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Post by lynette on Jun 16, 2022 22:12:46 GMT
Hytner’s Othello was one of the best Shakespeare prods I’ve seen anywhere and it was certainly in the top five of my NT experiences. What will the new take be? Set in the Ukraine? Or trad?
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Post by lynette on Jun 16, 2022 19:45:54 GMT
This sounds interesting. At Charing Cross theatre from 23/6. Just booked. Terrorists, toilets and The Queen. I’ll wait for the revival when it wins the Olivier… |
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Post by lynette on Jun 16, 2022 19:43:03 GMT
They’re doing Othello next, I hear. Would prefer a less common Shakespeare personally I know it's not less common but I'd love to see The Taming of the Shrew done at the National. But we would have to go through all that agonising about the position of women again. Too painful. And then the gender swaps such as the RSC had in its last manifestation. It was, frankly, painful. It is very much the second division as far as our Willie goes and you need a seminar before each performance to explain it. If they could somehow redress the balance and show up even more the greedy men being outdone by the canny gals it might work. |
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Post by lynette on Jun 16, 2022 12:02:53 GMT
Well we can start with the ‘most popular and familiar of European classics’ can’t we. Statement not question. Written for proscenium stages. Will draw in homegrown and tourists who will stand a chance of understanding the stuff if it is familiar. Generously I would be happy with some ‘new interpretations’ of such or at least cracking interpretations as we had in the West End with Ibsen and Chekhov. If you remember, Jan, the studio theatre was always for the experimental, walk abouts, new and so on until the directors became nervous and wanted to have a ‘hit’ ie full theatre for their classic productions.
I agree, Jan, why can’t we have a full programme of all three theatres so we can plan visits, book ahead and tempt the visitors in. A nice chunky leaflet and online easy to see website. Too much to ask?
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Post by lynette on Jun 16, 2022 11:54:17 GMT
There has been a raid. Illegal imports, fakes etc found. Money laundering a possibility. The thing is these places on Oxford St don't pay the business rate through some chicanery of the ownership deals. They are utterly pernicious and parasitical. They ruin what was a destination shopping street in London. ( it once was magnificent, trust me, theatrefan) Shady goings on doesn’t even come near..
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Post by lynette on Jun 14, 2022 15:24:13 GMT
I don’t think the situation the NT is in as as terminal as certain other theatres (eg RSC). Clearly, the “golden” era (and it probably was that in overall terms) of Hytner is over, and his preferred actors and writers have moved with him to the Bridge. Norris hasn’t built the same base of directors, having earlier acted more as a host for one/two offs (Van Hove, Icke), Marianne Elliott and regional productions. Having said that: - the £20 front row seats remain a bargain even having risen from £10/12.50; - the top prices are too high but some of that can be explained by subsidising the lower priced seats. The loss of Travelex has been felt here particularly. - credit notes with no questions asked have been good, and often they don’t charge the £2 fee, even when I choose to return tickets. - I’ve personally found the box office friendly, efficient and helpful. - for every 2 duds which we can name there is probably a hit - it’s a while since Angels of America, but the Shakespeares directed by Simon Godwin, The Lehman Trilogy, A Normal Heart/ Follies directed by Dominic Cooke, Beginning and Small Island (a rare hit by Norris) have been IMO good, or at least popular. - whilst NT at Home wasn’t that innovative, they got on with Romeo and Juliet on screen, and adapting the Olivier in the round, which is more than some in terms of working through Covid. For me 7/10 for effort, and 6/10 for achievement! Hex and the Norris debacle there would bring it down more, but I’m trying to look at my whole experience. I agree that it's not as bad as it could be, though I think COVID has clouded quite how bad it is. I read somewhere that Hytner programmed Angels in America and I know RuNo has a bad reputation among other directors. Your description above is pretty bang on, two duds to each medium size hit and bang on where it comes to the ticket prices and the relationships with the directors. For certain, better directors would have meant more hits and bigger hits and more chance of a long runner. A History Boys or One Man Two Guvs or War Horse or Curious Incident would have meant money for the RNT, and some spare money would have allowed the top prices to come down. Surely the lack of hits is one of the reasons Travelex walked away. Good analysis. Note the hits channel immigrant experience, one major big big hit and Shakespeare. Not enough NT, nowhere near enough. I for one, think that they could use the distinctions between the theatres better. New writers, experimental stuff in the Dorfman, classic European and British in the Lyttleton and time honoured big box office proof, even a poor director can’t ruin it productions for the Olivier which is, let’s face it, is not suitable for most straight plays written in the last 100 years. It was a folly meant to enable big beasts to roar across an amphitheatre. The only stuff that plays well in that space is Guys and Dolls and hey, guess who took that for ‘23? And similar. Make a list, deliver to Rufie. Asap. |
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Post by lynette on Jun 13, 2022 18:28:20 GMT
It is good, but again? It is a good vehicle for three blokes….
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Post by lynette on Jun 11, 2022 11:02:52 GMT
Booked. Possibly the entire theatre allowance for ‘23 now spent. Not to mention the teeeeeny little dots you have to tap for the seats. 😳
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Post by lynette on Jun 10, 2022 22:01:15 GMT
In the previous 'immersive' productions at the Bridge all of the performance has occured on raised platforms within the standing area, so it's fairly easy to focus. It's not like the actors are getting lost in the middle of the crowds. Thanks. I guess I'll wait for the casting & see if there are enough people in the cast that I want to see to overcome my wariness about the production style. Dawnstar, it worked a treat for previous shows. I would go for this one. Has pedigree as it were… |
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Post by lynette on Jun 10, 2022 21:58:10 GMT
Nice. Layered. Relevant without shoving it down your throat. Very well acted. Sat adjacent to David Hare who chuckled appreciatively when appropriate.
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Post by lynette on Jun 8, 2022 15:35:50 GMT
I used to think that PR would allow for odd people with unacceptable views to have a place in parliament. You see where I am going with this? Yes, I see odd people with unacceptable views in the two main parties. I used to think that the constant need to make alliances would mean that nothing ever got done. Yep, you can see where I’m at. So….I might actually like to see PR.
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Post by lynette on Jun 7, 2022 11:56:19 GMT
Anyone else watching Borgen on Netflix? Some v classy tv acting.
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Post by lynette on Jun 4, 2022 22:43:53 GMT
Greg Dorian? Anything? I wonder if he has refused or if he already has. Please enlighten me. Doesn't deserve anything. No departing AD of the RSC has ever been knighted, you have to be AD of the NT to be offered that (Peter Hall and Trevor Nunn got it during their NT tenure). Just spotted spelling error which you are too polite to mention. Was I channelling Dorian Gray…anyway, I hadn’t realised RSC Artistic didn't get honours but the Exec Director has. what goeth on? |
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Post by lynette on Jun 2, 2022 18:06:29 GMT
Greg Dorian? Anything? I wonder if he has refused or if he already has. Please enlighten me.
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Post by lynette on Jun 1, 2022 22:52:04 GMT
Alison Steadman gives such a great performance in this. It's a play that makes you cringe with embarrassment watching her. Great acting. And wonderful that she is still acting them off the screen in Here We Go as the grandma. What a star. |
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Post by lynette on May 30, 2022 18:35:17 GMT
I’ll book when it comes. Sounds a good un
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Post by lynette on May 30, 2022 18:34:10 GMT
Shame. The Globe is an ideal venue for this play with the opportunity for procession and the glorious last scenario, soooo NOW! Could also be nicely portable show to take to different venues in and outside etc etc. O well.
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Post by lynette on May 30, 2022 18:30:10 GMT
I saw a comment somewhere that is it annoying to see programmes which the BBC made now only available on a subscription platform, like prime. It is.
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Post by lynette on May 20, 2022 21:18:24 GMT
Perfect programming for a small theatre. Really a two handler with three supporting cast, very, very well written, the tone reminiscent of Copenhagen and also Stoppard’s better riffs. It is about a meeting that actually did take place between a representative of the World Jewish Congress, at the time based in Sweden, and Himmler, right at the end of the war in an attempt to release concentration camp prisoners before any more perished in the unfolding chaos and take them to Sweden. The meeting is orchestrated by Himmler’s personal masseuse. Intriguing and a classy production.
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Post by lynette on May 14, 2022 17:56:42 GMT
It was not as bad as I feared. Alfred Doolittle the weakest link. He didn’t convey the confidence and indeed the rhythmic speech the part required. Poor direction? But all the rest were good. Even Vanessa Redgrave was fine tho I suspect cast as a name for our American cousins.
But what a score eh?
They messed up the ending I think. Why muck about with a classic? If you’re gonna do a show about how how the way you speak affects your life chances in our current climate you might as well do the same ending as the movie. It isn’t Shaw’s intention (?) but as a musical theatre piece let’s do what works.
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Post by lynette on May 13, 2022 22:10:24 GMT
Nah, surely not that long. I was in a uni prod and it ended before the pubs closed.
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Post by lynette on May 11, 2022 19:08:28 GMT
All My Sons is one of my favourite plays and I also really enjoyed Death of a Salesman and The Price. Glad I'll be able to add another from the repertoire to my list (and then just need to hope there is another View from the Bridge revival upcoming too!) This is the one, Mark. And it never ages, always bang on the money whatever the current political situation. Yet, not at all political. 😁 |
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Post by lynette on May 11, 2022 19:00:35 GMT
We can debate the whys and wherefore til we all go blue in the face but come on, people, £400 for an ordinary play theatre ticket is bonkers. Full stop.
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Post by lynette on Apr 30, 2022 14:20:08 GMT
Looking at the boxes to tick you might start thinking that being a well educated, well fed as a child person isn’t really what they are looking for. 😀 ooops… |
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Post by lynette on Apr 30, 2022 14:08:59 GMT
I got the feeling they wanted more straight men on the programme this year, so he was probably competing against a smaller pool of candidates than some of the other categories of contestants. (And of course they categorise the kind of contestants they want on - they’d never manage to get a diverse mix of age, sex, race, physical disability, sexuality and personality otherwise.) I think you're right. Perhaps I should take lessons from my wife (who is a terrific seamstress) and have a go next year. My OH is a brilliant sewer - says he approaches it like woodwork. He would certainly not pass the diversity test 😂 as I imagine it is these days.. |
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