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Post by kathryn on Oct 29, 2018 19:07:53 GMT
It may be my new favourite theatre - as a building, at least. I think I have somehow seen everything they’ve put on so far - and tickets have been cheap enough that I feel I got value even from the not-brilliant stuff. JC and My Name Is Lucy Barton I loved.
I appreciate that they have focused on new work from familiar writers as their draw rather than stunt-casting the hell out of a production just to get people in through the door. They could have played it much safer than they have.
Yes, they could do with a stonking big hit. But what theatre couldn’t?! They don’t come around all that often even at established venues.
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3,320 posts
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Post by david on Oct 29, 2018 19:16:17 GMT
Personally, of the 3 times I’ve been to the theatre (Marx, Cesar and Allelujah) I’ve had no issues with the theatre. The Box Office staff have been very helpful and sorted out any issues with the bookings very quickly and with no fuss. Certainly, there’s plenty of space in the foyer unlike a lot of theatres so there’s no claustrophobic feeling you can get in some foyers. The lighting design they have there I think is great. Though to my shame, I have yet to try the lovely loooking madeleines which I’ll hopefully try next month on my next visit.
Location wise, absolutely fantastic. You’ve got that open grass area at the front to use in the summer months and in the winter, some great views and photo opportunities when it’s dark and tower bridge and the Tower of London. are lit up. The facilities within the theatre are ideal. Plenty of loos with no queuing and plenty of free water.
As for the auditorium, for me, it really does set the standard that any new theatres should be aspiring to. Comfortable seats with plenty of leg room and good sight lines from all parts of the auditorium. Even in my preferred Gallery 3 Row B central seat, I’ve had no issues with sight lines and for the price, you cannot fault it. Even the cheapest ticket would get you a very good view of the stage.
Production wise, I think as others have said I think the programming has played it safe in order to try and establish the theatre. This obviously makes perfect business sense. Get yourself established and then maybe take a few more risks. Though the productions that I have seen, I certainly felt I got value for my money and had a nice night out at the theatre.
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7,189 posts
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Post by Jon on Oct 29, 2018 19:27:12 GMT
Production wise, I think as others have said I think the programming has played it safe in order to try and establish the theatre. This obviously makes perfect business sense. Get yourself established and then maybe take a few more risks. Though the productions that I have seen, I certainly felt I got value for my money and had a nice night out at the theatre. Unlike the National, it's a commercial venture so I think they'll always be a mix of new plays and the odd classic. The fact that they've been able to attract big names already like Martin McDonagh and Alan Bennett is a sign that established playwrights are willing to work in what is quite a big theatre. I wonder when the sister venue opens at Kings Cross, if the Bridge will become more mainstream and the more riskier and experimental shows will go to the smaller venue. |
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3,320 posts
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Post by david on Oct 29, 2018 19:40:10 GMT
Production wise, I think as others have said I think the programming has played it safe in order to try and establish the theatre. This obviously makes perfect business sense. Get yourself established and then maybe take a few more risks. Though the productions that I have seen, I certainly felt I got value for my money and had a nice night out at the theatre. Unlike the National, it's a commercial venture so I think they'll always be a mix of new plays and the odd classic. The fact that they've been able to attract big names already like Martin McDonagh and Alan Bennett is a sign that established playwrights are willing to work in what is quite a big theatre. I wonder when the sister venue opens at Kings Cross, if the Bridge will become more mainstream and the more riskier and experimental shows will go to the smaller venue. Definitely agree with you that to get the names you’ve mentioned so early on is great for the owners. With the sister venue, I’ve wondered how it will work myself to be honest. What you’ve suggested would definitely be the approach I would take if I was in that situation. I think it would be like having a NT Dorfman Mark 2 I suppose. It would give the chance for maybe the more riskier stuff a try in a smaller setting and then moving it upto the Bridge maybe at a later date while keeping the more mainstream stuff at the Bridge. |
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3,040 posts
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Post by crowblack on Oct 29, 2018 20:08:12 GMT
sister venue opens at Kings Cross Another one? London needs to sort out the quality control with the numerous theatres they already have. And put more women's bogs in them. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2018 20:10:35 GMT
Interval madelines and a lovely choice of cremants/champagnes by the glass.
The main things I like about this theatre are not related to theatre.
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213 posts
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Post by peelee on Oct 29, 2018 23:25:15 GMT
I started reading the play text of The Young Marx the other day, having enjoyed the farce when I saw it at The Bridge where it worked in its own witty terms, and it reads nicely. Although when I saw film The Young Karl Marx, by Raoul Peck—he also wrote and directed recent documentary about the work of James Baldwin, I Am Not Your Negro—I thought it far more interesting and satisfying than Bean and Coleman's play. That was a piece of liberal piss-taking, essentially, and pandered a bit to its local City of London audience, but probably well chosen by such a theatre wanting to attract what it imagined would be a wider, curious audience.
I'd avoided Julius Caesar though tickets for it made a handy, on-the-day supplement to a birthday present, and we took it in that spirit. The Trumpery-treatment was a bit predictable, given the mood of the arts scene these last couple of years, though I thought that women in certain roles worked well enough and gave it a freshness. The young people present around the moving stage seemed to enjoy it, so may have been a nice first-theatre-experience for some that will be built on longer term.
I enjoyed The Barney Norris play, Nightfall, which was much less arts-scene oriented than other stuff to be seen on stage, but more attuned to limited options in the countryside where the struggle to survive and be able to plan is more pressing. Posters on here didn't like it, as I recall, but apart from having been better suited to a smaller space it was good of The Bridge to give this young writer the kind of billing his work deserves.
In the end, I didn't get to see Alan Bennett's Allelujah! and made only periodic half-hearted attempts to book seats throughout its run. I haven't tried seriously to buy tickets for the new McDonagh play, though admire this theatre's staging of his new work. I'll read about the play more widely elsewhere before deciding whether to buy tickets. What I would have shelled out for was the play that had Laura Linney in it; those tickets had sold out fairly quickly, though.
I like the layout of the theatre , the seats are decent, the staff friendly, and it's a nice place to meet friends before a play. I've also had some nice conversations with strangers of all ages before plays and during intervals, and all that's something about this new theatre that works for me.
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1,970 posts
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Post by sf on Oct 29, 2018 23:29:02 GMT
What I would have shelled out for was the play that had Laura Linney in it; those tickets had sold out fairly quickly, though. It's back in January for a limited run, tickets have only been on sale for a few days, and there are still plenty of seats left. You don't need to pay through the nose if you book now - I got front row stalls for £25, and the front row for this is fine, the deck isn't particularly high. |
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Post by peelee on Oct 29, 2018 23:30:30 GMT
Thank you for the information. I'll act on it.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2018 9:20:38 GMT
I attended a performance of 'Allelujah' in August at which an understudy appeared in one of the play's main roles and the theatre did not announce it. I find that absolutely unacceptable. I was also not impressed with their response to my feedback afterwards - a feedback email they solicited - which was to tell me that sometimes there isn't time to announce the appearance of an understudy. That suggests a certain lack of respect for both performers and the audience, at least on the part of the staff member who wrote that particular email, and it's an area where I think the theatre maybe still has work to do. If there are procedures in place - and there should be - about announcing the appearance of an understudy, they need to be reviewed. If they have time to tell the understudy to put the other costume on and be ready to play the role, they have time for an appointed person to stand on stage pre-show and announce "the role of Blank will this evening be played by Actor". What a ridiculous response of theirs. |
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1,970 posts
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Post by sf on Oct 30, 2018 16:20:02 GMT
I attended a performance of 'Allelujah' in August at which an understudy appeared in one of the play's main roles and the theatre did not announce it. I find that absolutely unacceptable. I was also not impressed with their response to my feedback afterwards - a feedback email they solicited - which was to tell me that sometimes there isn't time to announce the appearance of an understudy. That suggests a certain lack of respect for both performers and the audience, at least on the part of the staff member who wrote that particular email, and it's an area where I think the theatre maybe still has work to do. If there are procedures in place - and there should be - about announcing the appearance of an understudy, they need to be reviewed. If they have time to tell the understudy to put the other costume on and be ready to play the role, they have time for an appointed person to stand on stage pre-show and announce "the role of Blank will this evening be played by Actor". What a ridiculous response of theirs. Absolutely, or to have someone backstage make an announcement over the loudspeakers. Their response had a very strong whiff of condescension about it - a pat on the head to a customer who couldn't possibly understand all the delicate intricacies of running a theatre (actually, I was a front-of-house manager for several years, and I know exactly what the issues are). Also, the person who responded to my feedback email appears to be unable to spell the word 'performance', which is an unfortunate attribute in someone who works for a theatre. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2018 18:04:11 GMT
Interval madelines and a lovely choice of cremants/champagnes by the glass. The main things I like about this theatre are not related to theatre. Sometimes I think the only reason I go to the theatre is to mask my drinking problem. |
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923 posts
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Post by Snciole on Oct 31, 2018 15:18:11 GMT
I took my partner The Bridge for the first time and he thought it was the fanciest place on earth (we don't go out much). I thought the lighting in the toilets was very unflattering, how does lighting make you look paler?
We have an aisle seat on row K and my partner had a mild panic when a man pulled an end seat out of row J.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2020 22:45:45 GMT
I can’t find if this has been discussed elsewhere...what is going in here after A Number and before The Book of Dust? I checked online today and there is nothing showing. I think there was rumour of A German Life returning. Did I miss something?
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Post by oxfordsimon on Feb 11, 2020 23:12:39 GMT
The clearly need a lot of time to divert the Thames so it floods the theatre...
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2,058 posts
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Post by Marwood on Feb 12, 2020 22:34:52 GMT
The membership I took out last year go book A German Life ran out this week, and apart from that the only thing I went to see at The Bridge in the last twelve months was A Midsummer Nights... so I’m not bothered about letting it lapse, there just hasn’t been enough stuff put on there to make me that bothered about renewing.
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5,159 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Feb 14, 2020 13:34:18 GMT
Dame Judi Dench 'in conversation' with Gyles Brandreth. 20 March to 4 April.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2020 13:38:19 GMT
Well that’s two weeks covered.
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3,578 posts
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Post by Rory on Feb 14, 2020 14:37:39 GMT
Another announcement is coming from them next week apparently.
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4,988 posts
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jan 4, 2021 16:07:02 GMT
The most recent Start the week (BBC sounds & Radio 4) is an interesting interview with Hytner. He talks about getting established, NT, Shakespeare, Bennett, Bridge and the Kings Cross New development.
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