Gaslight - 2017 UK Tour

Seen some great reviews so would like to catch it on tour but whether I try Brighton, Richmond or Woking (all ATFG venues, of course), the prices are diabolical. ATG seem to be charging so much more this year and offering fewer deals or none at all - I wonder why?

Maybe I should start another thread in General Discussion entitled "ATG Pricing Mystery" or similar, but though it's frustrating and discourages business, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one with the above impression. We know from Theatremonkey's post about the group booking offices that ATG are reorganising and retrenching, but if they make too many moves which prevent people from booking, they will lose more than they save.

The only email offer I have received from them in MONTHS (to the point where I wondered if mine were going astray, but I am registered with all their local theatres) was around New Year, and then it was a rubbish deal as for existing members, using the offer code actually made the tickets more expensive - and I was already resisting them at their current level.

I wonder if they will shift towards last-minute offers but those aren't great for planning purposes as most of my ATG visits involve travelling away from London (e.g. to Brighton, Richmond, Wimbledon etc), so I need to know what else I can see on the same day, where, and whether the timings will fit together.

I saw this in Birmingham on Tuesday. I wouldn't exactly call it a thriller, it's more of a psychological drama/melodrama as you quickly pick up what's happening but the way it's constructed still keeps you in suspense. Keith Allen is excellent as Rough, I always associate him with villainous roles but not in this. Kara Tointon is also very good as Bella Manningham. The set has a slightly skewed perspective of the drawing room and a few surprises. I booked seats in the Upper Circle, as the cheaper seats at the back of the Dress Circle are no longer, but got upgraded to there as they closed the Upper Circle.

Thought this was out of this world, I love a play with a important social message at its core, this kept reminding me of Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White. This is also deliciously and subtly acted. Loved the way the 'Gaslight' was used as a metaphor for madness.

The theatre was packed and surprised this hasn't been revived more often than it has, the original run done excellently in a depression ridden London, did even better on Broadway. So shocked ATG isn't transferring this into the West End, this would do well at the Playhouse or Trafalgar Studio.

5 Stars

Gaslight - a thriller where nothing thrilling happens, it tells u it's 'twist' within the first 20 mins and then everything goes to plan for it's protagonists. Boring night out, why oh why revive something that has absolutletly no meaning for our times, thank goodness for the OTT entertainment value of Keith Allen (he's the only reason to show)

1.92 stars

Because it's safe. It's a commercial theatre tour.

Also the term "to gaslight" is very much in the public lexicon right now, why not see if you can tap into that audience who've heard the term in a political context and might be interested to see the theatrical context it came from.

theringer.com/the-origin-of-gaslight-the-buzzword-for-trumps-america-c1131a1afa2a

I would add is that the British version from 1940 is superior.

EDIT: Also worth mentioning that the asymmetric 'warfare' of Putin and his fellow travellers is part of the same movement to destabilise, the use of 'fake news' emanating from troll farms and such, the denial and incredible counterclaim that it is actually the professional media that is 'fake'. The sad some people actually believe them is, I imagine, why the term is now so much used. 

Having to read the programme to get the meaning don't mean too much

I have to admit the main reason I booked this was because I developed a crush on Rupert Young after seeing him in High Society. I throughly enjoyed it and thought all the cast were excellent.

It's a play that has always had a lot of amateur productions which is where I saw it. Here's an upcoming one.

www.incognitotheatre.co.uk/whats-on/shows/gaslight

It's always had quite a lot of professional provincial productions too, it seems there were five in around 2017-2019. I would agree that a major company like NT could make something out of it with a suitable director just as they did for another amateur stalwart "An Inspector Calls".  

Haha yes I found my programme for this the other day. Can't believe it was that long ago.

Strikes me as the kind of piece someone like Jamie Lloyd could update.

It just seems so modern in its themes.