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Post by David J on Apr 9, 2016 22:42:28 GMT
What day of the week did you see her? Maybe that's when she's scheduled to perform
Don't get me wrong, Zizi's finest moments came in the quieter moments such as "When every job when it's complete", when she sang the lyrics softly.
On the other hand, when she has to pull off high notes alone in songs like "Practically Perfect" that vibrato is distracting and at times harsh to listen to. You can hear it on the Variety recording.
Out of interest Sue when you saw Mary Poppins in Bristol, did confetti cannons go off to announce Mary Poppins arrival at the end of Precision and Order (Reprise), showering the stalls with pink flower-like confetti like the projections? I too saw the show in Bristol and I definetly don't remember that. The sudden pops of the cannons felt so out of place.
By the way I had an odd occurrence tonight. When I went to the correct door to the stalls I offered my ticket to the usherette. Out of nowhere she asks "Do you know where you are?" before she even looked at the ticket
No lady, I am a bit lost. I was meant to be seeing "You can always hand them back" at the Skycity Theatre in Auckland, New Zealand. Could you point me in the right direction?
Maybe Birmingham Hippodrome employs philosophical ushers
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Post by David J on Apr 9, 2016 20:13:59 GMT
Seeing this again at Birmingham.
Anthony Lawrence is on as George Banks, and although his youth plays against him he does a Stirling job
We also have a white Mrs Corey with a Scottish accent. Don't know who the understudy is
As much as her acting is great Zizi's vocals are still bothering me. I kinda like to see what her understudy is like
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Post by David J on Apr 3, 2016 10:15:34 GMT
Okay this was slightly better in the second act when it focused on the misunderstandings.
But the resolution is so sexist.
Also, whilst the concept of the two couples is nice, I was confused for the first 10-15 minutes.
The problem was the set design. So the idea is that both couples houses are melded together. Yellow and ourple-grey.
Thing is, grey can get overwhelmed by yellow. The rich couples bright house took up more space than the grey walls and the other couple's orange chair and wooden play pen didn't help
Also, I was sitting at the back and to the left. It was a while before I realised that there was another grey wall with a window to the left of the stage. So all I could see was the rich couple's house with these two odd grey strips at the back. This show is best seen centre row and towards the front
Therefore, I was sitting there thinking "why are these people phoning themselves?", "why is this couple not reacting to the other couple?", "why are these people not in a mental institute?"
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Post by David J on Apr 2, 2016 21:20:55 GMT
This is absolutely great!
The cast performs enthusiastically
There's some beautiful use of limited props and lighting to establish setting and atmosphere in the tiny space
But most of all there's some fabulous and beautiful songs from Phil Wilmot and Mark Collins. 'Bring on the 1820', a pleasing 'Home', a mischievous 'Truth: A portrait of the princess' to start the second act, and 'Bad News' is quite salacious but leaves you flinching by the end.
Not sure about some of the music and dancing styles. I'm no expert but some of them looked like what I'd expect from a golden age of broadway musical. And this is meant to be Victorian times. Still they are fantastic to watch
But 'I am my own person' is stuck in my mind and Nikita Johal delivers this with passion.
I still think the musical could have conveyed some aspects of the characters rather than mentioning them. Show don't tell. I'd like to have seen more of Lady Worrall's grief for her dead daughter that leads her to adopt Caraboo. Same for Eddie Harvey being weighed down by his fathers behaviour. A song about that would have been nice
The story feels rushed occasionally, including the ending, and it isn't helped by the limited space.
Not quite as good as the Clockmakers daughter but I was beaming by the end. One of my favourite new musicals this year.
I highly recommend this
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Post by David J on Apr 2, 2016 19:45:33 GMT
I'm liking this
This is presented as a 'let us tell you a story' way. Phil Sealey (who apart from the deep voice reminds me of Brian Blessed) starts proceedings with a bang with Bring on the 1820
Like clockmakers daughter this does have an over the top villain but here it works
I'd like to see more of the characters conflicts rather than being told them
Otherwise it is a fun musical and nikita Johan is great as the mysterious princess
There's the usual enthusiastic whooping and loud laughs from friends of certain cast members
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Post by David J on Apr 2, 2016 15:25:06 GMT
Jesus!
I won't say I'm an Ayckbourn fan but he has definetly written better than this
Neanderthals can tell that Tamsin outhwaite and Jason merrels are in a bad marriage from the get go, and yes it turns into soap opera by the interval
The acting is all over the place, especially sea groves ultra mannered performance and Gillian Wright mugging all the time
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Post by David J on Apr 1, 2016 15:30:53 GMT
Thanks for the heads up people! Unusually in London on a Monday so nabbed myself some! I've nabbed one for the 2nd as well. Perhaps there should be a forum meet-up
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Post by David J on Mar 30, 2016 21:58:25 GMT
I liked it, and I wish I could like it more if I wasn't sat so far away
I have complained about this with Raineys bottom and Les Blancs because I got £15.00 Friday tickets up in the circle, when I could have got cheap tickets at the front if I booked early
That's my problem
What isn't my problem is that with these £100 seats, I am priced out of a reasonable seat at the Old Vic. I was sitting in row s, which was better than sitting right at the back of the stalls. But I could tell that this is a detailed and nuanced play that I struggled to engage with in such a huge place as the Old Vic
What about these day seats Jason mentioned. Is that true
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Post by David J on Mar 30, 2016 21:23:51 GMT
Now 2 hours 53 minutes
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Post by David J on Mar 30, 2016 20:39:56 GMT
Loved Daniel Mays lobotomisation monologue and the role/power swapping
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Post by David J on Mar 30, 2016 19:31:39 GMT
Well he seems to have learnt his lines so far, unless he's covering it up with so much growling and raspy breathing filling in the pauses
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Post by David J on Mar 30, 2016 18:27:40 GMT
Am liking the rain pattering down on a sloped tiled roof
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Post by David J on Mar 28, 2016 22:32:48 GMT
Tim McMullan has to be one of the most underrated actors to date. He doesn't have to put too much into his performance to win you over. It is both the gravity and lightness in his delivery and the subtle signs of expression and body language
And its great to have him perform alongside another favourite of mine, Pippa Nixon. I think Sandy Grierson from the David Farr production remains the best Ariel for me, but Pippa still portrays the relationship with Prospero beautifully.
This production only grew on me as it went on. Despite the magic this strangely felt understated. Unlike Domdroogle's previous productions it doesn't work hard to entertain the audience. The comedy from Stephano and Trinculo felt drier than the usual foolering around you get from those two. Dominic Rowan rather reminded me of John Cleese than Rowan Atkinson (his delivery of the lines sounded similar)
But as we neared the ending, Tim McMullan's performance was moving me to tears, and even the man across the aisle from me was sniffling
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Post by David J on Mar 26, 2016 17:41:02 GMT
I should really listen to common sense and know why plays like this have taken ages to finally premiere
It's not bad. Well acted with a nice set.
The play is just so average and predictablr. It's trying to be Casablanca, which I'm sure the elderly audience would have enjoyed, but the characters are predictable types
Most of the time I was the Petra maid who kept rolling her eyes at the blonde exclaiming her love for the guy
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Post by David J on Mar 26, 2016 16:27:11 GMT
This is okay so far
Things pick up in small moments when the realities of war seap through. Otherwise there are longeurs that don't advance the plot
You've got the usual characters. The roguish hero and the dumb blonde with a fake wig
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Post by David J on Mar 24, 2016 21:09:19 GMT
Don't worry Lynette the use of the revolve here isn't going to set the world alight
It's just turning this section of a house
And yeah, if anyone liked the few minutes of watching tituba walk round in circles chanting in Faber's Crucible, there's plenty of that here on the Olivier stage
Loving the distant thrumming of drums. Very ominous
Can't deny the superb acting and writing (seeing the tour of the Sheffield Theatres Raisin in the sun I'm not surprised) but I must try and avoid the circle. Like ma Rainey there's some intimate scenes that don't belong in a big space
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Post by David J on Mar 23, 2016 16:41:09 GMT
I'll be barding in Stratford though I am partial to interesting venues. On the 23rd? I'm there too from the 20th! Meet up during the day, Lynette?
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Post by David J on Mar 20, 2016 18:33:37 GMT
Finally seeing this play tomorrow. It's the Brian Friel version though I gather from the Old Vic reviews he did simplify the play a touch
Nice to see Damian Humbley is in this. Kirsty Bushell? Eh, I'll wait and see what she does in the role
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Post by David J on Mar 17, 2016 17:15:44 GMT
I'm a Shakespeare fan and I am sure there is an anti-war play somewhere in Henry V, but you have to wade through all the patriotism to find that
I find Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet are put on too many times for my liking. Sure they are great introductions to the bard, but I've only just seen the two again this year after Gregory Doran's 2008 MND and Ruper Gould's 2009-10(?) R&J.
As others have said productions can kindle an interest in plays that you've never seen the point in. I don't want to see any old production of MND or R&J that I could easily see my local school do. Doran's spectacular MND and Gould's hellish R&J are examples where adding an extra sparkle to these OVER-familiar plays goes a long way
To quote Gypsy "you've gotta have a gimmick"
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Post by David J on Mar 12, 2016 21:46:00 GMT
Well, I admit I had a whale of a time
Okay maybe after The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary and I am Thomas' attempts at 'comedy', I would have been glad something at least chuckle-worthy, and I was on the edge of tears at one point.
I cringed at the fact that Sean Foley was directing, but apart from the occasional milking of the physical comedy, it was a tight 1 hour and 30 minute show in comparison to A Mad World My Masters and I Can't Sing
The fight choreography could do with some serious improvements. I could clearly see Branagh and the black guy's fists swing by each other by miles
Kenneth Branagh is great as the straight man, and Rob Brydon does what he knows best as a comedic actor.
Oh and I tested out the seats at the back. Geez, its like looking at a far away stage through a letter box, and I could imagine what it would be like if someone tall sat infront of me.
I've got tickets for Romeo and The Entertainer back there but since I am 6 foot 1, I think I'll try getting lottery tickets or see the broadcasts out of consideration of the poor souls who have seats behind me.
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Post by David J on Mar 12, 2016 16:06:09 GMT
So this started 20 minutes late
I confer with most that this is a zany enjoyable musical with a cast that putting everything into it
The story just lacks focus
The sheep song I could tell was going to be pointless every time the farmer tries to interject with the bad news
Did Catherine Tate's manequinn song go anywhere?
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Post by David J on Mar 12, 2016 14:49:33 GMT
Well when I say about to start...
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Post by David J on Mar 12, 2016 14:42:35 GMT
Finally about to start
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Post by David J on Mar 12, 2016 14:26:14 GMT
Still in the lobby waiting to go in
Some unknown technical error apparently
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Post by David J on Mar 11, 2016 13:07:40 GMT
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Carrie for me
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