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Post by nick on Oct 13, 2018 13:33:17 GMT
Best - Dr Faustus at the Royal Exchange in Manchester with Ben Kingsley in the early 80s. Stunning production that made such good use of the space. And I loved Pippin at the Menier but I know I'm in a minority.
Worst - The recent revival of Cats was such a disappointment. Mind you I'm sure there's been plenty over the yers that I simply walked out of and have now forgotten.
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Post by Cardinal Pirelli on Oct 13, 2018 13:41:35 GMT
I wonder if there’s a sort of peak point in a theatregoing career, when you’re likely to have lots of excellent experiences not so much because of the brilliance of the productions but because you are just the right point to see them. I’m sure we have all noticed that at time goes on and you see more productions you become harder to impress.* Sometimes the shows that hook you in when young look much less exciting a few years down the line, But it’s also true that experience means you pick up on things that go over your head when you are younger. *That’s an editorial you. After forty plus years of theatregoing I think it’s more to do with the nature and quality of what is being done. There have been fallow periods where I’ve seen less as I’ve been less in tune with it but then it turns around and I want to see much more. Overall, I’d say that the last decade or so has been a very strong one and more to my liking than the previous one, for example. Just checking up, I had a real dip between 2002 to the middle of 2006.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2018 14:47:55 GMT
Worst - The recent revival of Cats was such a disappointment. Mind you I'm sure there's been plenty over the yers that I simply walked out of and have now forgotten. Hahah that recent run wasn't good was it. What was with that faffing UFO lighting rig fly out at the start? And the update to Rum Tum Tugger was cringeworthy. I lost count of the amount of people around the circle in Liverpool Empire actually audibly cringing and squirming during it.
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Post by MrsCondomine on Oct 16, 2018 8:09:12 GMT
Worst - easily that Much Ado with Redgrave and James Earl Jones. URGH. The Joe Hill-Gibbins Edward II at the National. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was as dull as dishwater.
Best - the Billie Piper Yerma, Scott-Thomas's Medea, Staunton's Gypsy, Propeller's Henry V, Nell Gwynn (really have no preference between Gemma Arterton and Laura Pitt-Pulford, although I think the former had more charm).
The real shame is seeing an average production, which you can neither bitch about nor rave about, and didn't move you to any extreme - The Ferryman was this for me (I know, SACRILEGE, I was yawning through most of the first half), Wicked, SRB's King Lear, Michelle Terry's Hamlet.
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Post by RedRose on Oct 16, 2018 8:42:07 GMT
Worst - easily that Much Ado with Redgrave and James Earl Jones. URGH. Yep, never witnessed something that bad and dull. How is it even possible to ruin this wonderful Shakespeare play! Still haven't forgiven Mark Rylance for his bad direction and myself for not leaving during the interval. Difficult to pick out one best but that's what first came to my mind: I just love This House, especially with Philip Glenister and Charles Edwards, and sitting on the green benches at the Cottesloe.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2018 8:43:27 GMT
Worst - easily that Much Ado with Redgrave and James Earl Jones. URGH. The Joe Hill-Gibbins Edward II at the National. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was as dull as dishwater. OMGay, I LOVED that production of Teddy Two.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2018 8:44:33 GMT
Yep, never witnessed something that bad and dull. How is it even possible to ruin this wonderful Shakespeare play! Still haven't forgiven Mark Rylance for his bad direction and myself for not leaving during the interval. Did Mark Rylance direct it? Small wonder there was so much mumbling going on!
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Post by RedRose on Oct 16, 2018 8:46:35 GMT
I guess you meant Elektra? I found that terrible boring! After watching the really long The Crucible just before at the Old Vic, Elektra - even though quite short - felt so much longer.
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Post by RedRose on Oct 16, 2018 8:48:28 GMT
Worst - easily that Much Ado with Redgrave and James Earl Jones. URGH. The Joe Hill-Gibbins Edward II at the National. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was as dull as dishwater. OMGay, I LOVED that production of Teddy Two. I didn't like it. It was rather bad, but at least it wasn't dull and John Heffernan and Kyle Soller were as fantastic in it as always!
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Post by MrsCondomine on Oct 16, 2018 8:49:54 GMT
I guess you meant Elektra? I found that terrible boring! After watching the really long The Crucible just before at the Old Vic, Elektra - even though quite short - felt so much longer. I meant Elektra indeed! Getting my angry Greek(?) women mixed up this morning.
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Post by MrsCondomine on Oct 16, 2018 8:51:57 GMT
Worst - easily that Much Ado with Redgrave and James Earl Jones. URGH. The Joe Hill-Gibbins Edward II at the National. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was as dull as dishwater. OMGay, I LOVED that production of Teddy Two. The one thing that stopped me going before the interval was the effervescent Vanessa Kirby, who was all sorts of FABULOUS. Hated the rest of it though, went out at the interval to fortify myself with bubbly.
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Oct 16, 2018 14:29:00 GMT
Best Ivo van Hove's A View From a Bridge.
Worst - anything with Keira Knightley
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Post by lynette on Oct 16, 2018 21:06:18 GMT
If we are doing the anything by, then anything directed by Maria Alberg. Having said that though I think my worst Willie was directed by Meckler, the R&J with the sticks. And my best Willie, though there are many in the premier league, is Hytner's Othello.
Guys and Dolls , the one mentioned previously with Ian Charleston , my best musical.
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Post by hannechalk on Oct 16, 2018 21:17:17 GMT
Worst - The last tour of 'Flashdance' with Joanne Clifton. I've never wanted to leave a theatre so badly ever before, even before the first act had finished. But i stayed in the hope it might turn better. It didn't. It got worse. Far worse.
Best- That's a tough one. If you've seen me around these boards before you might expect me to say 'Blood Brothers', but that's more personal now than an objective assessment. I've seen someone mention 'theatre highs', and in that respect Les Mis, Cabaret and War Horse. Everybody's Talking about Jamie. Hamlet with Benedict Cumberbatch. Down the Dock Road in Liverpool.
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Post by cheesy116 on Oct 16, 2018 22:36:26 GMT
Worst - Thriller London, Thriller UK Tour, Thriller in general
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Post by Someone in a tree on Oct 17, 2018 7:36:22 GMT
Some of my selected high and low lights
Best Kiss of the spider woman - Shaftesbury Sunday - MCF Merrily - Donmar Measure for measure - NT Death of Klinghoffer - 1 production at Scottish Opera and then another one 10 years later at ENO Hello Dolly - Open Air Theatre Love Story - West End Peter Grimes - Tim Albery @ ENO and Phylidia Lloyd @ Opera North Einstein on the beach - Barbican Wozzeck - Birmingham Opera Company Candide - MCF
Terrible Barnum - MCF Paradise Found - MCF Too close to the sun - West End Stephen Ward - West End
Even though it wasn’t terrible I really hated Working (Southwark Playhouse).
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Post by maggiem on Oct 17, 2018 9:03:58 GMT
Not sure about best or worst, but the ones that made the biggest impressions on me are:-
Henry V - Bolton Octagon 1978 : I was 14 and this was my introduction to Shakespeare. I suppose your reaction to The Bard very much depends on how you first come to it. This is the play my class was studying for O Level English Lit. The other class was reading R&J, which I don't think I would have responded to, tomboy that I am. Kings and battles? Yes!
All My Sons - Wyndhams Theatre 1981(2?) : Colin Blakely completely changed my view of Joe Keller in this production. He got me to "see it human", which I certainly didn't when I read the play in my A level class.
Wind in the Willows - NT Olivier 199? : a wonderful, colourful and funny adaptation by Alan Bennett, that I saw a few times thanks to the returns queue! Brilliant costumes, sets and above all, the performances. It's lovely to have them to remember actors who are sadly missed now - Richard Briers, Terrence Rigby and Michael Bryant.
A View From the Bridge - Wyndhams Theatre : I never got to see it at the Young Vic, so I was glad it made it to the WE. Ivo van Hove's decision to strip the scenery back to a bare playing space was inspired, and put the emphasis firmly on the text. The whole cast responded with brilliant performances, but my favourite here was Michael Gould as Alfieri. I think he was only off stage for one minute in the whole performance, and I was watching how he reacted to everything in the space, as well as the action itself. Different, and well worth doing it that way.
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Post by joem on Oct 18, 2018 23:16:06 GMT
Not sure about best or worst, but the ones that made the biggest impressions on me are:- Henry V - Bolton Octagon 1978 : I was 14 and this was my introduction to Shakespeare. I suppose your reaction to The Bard very much depends on how you first come to it. This is the play my class was studying for O Level English Lit. The other class was reading R&J, which I don't think I would have responded to, tomboy that I am. Kings and battles? Yes! All My Sons - Wyndhams Theatre 1981(2?) : Colin Blakely completely changed my view of Joe Keller in this production. He got me to "see it human", which I certainly didn't when I read the play in my A level class. Wind in the Willows - NT Olivier 199? : a wonderful, colourful and funny adaptation by Alan Bennett, that I saw a few times thanks to the returns queue! Brilliant costumes, sets and above all, the performances. It's lovely to have them to remember actors who are sadly missed now - Richard Briers, Terrence Rigby and Michael Bryant. A View From the Bridge - Wyndhams Theatre : I never got to see it at the Young Vic, so I was glad it made it to the WE. Ivo van Hove's decision to strip the scenery back to a bare playing space was inspired, and put the emphasis firmly on the text. The whole cast responded with brilliant performances, but my favourite here was Michael Gould as Alfieri. I think he was only off stage for one minute in the whole performance, and I was watching how he reacted to everything in the space, as well as the action itself. Different, and well worth doing it that way. I remember that "All My Sons", Colin Blakely was a very underrated actor. It was 1982.
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Post by Backdrifter on Oct 19, 2018 8:12:06 GMT
Sadly I have a collection from which to choose a worst. Grubbing about down there would be Blood, at the Royal Court, 2 interval-less hours of the dullest torture imaginable during which I could FEEL my facial hair growing, and my buttocks taking root in the seat. Similarly Attempts On Her Life at the NT, Cruel & Tender at the YV. Shunt's 'Contains Violence' was a salient reminder that oddball staging doesn't necessarily mean an interesting or good production. The award should probably go to Hysteria, staged in a board room at Barts, in 2008 by a (I think) Brazilian company. This really did lack any of the vital elements that make theatre; it was just some people in a room, saying and doing stuff. Men and women were separated into different seating blocks. In taking my unreserved seat - in the 'male' block, of course - one of the company hectoringly barked at me to sit somewhere else. For real, not as part of the 'performance'. Good start, eh? How to get your audience on side (I stayed put).
It's good to be able to say how hard it is to pick a best, having seen so many superb shows. I could select from memorable ones such as the original NT run of Angels, Madness of George III, Jerusalem, an RSC Rii with a jaw-dropping performance by Jonathan Slinger, People Places & Things..... etc etc. But I always come back to an Edinburgh Fringe production in 2008, The Battle of Pots & Pans, by the Prestoungrange company. Staged in a church hall, lights full on, cardboard props, depicting a company - the company we were watching - re-enacting Prestonpans. Arriving, getting changed, chatting, director fussing around them, readying them for a dress rehearsal, which is what we then watch. It was absolutely mesmerising. Whatever Hysteria lacked, this had truckloads of. In that harshly lit hall, with their make-do props and wardrobe, we absolutely were on Culloden Moor on a dark misty night. When it ended, they get changed back, discussing going for drinks etc, then the director says they need to rehearse the curtain call, which they then do - cue our applause.
I always pick this one because for me it was the very essence of theatre, in the way Hysteria was the complete opposite. I saw them about two months apart, luckily the right way around!
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Post by ptwest on Oct 19, 2018 8:31:51 GMT
Biggest impact - JCS at the Lyceum. Best overall production - I would say My Fair Lady at the National, with honorable mentions to current 42nd Street, Mary Poppins, Memphis.
Worst: Even though I loathed Cats I cannot call it the worst production because the cast were very talented, and the production values high.
So: Chess - 1996 UK tour. Died a death in a half empty York Opera house with half the audience listening to the FA cup final on their walkmans! Sadly with the leaden performances and static direction, nothing was happening on stage to make it seem like a more appealing option which is a shame as it is one of my favorite musicals. Chess again - the CRH version - just didnt work for me.
Thank goodness so much of this was put right in the revival this year.
Also: Fame - original Uk tour. Just couldn't care less about any of the characters. Whistle Down The Wind - Kenwright Tour - just bad IMO despite some talent on stage. Sister Act - UK Tour. The production was a shadow of the shadow of the palladium version and the actor / musician thing just didnt work.
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Post by perfectspy on Oct 19, 2018 21:49:05 GMT
I’ve seen a few awful shows at Lyric Hammersmith in recent years, Shopping and F***ing being one of them. One really bad fringe cringe at Drayton Arms where I walked out after the interval.
Another bad one was The Harvest at Soho about season workers picking apples. Truly awful and I got hit by an apple as I was in the front row. At the end I looked at audience goers faces and I knew I didn’t suffer alone.
Best plays, Motherf***er with the hat, especially as I heard an old lady whisper on her phone the title of the play. Hangmen at Royal Court was great. Also I loved Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf.
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Post by perfectspy on Oct 19, 2018 21:57:08 GMT
Sadly I have a collection from which to choose a worst. Grubbing about down there would be Blood, at the Royal Court, 2 interval-less hours of the dullest torture imaginable during which I could FEEL my facial hair growing, and my buttocks taking root in the seat. I saw that as well, wasn’t Tom Hardy in the cast? I thought it was so so.
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Post by Nicholas on Oct 27, 2018 10:52:22 GMT
Yesterday it was five years since A Doll’s House played its last show in London (a performance I was lucky enough to attend). Five years later that show feels no less nerve-shredding, tear-jerking, real, inspiring.
I truly believe that art can change your life, perhaps none more so than theatre – that brief time within touching distance of great dramatic figures. Sometimes the impact is obvious. You see a show about a Doctor and apply to medical school, see Mark Rylance and apply to RADA, see a musician and pick up an instrument, see a Chekhov and go to Russia, see something political and campaign for change. You study theatre. You learn something new. We all have that first show that’s our first love. Of course these are “life-changing”. But I believe that an encounter with great theatre is like a brief encounter with a mystery soulmate, gone afterwards but never forgotten – that one show like a lost love for you. It’s subtler, gentler, but no less powerful and always there. There’s such connection in that one moment that, years down the line, you can’t help but think back on it, call on it for help, love it. When life lobs big decisions your way, you’re inspired by friends, family, advice, experience – and those encounters, and that show.
I’m lucky to have a list of ten or twenty shows that stopped my heart and opened my eyes – cinematic inner lives in The Flick's small talk; Black Watch; the inevitable tragedy in everyday work in A View from the Bridge; all the encounters within The Encounter; the people places and things of Barbra Marten and Jeremy Herrin and Duncan Macmillan and Denise Gough; the Wooster Group’s one good show Gatz; the love letters redefining theatre of Farinelli and the King, Chekhov’s First Play, and Ellen Terry with Eileen Atkins. Oblique Ostermeier and Lisa Dwan and Pinter; also Les Mis. Plenty more. SEE CHEKHOV’S FIRST PLAY. It still goes on – just this year Fun Home gave voice to our unvoiced repressions; last year guess which seven hour epic still unfolds? For all the crap, and the majority of mediocrities, just one show a year like this – maybe even one moment – and that makes it all worthwhile. What will be next year’s?
But there are those certain shows that speak as if only to you – years later, these nights are key parts of your life. My other one/three is The Shakespeare Trilogy. Superb shows – Caesar so strong about control and revenge, Tempest so strong about imprisonment and redemption – these redefined who Shakespeare speaks for and who theatre belongs to, with brio and bravado and genius. Hannah’s ongoing imprisonment, brought new meaning by the Bard, will stay with me to my dying day. And over almost five years, a unique way of storytelling... And sod it, I loved loved loved loved loved Nell Gwynn and secretly it’s still my favourite show ever. Heartfelt and hilarious song-and-dances don’t stay with you unless they say and mean something; Nell Gwynn said and meant so much. And a dog too!
But the first time I saw A Doll’s House I stumbled out as if winded, whilst the second time I stumbled out fully knowing this show was a part of my life. Why? There aren’t words; there was everything there. I’d read it before so it’s not just Ibsen. It’s the richness Stephens’ speech had; the baby; the faux-familial set later a cage, a boxing ring, a carousel; Nora’s dance; the humanity Cracknell brought to everyone’s smallest moments; the ignorant sensitivity of Krogstad and Torvald’s performances; Act III; Hattie Morahan…
Whatever the reason, whatever the objective merits of the show, there’s something more – far more subjective, instinctive, absolute. I truly believe I’ve taken paths in life – outside the glitzy West End, regarding people I love and places I’m at – because of the shows that linger in my life. In the last five years five years of life has happened, and there’ve been times when I’ve been unconsciously imitating old shows, and decisions deliberately influenced by the domestic façade the Helmers put on or by Nora’s tentative self-aware semi-courage. When I say the show changed my life, I mean that.
Alan Bennett wrote “The best moments in reading are when you come across something – a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things – which you had thought special and particular to you. Now here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out and taken yours.” Personally I think that in theatre – where the dead awaken and that hand is reaching out in front of you, before the moment is lost forever – that feeling will always be more poignant, more profound, and more personal. I’ve seen some great shows – and of course A Doll’s House is a technically great show – but moments like this, particular to you? For you, I hope there’s at least one. For me, it’s this.
Anywho, this is a long-winded and extremely pretentious way of saying that the greatest show produced in my lifetime is wonder.land A Doll’s House.
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Post by NeilVHughes on Oct 27, 2018 11:18:09 GMT
Eloquently said Nicholas“For all the crap, and the majority of mediocrities, just one show a year like this – maybe even one moment – and that makes it all worthwhile” For me this year it has to be Beckett’s How It Is (Part 1) at The Print Room, there is something about Beckett that resonates and in this everything is destructed, the removal of structure and even language now having ‘read’ the book, the imposition of context in the moments of our lives being a construct I find liberating, the false cause and effect we impose on the narrative of our lives ultimately become our gaelor. Look forward to more of your thoughtful posts as we continue our quest for these moments.
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