. The Violet casting isn't box ticking, it's just updating the character to be relevant to modern audiences, Mike Teavee doesn't solely watch TV anymore, he plays computer games. |
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Post by og on Nov 17, 2022 12:11:34 GMT
Been watching the Playhouse website for the last week for any decent seat returns popping up for the first few shows.
20 minutes go a few pop up for Tomorow and Saturday night, get them into a basket to buy, continue and they disappear and now both Friday and Saturday are appearing as off sale.
Not sure what's going on, trying to phone but no-ones picking up yet, id assume I'm in a queue with others in the same situation...
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Post by og on Nov 17, 2022 12:21:40 GMT
Website updated to say it's running 21st Nov onwards.
Maybe its not ready and they've cut a few performances.
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Post by og on Nov 17, 2022 14:37:22 GMT
Confirmed. Friday & Saturday performances cancelled.
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Post by benny20 on Nov 17, 2022 14:45:33 GMT
Not a lift problem again....??
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Post by og on Nov 17, 2022 15:19:55 GMT
Haha, can you imagine!
"Covid in the cast meant tech rehearsals were behind" I'm told.
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Post by og on Nov 21, 2022 18:57:15 GMT
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Post by ceebee on Nov 21, 2022 19:47:32 GMT
Thank you!! Please review!! |
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Post by og on Nov 21, 2022 20:26:41 GMT
First night of previews.
Interval.
Act one 1hr5min.
They’ve brought it back to the London edition from many of the changes made for broadway; with a few of the newer songs remaining like You and I and Candyman.
A lot of new underscoring and orchestrations that underwhelm me. Most of it feels like change for changes sake. Similarly Queen of Pop v2, like a lot of the new material, fails to hit. Most of the big reactions are to the original unchanged west end songs.
The TV/News theme has changed for the worse and lacks the punch of the original.
First scene in the bucket house drags; 3 slow “I want” type songs. It needs a snappier start, by the end of what feels like 15mins in the house we’re ready for change.
Nice set and production value that is functional and effective.‘Accessible’ direction with the bucket family is a nice touch.
Im a hardcore original score fan, so some of the changes aren’t ticking the box for me, it probably all works for those unfamiliar with the west end production.
20min interval.
Oh; some here will be disappointed to read that the basic format is unchanged. Act 1 is the hunt for chocolate, Act 2 inside the factory.
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