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Post by jadnoop on Apr 9, 2018 11:00:57 GMT
The additional talks are now up (e.g. Sam Mendes & Ben Power discussing Lehman Trilogy on Sep 13th www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/tickets/12007 ), so presumably the remaining of the performances can't be too far away. For those in the know, does the fact that a transfer of Network to Broadway the West End wasn't announced to capitalise off Bryan Cranston's win make it less likely to happen?
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Post by jadnoop on Apr 9, 2018 10:34:34 GMT
Really glad to see that the wonderful Flight Pattern is being revived next year (http://www.roh.org.uk/mixed-programmes/within-the-golden-hour-new-sidi-larbi-cherkaoui-flight-pattern).
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Post by jadnoop on Apr 9, 2018 10:07:33 GMT
I wonder how comments like Letts' will be viewed in the future.
We're living through a period in which we finally move slowly away from some of the biases that exist within the arts. It seems odd that all the phrases that pop up ('SJW', 'PC gone mad', 'diversity for the sake of it', etc.) assume that shifting towards better representation is a bad thing. But the underlying implication (that white or male performers on stage or screen should remain the default) only really 'makes sense' from within the context of how things have been.
I presume that when they first started allowing women on stage, there were similar discussions about whether this was political correctness gone mad, or whether one role or another was given to a woman simply to fill some quota (despite the fact that Dave was great in the role last year). It might have once been considered necessary to mention in reviews that Juliet was being performed by a woman, but the status quo has shifted so fundamentally that you get dramas about how weird it was to not have had female actors back then.
Assuming that things continue to shift towards greater access, within a few decades people will wonder why these discussions were even necessary.
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 26, 2018 10:42:37 GMT
The film adaptation was part of Matthew McConaughey's transition over the last decade, from being largely a rom-com star to taking more serious & gritty (and award winning) film lead roles. I wonder if it'll be part of a similar trend for Bloom, as he moves on from the Tolkien/ Pirates films.
I hope he does well, but from the film it doesn't seem like a natural fit. And if his fans are mainly teens, I wonder how they will find Killer Joe's bleak & grim tone.
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 22, 2018 11:55:15 GMT
I just checked with the box office. Basically, half the front row £10 seats belong to the RSC, the other half to the Barbican. The RSC's side are currently on sale to RSC members, and any remaining ones will be sold to the public (from the RSC's website only) from tomorrow. The Barbican's half have been kept for day tickets. I've not previously had issues getting a front row £10 seat for the RSC at the Barbican on public booking day. I suspect Macbeth may prove a little trickier but I'm still going to try anyway. I'd guess they're like the NT - some are sold to members, and some are kept for public. Wouldn't want to say if day seats are in the front row or not, but at least the Barbican has a long enough front row that it's entirely possible. Front row stalls seems to not be on sale so perhaps holding these back as day seats? I've booked side of row AA in circle which is £10 and says "partially restricted". Will swap for a better option if one turns up! Sorry for replying to multiple people, but I just wanted to make sure everyone sees. I just checked again on the Barbican website, and the front row £10 is on sale now.I don't know if this is a change of plans since I spoke with the box office about an hour ago, or was always intended.
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 22, 2018 8:07:55 GMT
There seems to be a growing impression that Norris is out of his depth when it comes to running the National. I suspect the reaction to his Macbeth is seen as something that might hasten the point at which he leaves. I think it is driven by a desire to have the National as a beacon of excellence and that Norris (with a few notable exceptions) is not consistently delivering this - particularly in the light of some high profile critical flops. I can understand thinking that Norris isn't doing well, or that he isn't good at his job. But that doesn't really explain the undercurrent of schadenfreude. After all, if people simply wanted the quality at the NT to improve (rather than having some weird problem with him as an individual), then why would it be preferable for the critical flops to continue (presumably leading to his eventual ousting), rather than for him to turn things around?
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 22, 2018 0:42:39 GMT
Completely agree. The board can be more harsh towards Rufus Norris than other creators, which is fine, but there's more than a smidge of glee in some of the discussions about NT Macbeth's poor reviews. I wonder if some of the commenters have issues with Norris as a person, rather than his work. What you need to ask Is Why do so many theatre professionals And critics Have an issue with him His own peers I'm honestly not sure that I understand what you're hinting at. My feeling is that (other than in a few extreme cases), art should be judged on its own merits, rather than on the personality of the creators. Especially in such a collaborative artform like the theatre. I understand that some feel that he's not good at running the National, or that he's a poor director, but I don't really get why that would mean that anyone should be happy when his plays do poorly. If you're suggesting that he deserves to be treated differently due to his behaviour (rather than due to the quality of his work) then I'm not aware of anything.
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 21, 2018 22:47:40 GMT
“Though some elements of Findlay’s production feel derivative – the digital countdown has by now become something of a tired device – and its creepiness never translates to something genuinely unsettling, it’s still vastly more entertaining than the National Theatre’s recent dodgy dystopian staging” I am sure every review is going to reference And mock The NT version The above is from The Stage Come on now. This is getting a bit ugly - and excessive. I'm sure regular readers will all recognise you are a big Rufus Norris detractor, so going on and on about does you few favours. Completely agree. The board can be more harsh towards Rufus Norris than other creators, which is fine, but there's more than a smidge of glee in some of the discussions about NT Macbeth's poor reviews. I wonder if some of the commenters have issues with Norris as a person, rather than his work.
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 19, 2018 10:28:23 GMT
Did someone dayseat this on a Saturday? What time should I be at the theatre? I suppose it will vary massively from day to day (e.g. presumably the weather will have detered some day ticketers this weekend). However, Theatre Monkey has a page for dayseats that's worth checking out, and seems to be updated fairly regularly: www.theatremonkey.com/dayseatfinder.htm (it's listed by theatre, so Ferryman is about halfway down).
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 16, 2018 15:51:54 GMT
That rains why there was nothing if you were further back in the queue. So all other front cheap seats went on sale for members? I have a feeling that some of the front rows seats are also kept back for Friday Rush. IIRC I picked up tickets for The Red Barn and The Flick in the front few rows in Friday Rush.
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 15, 2018 12:19:22 GMT
So much has already been written about this play, so I won't retread too much old ground. What I will say, however, is the 'Foodwork' concept is the most egregious example of avarice I have experienced at the theatre. I can think of no reasonable justification for the decision to place irritating selfie-taking, self-absorbed bourgeoisie on the stage for the entirety of the play. It is a money grab, and one that completely spoiled a promising production. Don't think they could do much about them being the bourgeoisie as that group constitute the NTs entire audience. Not true! At every performance of Network, there were a few seconds taking place outside where any passing commoners might glimpse a little of the performance.
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 13, 2018 9:32:20 GMT
I'm really intrigued by this also, so looking forward to hearing back from the TB members. For those that go, how are the accents? Poor Japanese accents in films are one of those things that I find difficult to ignore, so I'm hoping these are on point.
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 12, 2018 9:04:51 GMT
Hmm. Strange that they lost the price of tickets starting at £25. The NT website suggests prices start at £15. It's possibly just temporary pricing on the website though, e.g. here: www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/tickets/11729
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 11, 2018 1:23:52 GMT
Not much I can say, except to add to the chorus of praise. This probably won't be to everyone's taste, but I loved it. Asolutely wonderful.
Big thanks to those who posted about the £10 deal.
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 11, 2018 0:28:40 GMT
I also felt fairly uneasy (if that's the right word?) about the audience. To me, the film/play warns about the dangers of the media, and doesn't think that the way that Howard Beale is exploited by the TV studio is a good thing. In that context, the audience laughing, clapping, and cheering along seemed odd; perhaps thematically sound, but essentially buying in, and becoming complicit to what was happening. Isn't that the point? Surely that's why, towards the end, they literally hold up a mirror to the audience: we are complicit. That's why that montage of Presidential inaugurations is tacked on at the end: in the world of the play, Diana is driven by TV ratings. She's more or less completely soulless, but she knows what makes people watch - and in the real world, Trump's ascent to the White House was also driven by TV ratings. I thought van Hove set out to create a show that makes the audience applaud and then makes them uncomfortable for applauding, and that he succeeded brilliantly. Absolutely. But i suppose my point is that the play doesn't present you something (that you might clap to), after which it slowly unveils the underlying hypocrisy, audience manipulation and ethical problem behind what you've seen. Instead, the play is completely upfront & explicit about all of those things right from the beginning. By the time the audience is clapping and chanting catchphrases back to the announcer, we have no doubt whats going on. And what we are complicit in. Don't get me wrong, it would have felt a little spoil-sport-y and ruined the effect if the audience had been silent. However, some of the reaction felt a little like if the audience started shouting during the two minutes of hate in 1984.
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 9, 2018 15:00:36 GMT
Hmm. Is the £10 code thing finished? When I go to the OldVic website, the promo code shows up, but the prices seem unchanged for Brief Encounter. Still showing for me- you have to hover over the seats. On the date I'm going it is K&L 1-5 and the same the other side as well as what is left of the rear block I don't know what was going on, but I tried again, and it worked. Thanks
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 9, 2018 14:29:54 GMT
I know this thread is more or less on it's way out, but I finally got to see this yesterday, so I'll throw in my 2c, even to an empty room. (and apologies, to anyone reading, for the wall of text)
The first 15 minutes or so felt really exhilarating; the layering of actors, the movement of lights, props & cameras, the use of live & pre-recorded footage of the stage (sometimes very cleverly interwoven), screens showing vintage commercials, actors breaking the fourth wall, live musicians, and 'extras' on stage eating. Watching it felt exciting, and I honestly can't imagine how difficult it must have been to get it all working so smoothly. The movement of the cameras and actors in particular was great, feeling both 'natural' while clearly being heavily staged to achieve certain key images.
However, I'm not entirely sure that this cacophonic staging always gelled with the structure of the play. Some scenes seemed to run through at breakneck pace (the early pre-breakdown scenes in particular), but the play kept some of the quieter, slower subplots and the momentum ground to a halt at times (e.g. scenes involving an affair between two secondary characters). The result was a play that seemed to overwhelm (in a good way) in moments, and fall flat at others. This disjointed feeling was echoed in the design, which seemed both rooted to the 1970s (with the news stories and adverts), and the modern day (with the minimalist sets and use of social media).
I also felt fairly uneasy (if that's the right word?) about the audience. To me, the film/play warns about the dangers of the media, and doesn't think that the way that Howard Beale is exploited by the TV studio is a good thing. In that context, the audience laughing, clapping, and cheering along seemed odd; perhaps thematically sound, but essentially buying in, and becoming complicit to what was happening.
The opportunity to see Bryan Cranston on stage, the film, and the early images all seemed like a perfect fit to me, and perhaps part of the problem was that my expectations were too high. All-in-all, this was the most exciting, but also most disappointing show I've seen in recent memory.
I'm quite tempted to go again if possible.
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 9, 2018 13:39:42 GMT
Hmm. Is the £10 code thing finished? When I go to the OldVic website, the promo code shows up, but the prices seem unchanged for Brief Encounter.
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 9, 2018 12:41:28 GMT
Playhouse Theatre dates are: 16 June - 2 November Not sure it was good enough to warrant a run of that many months. 8 weeks at the most. I fear it will struggle. It looks like it goes on a little further now. The website now has 3rd November as well ( www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/tickets/11887 ). I have no idea if I missed this yesterday, or if they're adding more dates at the mo.
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 8, 2018 16:53:39 GMT
Playhouse Theatre dates are:
16 June - 2 November
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 8, 2018 16:53:01 GMT
Harold Pinter Theatre dates are:
18 May - 8 August
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 7, 2018 18:21:27 GMT
Unfortunately, at the last moment I can't make it to tonight's performance (7:30). The seats are great & cheap (£15 each, 3rd row of the stalls).
I'm on hold on the phone to return them now, so just a heads up, hoping that someone on this board can make use of them.
Edit: Returned now. Enjoy!
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 6, 2018 17:02:40 GMT
I know I'm late to the party, but here are my two cents anyway;
It's true that certain artforms are traditionally associated with certain demographics, but imo it's incorrect to assume that these relationships are a reflection of anything concrete. Furthermore, it's untrue to assume that any efforts to diversify the audience involve some dilution or bastardisation of the 'true' original artform.
People like stuff that they're exposed to, that they feel connects to them, and that they have some agency in. Naturally tradition has a huge momentum in this regard, but that's not a fixed underlying factor, it's simply a side effect of history. There's nothing wrong with an artform that is of interest to a small group, but the fact that hip hop, opera, ballet or Bollywood might have accepted key audience demographics isn't an immutable thing.
The clearest example I can think of in recent past is anime and manga. If you went back ~30 years this was a somewhat niche artform in places like the UK and America. In roughly a generation, it's moved to being something much more engrained in popular culture. This has less to do with these forms changing (although that's part of the story), and more to do with a few companies marketing heavily to the west, and the success of a few films.
I have little doubt that the success of films like Black Panther and Wonder Woman will have a big impact on the demographics of comicbook readers in a generation or two.
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 6, 2018 9:25:31 GMT
Nothing cheap left when I got in to book early this morning - very disappointing. Is it worth paying for this slightly-advance thing, I wonder? I think I'll chance Friday Rush or returns, thoigh it's risky because of the travel. Lehman has a very early matinee start which is a pain because of the off-peak rail thing. Looks like they might ad extra dates to Translations and Lehman, though - at any rate, there's no final performance indicator showing on the pages. Lehman Trilogy, Translations and Julie say "Additional performances to be announced" on the season booklet. I agree re:tickets. I presume that they keep back a certain propotion of the cheapest tickets for the public sale. Didn't see any of the cheaper tickets in the front few rows for Lehman.
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 5, 2018 13:38:27 GMT
Perhaps taking the key role in van Hove's All About Eve? If that's still going ahead and Cate Blanchett is no longer available?
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