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Post by David J on Mar 11, 2016 13:04:48 GMT
I've gone ahead and booked a matinee ticket in Brighton on the 27th August
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Post by David J on Mar 11, 2016 10:35:48 GMT
looks like A isn't on sale and may be £20 Day seats?
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Post by David J on Mar 10, 2016 21:42:58 GMT
My god Told by an Idiot, if you want to connect Thomas Aikenhead to Charlie Hebdo, at least give the role to one cast member ONLY for us to connect to
AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!!
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Post by David J on Mar 10, 2016 20:57:28 GMT
Oh goodness me
Between this and Madame Bovary I'm seem to be finding productions who have their heads stuck up their own perceived cleverness
The house is barely full which is not helping
But it's hard not to notice the sketch like quality this show is going at.
The set is very static
The tv references are unfunny
It just stops and starts with long longeurs filling in this 2 hour play. It's clear the creatives are trying desperately to make something out of a historical event that might have been mentioned in a few records and nothing else. The songs aren't anything special
What the heck is up with the end of the first act where the cast seem to pretending to be birds, whilst singing something about a prehistoric heaven. Some of them are wearing a t shirt showing someone behind bars with the words 'problems' and 'no future'
An audience member summed it up very well. No dramatic impetus
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Post by David J on Mar 10, 2016 19:22:43 GMT
A brutal comedy about Thomas Aikenhead, the last man to be executed in Britain for blasphemy, in 1697 Edinburgh
Includes songs with lyrics written by Simon Armitage
Looking forward to this
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Post by David J on Mar 10, 2016 12:33:19 GMT
Okay I thought if we are going to start the overrated musical thread, I'll balance things out.
Wonderful Town - Seeing the 2012 tour I was amazed at how the musical could devote time such an array of interesting characters, and I enjoyed the song 'Ohio'. And it had the craziest moment I've ever seen, when everyone drops everything and ends the first act with a Conga through the auditorium. Only the ending let it down.
The Beautiful Game - Okay, not the best ALW scores of all time, but I thought it addressed how conflict affects innocent bystanders with sincerity, and the Union Theatre production was nicely intimate.
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Post by David J on Mar 10, 2016 12:17:25 GMT
Mamma Mia - Hated the film and whilst the stage version the musical is so paint by numbers artificial
The Lion King - as people have said on the broadway world boards The Circle of Life is outstanding but the rest is just boring. Julie Taymour may be a visual storyteller, but it's just the film copied and pasted onto the stage with African masks. Sure there's a few deviations and some African dancing, but who remembers the most? That or the Elton John and Tim Rice songs. The film is better in my opinion.
Wicked - come and learn how the witches of oz became friends, where we'll throw in some important issues like racism and there's more to people than looks. But first let's take you to the Halls of Clicheville, full of every character type from American high school/college films
There was once a time when I was bowled over by Wicked when I saw the original London cast. Used to listen to the music but now the cast recording doesn't even appear on my iPhone.
I do think the music is flawed though I can't put my finger on why. I thought I read somewhere that Schwartz relies on two chord themes (? - I'm not good at music terminologies). I certainly think the musical goes between loud and dark (elphabas theme) and light and ditzy (Glindas)
Anyone like to give a (REASONABLE) explanation why the music and lyrics are perfect/flawed. I'm genuinely intetested.
Miss Saigon - I don't think this is massively overrated (I don't think it condoles the sexist/racist attitudes, it was just the way things were). I love that it has a story that spans years and includes many characters like Les Mis. I just find that it starts strongly as a romance and then the 3 year jump is such a disconnect that I loose all emotional investment until the nightmare fills in what happened. Dramatic licence sure but I never found it the emotional roller coaster people see it as
Billy Elliot - Saw the broadcast and never got why it received all the praise. Having people get into large huge dresses and trance around in 'expressing yourself'. Seriously?
Cats - As others said, not much to it. Hard to even sympathise with the cats (or at least the elders) when they dislike Grizabella for vague reasons
Spamalot tour - not a scratch on the original
South Pacific - I'm not a r&h fan but all this is is a bunch of soldiers and natives hanging around on an island
Book of Mormon - Liked it. Don't need to see it again.
Phantom - AGAIN I don't think it is overtly overrated. I saw it last January for the third time, because if there's ever a reason to see it again it would be JOJ. But I am in no hurry to see it again (unless Earl Carpenter comes back).
Unlike Wicked I keep listening to some of the songs. Mainly the overture and moments with the phantom theme music, the title song, music of the night, stranger than you dreampt it, all I ask of you (reprise), wishing you were somehow here again, past the point of no return, down once more and the final lair.
See any connection between those songs I've listed? They mainly involve Christine and the Phantom (when he's not up in the rafters). Those are the only moments I find fascinating. The rest of the musical I just find boring. Like in a horror film the rest of the characters are types for the Phantom to ruin their day.
And just to round off, if I could give theatres a few million pounds to avoid doing these over-revived musicals they would be
Oliver Sound of Music Joseph
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Post by David J on Mar 7, 2016 10:44:59 GMT
Okay Regents Park, I don't really care for the play but you've now got my interest
If theres ever a female Henry I want to see it would be Michelle
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Post by David J on Mar 6, 2016 18:23:54 GMT
John Light is very good as Leontes. Like Kenneth Branagh he does divulge in sudden bursts of anger (he almost skewers baby Perdita's face with a sword at one point), and I would have I liked to seen more development in his growing jealousy. But unlike Branagh he doesn't overact it.
The first act belongs to the women. Rachel Stirling's performance as Hermione in the trial is so harrowing. And I have to admit that I liked Niamh Cusack as much as Judi Dench. Whilst Dench beautifully portrayed a Paulina who has seen many a year, Niamh Cusack works the emotion from the character at the important moments. After Rachel Stirling's big moment in the trial, Cusack only has to come on and wrack her grief at what has befallen.
It was only last summer that I saw James Garnon perform for the first time, and he's already become one of my favourite Shakespearean actors. First Jacques and Pericles, and here he steals the second act as Autolycus. Only occasionally does he play for laughs. It's all down to his comic delivery of the text and deadpan wit
The bear scene is just freaky as hell. The best I've seen since the David Farr production
{Spoiler - click to view} Like Malfi the lights are blown out till its only Antigonus with his lantern, from which we briefly see the dark looming figure behind him. Blink and you'll miss it, and I should imagine its better close up. Then you're just left in darkness for a minute hearing these howling sounds around you. Was it wind or something else?!?!?
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Post by David J on Mar 6, 2016 13:57:43 GMT
Seeing this in a few minutes
The perfect Mothers Day play!
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Post by David J on Mar 3, 2016 13:03:10 GMT
Yeah... The adapters of Madame Bovary, John Nicholson and Javier Marzan (who also stars in this), say that a faithful adaptation of the story will be too depressing. So wanted to created a light-hearted show, where comedy exposes tragedy and tragedy exposes comedy. At one point Emma Fielding breaks out of character and the fourth wall (they do this a lot in this show) to express her view that the show should include the 6 months of isolation and silence that Madame Bovary goes through at one point. To which Javier Marzan argues that that would make the show long and boring The irony is is that the comedy he has tried to inject into this does exactly that. This could have been a light-hearted 2 hour re-telling of the story. Instead the writers have tried to include one too many clever jokes, including some metadrama, that goes on for too long at 2 hours and 35 minutes. The show starts with these travelling ratcatchers which we spend 15 minutes with. During which the cast breaks the fourth wall (and brings the show to halt) to explain that this is pretty unnecessary since they don't appear in the book. They are simply a framing device for Madame Bovary, before she commits suicide at the end, to tell her story to one of them. There's also some metaphors that are so heavy handed. A seducing scene between Bovary and her lover Rodolphe, involves him pulling off magic tricks (get it, he's seducing her), and when they start devouring each other the two supporting actors appear at the back making monkey sounds (GET IT, they're reducing themselves to their primal desires) The show jars between tragedy and comedy. The moment Fielding argues about the 6 weeks silence is just after Madame Bovary, whom she plays with poignancy at times, discovers that her lover, Rodolpe, has left her. At which Emma Fielding, with personal anguish, goes out of character leaves the stage. This is scripted by the way At which point Javier Marzan fills in for her by dressing up as Madame Bovary and continues the show. Before Fielding returns and starts arguing (the third time this happned) with the rest of the cast about how Madame Bovary should be represented. During which supporting actor Jonathan Holmes appears in a dinosaur costume. In this moment the show had become The Madame Bovary That Goes Wrong. There are some good moments, such as one where an unhappy Madame Bovary attends a ball. This chandelier is lowered from above to the floor, shaped like a big dress, into which Bovary is entrapped. When she dances with a Viscount she can only stretch out at arms length whilst he dances around her. But this small moment is enough to give her euphoria. Honestly the more I think about this the most I dislike it. The ending could have been so poignant, and then they pull the rug out from beneath with one more desperate chance at comedy It looked like it had potential, and to be fair it tells the story well. But he result is a bloated show, with too many theatrical devices and ideas we've seen before thrown in, that only received smatterings of laughter.
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Post by David J on Mar 2, 2016 15:41:10 GMT
They're now taking membership bookings
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Post by David J on Mar 2, 2016 13:22:14 GMT
This is an emotional play in the second act.
The first half is a bit dry. The play establishes C.S. Lewis residing in Oxford, giving a lecture on whether God loves us. We watch his University chums espouse their intellect on subjects like the way men are intellectual and women are emotional. And then when Lewis meets Joy Gresham we watch them slowly relate with their interests in literature.
The play gets off to a slow start, and given how reserved Lewis is portrayed here its a while before you see a deep-seated longing for each other.
But when the play gets round to Gresham's cancer in the second act it does become a heart-breaking experience. Stephen Boxer gives an outstanding performance as we see him breaking down, questioning his beliefs, and opening his heart to Joy, played resolutely by Amanda Ryan. I also loved the reserved but brotherly relationship between CS Lewis and Tony Slattery as Major W.H. Lewis
The references to Narnia are beautifully magical.
As I say the first half is slow, but the second half is worth it
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Post by David J on Mar 2, 2016 13:00:46 GMT
Okay I've just been reminded that membership can no longer be used online (so why is the option to do so still available on the 'Discounts' part of the booking process?)
Also you can't use your membership over the phone until later this afternoon. About 3.30pm
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Post by David J on Mar 2, 2016 12:30:47 GMT
Hmm. I've just tried applying my membership to a ticket but the website won't change the price.
Will have to contact the playhouse. Should hopefully be a glitch
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Post by David J on Mar 1, 2016 13:08:29 GMT
This is Paul Hart's first production since taking over as artistic director at the Watermill Theatre, and judging on this and previously Jouney's End, I think the Watermill is in a safe pair of hands. He has worked with Propeller and he did direct The Tempest at the Watermill so he's not a stranger to Shakespeare
The place is fitted out in-the-round within a nightclub setting. You have the usual actors-musicians set up but the music isn't intrusive. Incidentally Johnny Flynn, currently in Hangmen, composed the music and I was tapping along occasionally during the pre-show.
Apart from a few inconsistencies (why send banished Romeo to Guantamino Bay?) Paul Hart has fitted the play nicely into this modern, downtown setting.
The cast consists mainly of young actors recently graduated from drama school and a lot of them do a sterling job. Lauryn Redding and Peter Mooney threatens to steal the show as the Nurse and Mercutio. Mercutio's Mab monologue for one turns into what felt like an acid trip.
The cuts to the text to fit in the music and some well directed choreography doesn't help some of the actors. Rebecca Lee does a good job as Friar Lawrence but her scenes feel rushed at times.
Sadly next to Stuart Wilde's youthful Romeo, Lucy Keirl looks more like his elder sister than Juliet. Also Wilde's enthusiastic delivery of the text makes Keirl's precise delivery sound like she's just reading the text
So the heart of the play isn't quite fulfilled. But ultimately Paul Hart shows great potential as artistic director.
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Post by David J on Feb 28, 2016 0:09:56 GMT
On top of the Birthday weekend I can't wait
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Post by David J on Feb 27, 2016 22:55:45 GMT
This is good, but as an engaging epic fable about society and who deserves their rights it falls short
On the plus side this is a fast moving production. In the small, in-the-round space the cast moves around creating images and scenes with what props are on stage. In a way it follows Brecht's isolation from naturalism technique by keeping the audience on their toes with the pacing and jolting transitions.
There's a good use of striking and flashing lighting. It's interesting to see the cast use all sorts of objects to establish settings, in particular the clear use of fans to briefly (and loudly) create a snow storm. The singing from the cast is enjoyable
Still the production runs at 2 hours, with no interval. And whilst it doesn't feel like a bitesized Caucasian Chalk Circle, in comparison to the Unicorn's 2 hour 40 minute production for youngsters this could do with a couple of breathers.
An interval to start with, but also take a pause from the breakneck speed so that the audience can really soak in what's going on and the play's issues.
Perhaps the best moment was the introductory farmers scene at the beginning, where I could really take in the scene. An official coming with a high-viz jacket and hard hat on top of his suit (isn't that a familiar image) to discuss developing the farmland, whether the locals like it or not.
Otherwise the pacing doesn't even give the lead actors time to flesh out their characters. Ashley Cordery does well to show the hardships she goes through, but not enough for me to share her love for the baby. Rob Peacock should have more time to grasp the comedy behind Azdak's character
A good effort but by the end I was less engaged and more mentally exhausted.
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Post by David J on Feb 27, 2016 19:12:32 GMT
This is a strange but entertaining production
At times it feels like The Midsummer That Goes Wrong with a smattering of One Man Two Guvnors. There are some moments that go on for ages like Quince coming on to introduce the play, with some ramblings about current issues that somehow can be related to this. He then says that Ian McKellan is starring as Bottom, and inevitably we find out that he's not appearing (he's stuck in a lift backstage). An audience member (played by Andrew Buckley) comes on to play Bottom, with no professional acting experience.
The comedy can be very slapstick at times, with the lovers turning their quarrel into a foodfight whilst Oberon and Puck watches on eating and drinking the groceries Bottom had bought.
There's also a very subversive undertone to this production. I know Midsummer is a fairy tale play, but the whole using the flower to make people love others they don't love in the first place doesn't sit well with me.
This production grasps this issue by the nettle. Rather than being the dominant king fairy, Jonathan Broadbent presents Oberon like a tyrannical child, dressed up as what he perceives to be Superman that Cat Simmons as the majestic Titania can only cringe at. He goes about his scheme at times sadistically. The love potion now comes in a squeezable sauce bottle, and when Puck comes on and puts the sleeping (or knocked out I think) Titania in this large sink at the back he squirts the potion vigorously all over her.
The moment when he makes Demetrius love Helena too is (literally) shocking
Also, Puck (now this big bearded giant in maintenance man uniform played by Ferdy Roberts) squirts the love potion over Lysander very suggestively. John Lightbody as Lysander, who a moment ago was willing to try and creep in with Hermia into her tent, becomes a sexual predator.
And by the end when Oberon lifts Titania from her love potion state, she is so guilt ridden by her Donkey fetish that she resigns herself to Oberon's will.
I was very engaged by this production on that level. I just cant quite say the same for the rest of the production.
Its trying to be metaphysical. This is not just a play-within-a-play. It is the drama between the actors-within-the Mechanicals and their play storyline-within-A Midsummer Night's Dream. Sure they bring the pacing to halt twice at the start to establish that but its there
They just don't follow it through.
Initially you wonder whether Andrew Buckley is Bottom in real life, as he takes over the production at times making small additions. He doesn't have asses ears here. What happens is Puck touches his head, the mechanicals take one look at him and rush off, or in other words take a few steps to the musical instruments they play at the back. And they then make sounds like the Monty Python coconut clops as Bottom walks. So when Bottom says "I see their knavery: this is to make an ass of me", I thought it was a nice inside joke.
By the half way point though this audience member playing Bottom acts like a professional actor who has miraculously learnt his lines within a short period of time
Other than that this feels like two productions in one. The mechanical scenes, along with the offbeat and slapstick moments is Shakespeare meets The Play That Goes Wrong. The rest of the time this is a subversive Midsummer Nights Dream.
By the end Pyramus and Thisbe is rushed along and is not the humorous play-within-a-play it usually is. Then again after the foodfight it did have tough competition.
I suppose you could say that this production was trying to present itself as amateurish and hap-hazard as the mechanicals play. But in the end it is an non traditional, professional Filter production of Midsummer Night's Dream, that's trying to be metaphysical, slapstick and subversive at the same time.
For about 2/3rds of the play I enjoyed it
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Post by David J on Feb 24, 2016 12:40:53 GMT
Hmm. I'd see Forbes Masson is he was Mephistopheles, giving his Jacques-esque performance
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Post by David J on Feb 22, 2016 23:45:51 GMT
He certainly has a thing about bending forward and brushing aside his jacket to put his hands on his hips like he means business every minute
Perhaps the bending is him preparing for Richard III or something
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Post by David J on Feb 21, 2016 11:28:36 GMT
I had a good time
Okay the play doesn't really know where to take the dark undertone. The family is horrible in that 1950s suburban America way and that's that
Fanella woolgar however becomes a cold hearted seducer in the second half
The family is interesting to follow and see their attitudes to the soldiers condition
A good fun night out that I hope will improve
Well recommended
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Post by David J on Feb 20, 2016 21:08:41 GMT
Well I've got to say I'm enjoying this
Not the funniest. There were definetly laughs here and there that increased as the play went along. Maybe it's just because this is a preview, and a more receptive audience might help
A play about this 1950s American family who lost their son Jack Fox in ww2. After 14 years this soldier who was found a prisoner in east Germany, and was being kept in a mental hospital, is brought them. Merely because the soldier and family seem to be "well bred". The problem is he has lost his memory
Katherine Kinglsey owns the stage for the first 30 minutes. Overshadowing everybody as socialite lady who brings this so called Jack Fox to the family.
The chap playing the so called Jack fills in for Kingsley after she leaves. Trying to find out whether he is Jack
By the interval however things get dark as we discover how terrible this Jack and his family are
I'm looking at a set full of stuffed dead animals right now
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Post by David J on Feb 20, 2016 19:25:28 GMT
Okay I am glad Icke didn't fill the extra time in with nothing but long silences
And I am glad to say I enjoyed this as well.
This show belongs to Jessica Brown Findlay and Vanessa Kirby. Both excellent performances, especially the moment when they put aside their differences and become friends. A very personal moment that they portrayed beautifully and naturalistically
This is the first updated/modernised Chekhov that worked for me. The performances are still naturalistic, and even though the rotating set feels like the show is punching ideas from Streetcar, it was nice to see to see the action from different angles. It was certainly clear that the scenes were choreographed to suit this. I liked the moment when the professor told everyone his intentions to sell the house that is rightfully his daughters. Him standing at the back, whilst Onya remains detached outside the room at the front end
I'll say more later
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Post by David J on Feb 20, 2016 15:15:55 GMT
Seriously Icke, seriously
You're extending the play with silence
Not that I'm complaining too much
But seriously
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