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Post by jgblunners on Mar 13, 2024 16:26:29 GMT
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Post by jgblunners on Sept 21, 2023 20:31:50 GMT
Has anyone who has been so far bought a programme by any chance and could please post the cover list? Jesus - Charlie McCullagh (Alternate) / Timothy Roberts Judas - Luke Street (Alternate) / Matt Bateman Mary - Louise Francis / Cassandra Lee Pilate - Charlie McCullagh / Timothy Roberts Caiaphas - Francis Foreman / Daniel Bowskill Annas - Darius J James / Stephen Lewis-Johnston Herod - Timo Tatzber (alternate) / Jordan Michael Todd / Stephen Lewis-Johnston
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Post by jgblunners on Sept 17, 2023 11:24:14 GMT
Lovely article. What a fabulous lady she is.I think perhaps my favourite British musical performer ever. I bet she can still belt out a number with the best of them. Totally agree - the few notes she sang at the start of Broadway Baby at the “one-off” concert of this were the most thrilling moments of the evening.
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Post by jgblunners on Sept 14, 2023 22:02:59 GMT
Is the set from this much reduced from the Barbican? I’d kind of expected it to be the same. Fairly sure the “scaffolding” that made up most of the set was 2 “L” shapes covering sides and back of stage with a gap in the middle for fake trees/foliage and the cross. From the Manchester pics I’ve seen it looks like it’s just in a line at back of stage rather than L shaped?! You’re right that the two structures are just rectangular rather than L-shaped. They fill the width of the stage though, with only a small gap between. Compared to the Barbican/Open Air - yes, it’s reduced. However there’s no way those sets would have fitted into many touring venues. I think what they’ve got is a good balance between preserving the look of the set and making it adaptable to stages of various sizes.
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Post by jgblunners on Sept 12, 2023 20:56:09 GMT
I'd seen it at The Barbican and then OAT when it returned post-covid. One thing that struck me last night was the final few seconds (sorry not sure how to post spoiler via my mobile) which wasn't how I remembered it at The Barbican. Do you remember if it is the same or has this moment been added? I *think* this production does the same as at the Barbican, but I’m not sure. It’s definitely not a completely new moment, but I can’t remember exactly how it’s been done before - ceebee seems to remember better than I do.
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Post by jgblunners on Sept 11, 2023 22:17:35 GMT
I was also at the first performance this evening. For context, between Regent’s Park and the Barbican I’ve seen this production 4 times, and I think it is superlative. The work that Tim Sheader, Drew McOnie, Tom Scutt, and Tom Deering have done on this production is phenomenal and I can’t imagine a better version of the show. So perhaps it’s unsurprising that I thought this evening’s performance was fantastic 😂
I agree with other posters that there were a few minor hiccups tonight, which are probably down to it being the first performance and will hopefully be ironed out as the show beds in. Otherwise, I thought that this was an excellent re-working of the production. The design keeps the essence of the Regent’s Park/Barbican set while adapting it for touring venues, the direction and choreography have been recreated faithfully, and mixing issues aside it sounds great.
What’s more, the cast is largely excellent. Ian Mcintosh is sensational in the title role - on a par with Declan Bennett and Rob Tripolino before him. His voice suits the score well and he knows how to use it, picking his moments to really let rip with the rock belt for maximum effect. Likewise, Hannah Richardson brings a personal vocal touch to Mary, as has been the case with the previous actresses who have taken on the role in this production. The supporting cast are all strong, although less distinctive than their predecessors. Perhaps that will come with time.
Shem Omari James clearly has the voice for Judas, but tonight I felt that his performance was not very assured, and I struggled to get much emotion from him. Perhaps that’s just first night nerves and his performance will deepen once the tour has settled in, but I felt that among the leading cast he was the weakest link. Julian Clary plays Julian Clary, as expected, and while he need only walk on stage to get a laugh from the audience, his droll style doesn’t quite fit here. I can’t help but wonder whether the actor who is playing the role in Mr Clary’s absence will play it along the same lines, or if he’ll revert to the more crazed and flamboyant version of the character as embodied by e.g. Peter Caulfield and Sam Buttery. I think the latter is probably more effective.
Anyway, I would thoroughly recommend seeing this tour if it’s coming near you. If I wasn’t so busy over the next two weeks I would return multiple times. Based on his performance as Simon this evening, I think the alternate Judas might be one to watch, so if anyone sees him in the role please do post your thoughts!
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Post by jgblunners on Sept 10, 2023 22:50:14 GMT
the olivier next spring is already a bit busy no? My assumption is that it would go in between Nye and Coriolanus, but I have nothing more concrete to go on.
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Post by jgblunners on Sept 10, 2023 22:38:43 GMT
Well, as a contrast to the previous post, I’ve heard that it is happening 😂
Apparently things were uncertain for a while because they were in discussion with the rights holders regarding whether they would be allowed to use new choreography instead of the Jerome Robbins, but that has now been resolved (I don’t know which way it went).
Olivier in Spring next year is what I’ve heard.
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Post by jgblunners on Sept 10, 2023 22:34:52 GMT
A friend convinced me to see yesterday’s matinee, and I’m so glad I did! I knew very little going in, but was highly impressed by the show. It’s a kind of bold and unapologetic writing that we don’t see very often. A very brave choice to put it in the Barbican for 12 weeks!
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Post by jgblunners on Sept 10, 2023 22:29:16 GMT
Saw this last night and I largely agree with the praise it’s received. A fantastic production with a sublime cast - and band too! The sound design and musical direction are really excellent, it’s the best sounding musical I’ve heard in a while.
As I say, I think the whole cast are excellent, but Jack Wolfe and Eleanor Worthington-Cox are both particularly impressive. Strangely, for me it’s the material that fares least well in this production. Perhaps it’s because there’s been so much anticipation, or because it’s a ‘modern’ musical which is now 15 years old and starting to date, or maybe just that the direction and performances are so good that they overshadow the writing.
Either way, it’s still immensely enjoyable and moving.
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 13, 2023 9:20:01 GMT
I saw this last night, having been totally blown away by the original Old Vic production, and once again found myself in awe. Almost nothing is lost to the (only slightly) scaled back staging, and the production retains all of its humour, heart, and emotional impact. This time round, I was even more impressed by how effortlessly and charismatically Andy Karl holds our attention through almost every scene of this show. Tanisha Spring was a revelation as Rita, and both she and Eve Norris impressed with stunning vocals.
I wish I still lived in London so I could go back again before it closes. Fingers crossed for that tour…
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Post by jgblunners on Aug 13, 2023 9:07:48 GMT
I haven’t posted on here in a long time, but I saw this at yesterdays matinee and was quite disappointed, so I thought I’d pop back to TheatreBoard to share some thoughts.
Firstly, given Sheader’s work over recent years, I was surprised at how traditional this production was. I can’t help but feel that he does better work when he’s bringing something more distinctive to a show.
Secondly, the cast were… just fine? No bad performances, in fact I rather liked the actor playing Georges, but I was left feeling that it was all rather run-of-the-mill. Albin had no depth and I personally felt that his comic chops were not strong (but the rest of the audience was laughing at him so what do I know?), Jean-Michel was clearly an excellent dancer and singer but his acting was less believable, and Edward Dindon was neither detestable enough nor funny enough.
On the other hand, I think this is the best choreo I’ve ever seen from Stephen Mear. I’m not normally a massive fan of his work, but I thought the dances here were fantastic, and the cagelles were the best part of the show for me.
Debbie Kurup is wasted in a thankless role with awful mixing on her vocals. Justice for Debbie!
3 stars because I didn’t think it was actually a bad production, but I was disappointed.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 27, 2023 9:39:14 GMT
Branagh’s latest Poirot film looks like it’s going to be more Horror than Murder Mystery. A strange choice, but perhaps a brilliant one? I must admit I’m quite excited by the trailer…
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 27, 2023 8:33:37 GMT
Another official clip from the show to help compare the 2 productions
What a bizarre clip to use! I love Carolee but I don’t think this is a good scene to film for promo.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 27, 2023 8:27:45 GMT
Anyway, it’s good to have Simon Stone back doing Shakespeare with Ralph Fiennes!! Plus Indira Varma’s always great to watch. Since it’s going to stop by at London next year, I sense from the poster’s vibes that this will be at the Pinter. It’s directed by Simon Godwin not Simon Stone, which personally I find more exciting! And it won’t be at the Pinter, it’s being performed in warehouse spaces in each city, with site-specific staging.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 26, 2023 10:23:07 GMT
Seems like a good season to me, but perhaps a bit light on new productions? I guess the kicking off of the Ring Cycle will be taking up lots of resources. Plenty of crowd-pleaser revivals which is understandable financially, and not a bad thing by any means! Ballet-wise, I’ll definitely be catching The Dream and Don Quixote, and will probably see if I can get to a Nuñez performance of Swan Lake too.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 26, 2023 10:17:21 GMT
My friend and I are excited by the £25 seats in the stalls. Having sat here before I feel they offer fairly good value! Question for those in the know and have seen this before. Was it played with a big orchestra in Chichester? To my knowledge (I could be way off) but the Gillian Lynne doesn’t seem to have much ‘space’ for this. The ‘band’ for School of Rock and Cinderella were up in the little boxes beside the stage. I imagine the orchestra for Cats back in the day was a bit bigger. Where will they go? Is it likely to be reduced? Is there room below the stage and the crazy revolve!? Hoping it will sound great! I can’t remember exactly how big the orchestra was in Chichester but it certainly sounded fairly full, I wasn’t disappointed by the sound. At CFT they usually build a platform above the stage for the orchestra, and I believe that’s what they did for Crazy For You. Whether they can do the same thing at the Gillian Lynne I don’t know.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 24, 2023 20:23:04 GMT
Yep, and there will be supernumeraries as well. It’s a big production!
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 19, 2023 12:07:29 GMT
Yeah I'd argue it's one a year too still - ASL they are co producing not at their venue and none of their team are directing. Surprised this is in the Olivier and not the Lyttleton but I guess it's the biggest house and probably their most commercial show. At least it's a solid creative team - I'm not a Lyndsey Turner fan but having Stephen Meat and Nigel Lilley gives me hope! Would it be foolish to hope that the drum revolve could finally reappear for this? Or is it now completely out of action? Any experts around?
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 19, 2023 10:30:50 GMT
I can't tell from the marketing whether this is only for kids. Will there be anything in it for adults? The Deadline article suggests that they won't be playing down the darker parts of the story and that it's not going to be suitable for kids under 8. So yes it will probably satisfy adults as well as older kids.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 19, 2023 10:11:52 GMT
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 19, 2023 10:10:59 GMT
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 19, 2023 10:10:30 GMT
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 19, 2023 9:43:07 GMT
This tweet seems to confirm it will indeed be the 26th!
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 19, 2023 9:23:56 GMT
I've wanted to see this play for a while now, so very pleased with this programming. Essiedu and Russell are both fab.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 19, 2023 9:20:17 GMT
Well this just isn't fair - these three are fabulous casting which make me want to see the show in spite of Manford and Banjo.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 19, 2023 9:15:58 GMT
Plus The Witches itself runs from November 7th in the Olivier.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 19, 2023 9:10:07 GMT
Oh that's fabulous casting!
From the article: The cast also includes Daniel Rigby, Julie Armstrong, Chrissie Bhima, Zoe Burkett, Daniele Coombe, Molly-May Gardiner, Tiffany Graves, Tania Mathurin, Jacob Maynard, Laura Medforth and Ben Redfern.
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 17, 2023 11:38:46 GMT
Opens this week, part of the 'A Queer Interrogation' season at the King's Head. Sounds like a topic that's got plenty of potential. Unfortunately I can't see it so would love to hear thoughts from anyone who does. I would reccommend checking the content warnings because they sound a lot heavier than the play's summary!
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Post by jgblunners on Apr 15, 2023 18:26:30 GMT
Interesting, I wasn’t aware that they were explicitly the same location!
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