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Post by Ade on Mar 18, 2024 17:27:03 GMT
If anything I think he is coming across quite dull. I’m not sure he’s doing enough to stand out as a winner. Marisha seemed to be doing well and started to stand out after her issue with Ekin-Su, but the last couple of episodes there has been talk about her acting rather than being sincere. A risk of being nominated potentially if that noise doesn’t die down.
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Post by Ade on Jan 28, 2024 17:09:08 GMT
First time seeing a performance from Mrs Doubtfire. Christ that was dreadful Incredibly fussy and confusing excerpt, very difficult to follow what was going on at times. Didn’t make me want to see it, yet it’s having a good run. I wonder how many theatre goers or tv viewers outside the states would appreciate the reference to and representation of Julia Childs ? I know many more will now, given Sarah Lancashire’s brilliant performance , but I would think Julia Childs is still unknown to many . I absolutely loved this number on stage but didn’t think it came across well at all last night. Marcus Collins was especially weak I thought, almost jittery and lacking in effort.
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Post by Ade on Jan 13, 2024 23:52:33 GMT
I’m convinced Maypole is Rita Ora.
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Post by Ade on Dec 20, 2023 17:52:53 GMT
I have a spreadsheet that tracks production, location, seat and price paid, plus a rating where I score performances, visuals, sound design/music, writing and overall feel out of 5. All are added to give me a total out of 25. I can then easily place it in a master list of best to worst productions using the score out of 25. Very few have got the full 25 points over the years. If I didn’t I’d forget half of what I’ve seen over the years.
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Post by Ade on Dec 17, 2023 15:37:21 GMT
Saw this yesterday evening. A real mixed bag with a couple of the numbers working very well and many others falling a tad flat. “I love a piano” and “Snow” worked particularly well. Performances also pretty much all decent (wasn’t overly fond of General Waverly) and the leads all came across better on stage than in the preview songs they released. Design really let it down though. They did a nice job of milking the stage for all it’s worth with props etc. but it was just all so lacking in festive feels. It’s a solid three stars from me.
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Post by Ade on Dec 15, 2023 13:46:33 GMT
I'm somewhat baffled by the praise across the board here - I can only assume it's been seriously improved and tightened through the previews process. Same. As I said on the spoilers thread, I did overall enjoy it and would give it 4 stars purely for the moments that do work really well. But a 5 star production to me is flawless and this definitely isn’t.
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Post by Ade on Dec 12, 2023 23:21:43 GMT
Saw it last night. No technical hitches, and it's a very likeable show. Clever, witty music, phenomenal performances, a very funny book, and a few things that need tightening up. It could stand to lose a few minutes (and the National *really* needs to get better at getting people seated and starting the show on time), and 'Get Up!' has to be restaged if the show has a life after this, because the current staging of it is so flat-out bad that I can't believe it made it out of a rehearsal room. Apart from that, it's enormous fun. Sally Ann Triplett, Daniel Rigby, and Katherine Kingsley are clearly having a great time, and the kids are flawless. It's not going to be the sort of worldwide hit Matilda was, simply because it's a much darker story with a much darker ending (which I think Lucy Kirkwood's adaptation negotiates quite well). But it does deserve a longer life, and I want a cast recording. I really wasn't in the mood for a Festive Family Show last night - lousy week, not enough sleep - and I had a much, MUCH better time than I was expecting. A solid four stars from me. Saw it tonight and this completely sums up my views on it. ‘Get up’ was blooming awful, I felt like I was watching a kids nativity. But there’s a lot to love about the rest of it.
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Post by Ade on Dec 12, 2023 18:09:12 GMT
I have so many thoughts on this after seeing it. And I’m finding myself in that weird place of coming out having enjoyed it but also being overly critical of it. For the most part I think a lot of my criticism boils down to the fact that it’s feeling like it has a bit of identity crisis in trying to appeal to both traditional theatregoers as well as avid fans of the tv show. For example the pacing and the staging does a massive shift between the first hour set predominantly in the school and then the last 30 mins of act one set in and around the house. For me it was the slower paced school scenes that worked better.
I’ve been disappointed with the lack of staging spoilers on here so trying to be explicit there are plenty of spoilers ahead so stop reading now if it’s not your thing.
The opening ship scene actually left me disappointed given the comments on here and essentially there’s a sudden reveal of the bow of a ship that appears to come from nowhere. Other than that there’s some projection work around the ship and there is a demogorgon in the form of someone in a costume hidden amongst the smoke. It’s over in a few mins.
A more effective set piece for me was the appearance of the shop with the cat in it. It genuinely does look like it comes from nowhere and follows a build up with the projection of a second Henry prior.
The big finale in act one takes place in the house attic. Honestly this fell pretty flat for me, with lots of obviously filler littered between the tense scenes that gave them chance to swap actors with stand-ins and get people on wires. The problem was that the filler well and truly killed the vibe. I also found it mildly irritating that they abandoned the atmospheric attic scene used prior for a completely different set piece in the name of making the effects easier to achieve. The most frustrating thing for me on this was the appearance of the people in hazmat suits in the audience straight after, which literally did nothing other than to give them time to reset the stage - it’s pretty inexcusable pacing imo. And randomly the only scene that comes after is a single one of Henry and his mum on a bed which could easily have done differently to avoid the filler being required.
In terms of narrative the second act is where I can only assume the cuts have been made as it just felt like it was jumping all over the place. It also seemed to have fewer wow moments. There’s a scene where Henry goes into dark mode and parts of the proscenium open to reveal tendrils - but they come and go in virtual darkness and I’m sure parts of the audience probably didn’t even notice they were there if they couldn’t see the very top of the stage. Were they perhaps used at another point as well as they seemed to add little for the effort involved.
Outside of that there’s a nice moment when Henry sends the doctor flying through the ceiling of his cell, though that is ruined somewhat when you then see the doctor climbing back down the rear of the truck. And the last big moment using powers sees a main character fall in slow motion from a bridge which is actually quite nicely done because they tease you and make you think it’s going to play out differently with standard wire work. However, as per act one it’s completely ruined by the fact that they then have well over a minute of projection on the curtain to give them time to reset the stage.
All in all, as others have said there’s lots to enjoy in the staging but just nothing very new and by the end I got a bit bored of projection and screen work being used to create the more atmospheric scenes. I also really didn’t like a lot of the lighting design with some scenes coming across quite under-lit and not in the name of stage trickery. It’s a very enjoyable show and there’s plenty to enjoy and plenty done well but the book feels like it either needed massively trimming back before making it to the stage or to be given more time for all of the points to develop by making it a two parter. I moaned on the main thread that the tv series suffers from having too little editing but I can’t help feel that more exposition would actually have helped here.
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Post by Ade on Dec 12, 2023 11:48:40 GMT
Also at the matinee today. I’ve made it to the penultimate episode of the latest series. I’ve been more of a casual watcher and really struggle with the fact that the episodes seriously needed a good edit and nobody was bold enough to do it. So sitting watching a lengthy play might also be a challenge…
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Post by Ade on Dec 6, 2023 18:13:43 GMT
For me, part of the problem is not that the top prices are increasing but that the bottom prices are. There will always be people with higher disposable income that don’t scoff at paying £250 a ticket and in my book I was rarely choosing those seats at £150 so whether they’re £150 or £250+ I don’t care. And while there are always going to be three seats at the back behind a wall for £20 so that low prices can be quoted on advertising, there’s definitely a general trend for those middle of the road tickets that often make up the bulk of the upper circle and rear of the stalls to increase as well. It’s that which is the most problematic because (at least in my view) it does one of two things: prices a portion of people looking to spend around £50 a ticket out of going unless they want a bad view; and encourages people to spend more on higher priced seats lower down in the theatre. I’m definitely falling into the latter camp because if I’m paying £65/£75 for a front of upper circle seat I’m definitely more comfortable adding £20/£30 a ticket more for a much better view than I was when front of upper circle was more like £45/£50.
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Post by Ade on Nov 8, 2023 8:22:50 GMT
Standing at the Donmar is also awful for the people in the back row of seats with the standers fidgeting and leaning forward a few inches behind them. They are very uncomfortable seats too. This was going to be my point. Sat in that row a few weeks back and had someone so close to my ear in the standing section behind me that I could hear her chewing gum. I could basically smell her lunch. But my annoyance aside I was very conscious I was in someone’s view - it put me off those seats as well as any prospect of standing. I’ve also never heard people get so territorial, disappearing to the bar and toilet for 10/15 mins and being annoyed that someone that arrived while they weren’t in place had taken their spot. I’ve never stood anywhere but I’m assuming that’s probably common everywhere.
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Post by Ade on Oct 19, 2023 10:55:23 GMT
I think it’s a technical problem. I’ve seen clips of her performing Bad Girl lying on a box that has clearly elevated above the audience. This didn’t happen last night. When it became clear this was an issue, who cares? Just ditch the song or perform it without the effect, as she did in the end. Also once it got to 9.20pm, don’t go ahead with some drag queen getting 10 minutes of self indulgence before introducing the main act. Maybe it is diva behaviour, I don’t know, but the show more generally felt bloated and muddled so perhaps it’s down to her creative team. Unless I’m getting it wrong the elevated box is for Bedtime Story (prior to Ray of Light) not for Bad Girl. The box went ahead last night so unlikely the reason of a technical fault. Let’s face it she does it because she knows she can get away with it. Was pleased despite the delay we got the full show last night but there a lot of people who unfortunately were leaving early because of (presumably) transport and it’s disappointing they’re left in that position.
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Post by Ade on Oct 8, 2023 7:05:09 GMT
But it just wasn't as affecting as I thought it was going to be and there were several times when I thought "these actors are amazing, I am invested in the story of this family" and wished I had been watching a play instead. Exactly this! Couldn’t agree more!
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Post by Ade on Oct 8, 2023 6:47:41 GMT
I saw this yesterday matinee and am kind of disappointed that something about it didn’t click for me. I was definitely in the minority as there was plenty of sniffing going on around me (I cry at almost anything). On paper I can’t really fault it, the writing is exceptional in how it handles the subject matter, the music is often great, and the performances were all perfect. In fact the vocals are phenomenal - yes Jamie Parker isn’t the strongest and is just fine but everyone else sounded amazing. My only real criticism of the whole thing is that while I liked the staging, I found the lighting and projection design quite weak overall - very one note which felt odd given the tone of this.
Given it was the second to last performance there seemed to be a lot of people in for a repeat visit that were keen to whoop like they were at a showing of Six which did keep dragging me out of the piece as it just feels at odds with what’s going on on stage. All in all it’s 4 stars from me for quality but I came out not as amazed as I had hoped.
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Post by Ade on Oct 8, 2023 6:31:27 GMT
Also there yesterday evening and all I can say is wow. As others have said you do need to leave your memory of previous productions behind but there is so much to love about this. The cast absolutely knock it out of the park. I cannot get over the power or Nicole’s voice.
I’m a big fan of analysing a production’s set but the lack of here really doesn’t matter as everything going on on stage makes up for it. Few additional thoughts:
- Joe’s drive to Norma’s house at the start absolutely took my breath away. The way it was staged, getting the full force of the orchestra, the use of the screen - it’s like watching a Tarantino film realised on stage. - I was sitting at the end of row b in the dress circle and was slightly concerned at the start about the sound mix in that area as I was missing lyrics, but either I got used to it or it improved as it became less of a problem throughout. - Plenty have said about how the orchestra is strong and it’s so true. When it takes off and plays those big sweeping moments it’s insane. But I was also bowled over by the power of the ensemble. There are quite a few moments where they’re all facing the audience singing in unison and it’s something else. - In terms of Nicole’s performance I can’t help but think that if she wasn’t who she was we’d all be universally praising her. No it’s not subtle but she’s well and truly embodying the version of Norma she is playing. The mannerisms, thirst for attention are giving me Britney Spears’s Instagram which on paper sounds dreadful but in reality works so well. - It’s incredible how something so cinematic in its topic and that takes such a cinematic method of staging felt so incredibly theatrical. It was honestly one of the best evenings I’ve had in a theatre in a long time.
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Post by Ade on Jul 22, 2023 21:02:14 GMT
I saw the Sat matinee of this with my sister, both huge fans of the original so very biased and I was nervous how I'd feel about this. I'd avoided other reviews until after I'd seen it but did see the word sanitised a few times. I can understand why this will split opinion but I actually enjoyed this so much and was even more surprised that my super-fan sister said it was her favourite performance of Miss Saigon that she'd seen. Apologies if my thoughts are all over the place but here goes... I didn't mind the very stripped back staging and thought it was very well done with very little. I actually don't agree with sanitised - the whole thing felt much more real and gritty. I suspect the girls outfits in Dreamland were probably more accurate than the original costumes - Dreamland felt quite dark and hard to watch rather than glamorised - I felt like I could feel hopelessness from both the girls and the GI's which was really stirring. The use of the podium where the GI's were looking up at the girls who weren't actually on the podium, but were around the stage, lit up for the audience as their names were called was really interesting. Bui-Doi (as lots have already mentioned) was for me a triumph and better than the original. I actually thought that moving Chris and Ellen into a supermarket for I Still Believe was effective - it's not just his dreams that are haunted but his everyday life and again felt more 'real'. I was really moved by the flashback and Chris being pulled away from Kim by the helicopter - gives me chills thinking back to it. Morning of the Dragon was also really effective - the choreography and lighting were clever. The projections and the whole atmosphere around the refuge boat were so beautifully done and the first time I've really felt the gravity and danger they were facing. A female engineer really seemed to me to give a strong sense of the desperation to escape and Joanna Ampil was unsurprisingly excellent. I feel like this has opened the door for the engineer to be played interchangeably by anyone as long as they can portray that dark desperation. Our Kim was Desmonda Cathabel on her debut and I found her portrayal really beautiful. (she blanked for a couple of lines near the beginning which I don't even know if I should mention because she moved on like a true professional and it didn't change my opinion on her wonderful performance). I've always found Ellen to be a rather blaa and not particularly likeable character but Shanay Holmes was outstanding - the first time I've ever shed a tear for Maybe. Ethan Le Phong as Thuy was another outstanding performance. The cast were all outstanding, I feel almost bad singling out just these! Oh, and my first time at the Crucible and what a fabulous theatre! Saw it this afternoon and this basically echoes my thoughts. It’s 5 stars from me. Loved virtually everything about it. All of the performances worked for me and felt less ‘stagey’ than the Prince Edward production. But the female engineer was a brilliant move. I found myself struggling to see a man in the role - right from the moment the engineer sings in movie in my mind, there was suddenly an extra depth to the character. So many of her motivations seemed more authentic, lee shrewd and more sheer desperation. And frankly when it comes to the helicopter, who even needs it?! This was a thrilling staging of that sequence - I found myself getting a tad emotional at the sheer theatricality of the way they did it. I know there was some criticism of the projections earlier on and frankly I could take or leave them but the lighting design was STUNNING. Some of the uses of lighting to create different environments were genius, and the way they used light shining through the back wall created some stunning scenes.
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Post by Ade on Jul 8, 2023 20:31:25 GMT
I've only ever done this once and it was Titanic when it was touring at The Lowry a couple of years ago. We absolutely hated it. I did feel a little guilty for some reason for leaving though! Twice for me. Titanic was one of mine too, as well as Evita at Open Air (sorry, I know lots of people loved it).
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Post by Ade on Mar 31, 2023 17:01:47 GMT
Can someone explain to this idiot how the makeup works in this show, please? I’m sure I read somewhere it takes hours, but then how does Gabriel Vick play both “roles”? Or does he not? From what I could tell when I saw it, it's essentially a fancy halloween mask that goes over the whole head, and is particularly tight around the facial features to make it look more realistic. It's whipped on and off constantly throughout the production so don't think any make up can be involved or it would take too long. I have to admit I was surprised it looked as good as it did on TV, so I wonder if perhaps they did it different for TV to help sell the show as, while I didn't think it looked bad in the theatre, I don't remember it looking that good!
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Post by Ade on Mar 11, 2023 21:37:46 GMT
Saw this at the matinee today. It’s 4 stars for me but honestly I think the let downs are just that I don’t love G&D generally as the production is amazing. This does an amazing job and all four of the leads were brilliant in my opinion. I was standing (chose to sit for a JC and AMND) and loved it, though definitely felt like we weren’t moved around a lot. The atmosphere at the end made the aching back worth it though.
We were right behind today’s ‘participant’ and it definitely doesn’t seem to be a plant but consent looked to be there as the guy chosen was up on stage by himself and then after the scene got off the stage and joined the chap he was with and they had a little joke to each other about it. I wasn’t there when he took his seat during the interval but the fact that he was at a table with a member of the cast who patted him and thanked him after definitely gave me the impression they’d approached him and asked him to take that seat.
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Post by Ade on Mar 11, 2023 7:07:24 GMT
Yeah, wondered that myself. He was Stuart, the new boyfriend. He was ever so slightly critical of the producers’ decision not to have any kind of publicity/press night/reviews of the Manchester run. That’s not enough to replace someone though, surely. Only has one song if I remember correctly, largely just there to be the hot younger model the wife’s moved on to. Samuel Edwards shouldn’t have much trouble stepping into his lycra shoes. Yeah, I just thought it odd that someone would turn down originating a principal role in an original west end cast and then instead do a small musical in a small venue. I mean some actors do that and they have their own reasons I guess! In my opinion he was very miscast in the role in the first place so it wouldn’t surprise me if the producers made the decision to swap him out.
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Post by Ade on Feb 23, 2023 18:19:14 GMT
Saw this in Leicester and the only saving grace in what is a pretty poor production was a decently competent cast. I’m honestly torn whether some whoops and applause at the entry of each ‘name’ will improve this and make it seem more of a panto-like event or just turn the whole thing plain insufferable.
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Post by Ade on Nov 27, 2022 17:41:45 GMT
Well it'll be a waste of the Palladium, that's all I can say! But good luck to it 😁 Yep, completely agree - it’s really not up to continuing beyond this run. Though given this year’s screen-heavy BatB, this will probably fit right in at the Palladium. Also echo your view on the tornado and the witch melting. Both very poorly done - so much so that the tornado, aside from a brief view of a twister on screen, may as well not be one.
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Post by Ade on Nov 23, 2022 22:18:06 GMT
Saw this tonight and it all fell a little flat. I didn’t see the London production so can’t compare but I think the biggest issue I had was that musically nothing really went anywhere and the action just sort of plodded along. The performances themselves are all good - but everyone feels so under-utilised, and with my limited knowledge, that feels like the product of a bad book rather than a bad production.
The visual style of the whole thing is pleasant enough and there are some nice bits of staging (though if you’ve seen the production images there’s not much more imagination beyond what you can see there), but that said even the set itself underwhelmed - I think because of the heavy reliance on video projection. My pet peeves with projection are the 90s game graphics quality and the slow fades between scenes which are in abundance here and just feels so phoned in.
All in all, it’s an inoffensive two hours and will keep the kids entertained, but a repeat visit won’t be on the cards for me.
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Post by Ade on Oct 2, 2022 7:08:01 GMT
Shirley's whole tone and demeanour was so different with Ellie T and Fleur than it was with Tyler and Tony... And why does she insist on standing up and dancing along with certain celebrities? This! Her obvious tone shift between different celebs is so unprofessional. Every year she has a selection of women she is brutal to and gives a rundown of everything they did wrong with little encouragement. Older women tend to get praised even when they aren’t great. And her ogling at ‘attractive’ men even when they’re bad is just awful. Thought the difference in her words and tone when complimenting Will’s appearance vs how she did with Fleur this week spoke wonders.
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Post by Ade on Sept 10, 2022 9:16:47 GMT
Saw this last night and there’s so much to love. Gabriel Vick is absolutely brilliant, and it just wouldn’t work if he wasn’t as good as he is. He’s working his absolute socks off up there and the sheer number of times he has to get in and out of the doubtfire costume is amazing. Though, to be fair the cast is good almost across the board…
Make me a woman is a brilliant act one ensemble number that is positioned perfectly to get the audience on side - though last night it was clear the audience were already going to love it before even the first note was played. If the fans of the film in there last night is anything to go by it’ll definitely have a decent life over here. There were whoops at all the big movie moments. The rest of the music is a bit hit and miss - all the music moments land incredibly well while watching but for memorability it is a little lacking.
The only parts that didn’t work for me were that the tv show job plot took a major back seat despite clearly being crucial to the story. The other was the altered reveal of his identity in the restaurant, which just felt comparatively weak. I can see why it needed altering to make it more suited to being a musical but all of the main cast just end up sitting at their tables not doing an awful lot.
The set is also nicely done, even if it’s functional in places. Given the large number of locations it ends up cycling through, they do a good job of filling the stage. All in all it’s four stars from me.
(As an aside what is with people’s bladders these days?! The number of people in and out of the doors in the stalls going to the loo was ridiculous. It feels a bit like the ‘no re-entry’ rule at most theatres seems to have long gone out the window. Though the girl next to me who chucked half a pint of beer over me mid act one with the weakest ‘oh sorry’ I’ve ever had seemed to be pretty indicative of the alcohol level of certain pockets of people in there.)
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Post by Ade on Aug 3, 2022 6:26:08 GMT
Saw this last night. A pleasant enough musical. Unfortunately, for me, the weakest part was the music itself. The cast all did a decent job and especially so the child actors - it’s definitely a musical that can’t just rest on solid adult performances if the kids aren’t up to scratch. Thought the design was actually quite nicely done for screen-based backdrops, with the multiple moving parts and real pieces of set to compliment them (but please can we lose the horrible fades between scenes that are all too often used when going for digital backgrounds). And the book whips along at quite a nice pace, even if it ties it all up a bit too quickly and neatly at the end.
But the music is unmemorable, and while it has nice moments, on the whole it’s not got much oomph to it - charming but forgettable would be my summary of it.
All in all, there’s lots to like but it feels like it doesn’t quite land musically and I’m not sure, overall, it really knows who it is aimed at.
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Post by Ade on Jul 30, 2022 22:27:24 GMT
Saw this this evening. Have to say that what I think this production does is highlight just how average the musical itself is. It felt like everything was boiled down to naff humour. The cast all do a good job but so much of it just feels like filler.
Visually it’s all a bit rough and ready. The set is fine enough but there’s nothing in there beyond a cheap and dirty tour. I genuinely feared for Beverley on that disco ball…
The worst part of the whole evening was the audience. Arguably one of the worst audiences I’ve ever been part of for theatre. I’ve definitely not seen so many people go to the toilet during a performance before and there was lots of talking and laughing around me that wasn’t in response to the production itself.
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Post by Ade on Jul 22, 2022 20:17:09 GMT
They have released the trailer for it now too. Made me want to go for a repeat visit.
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Post by Ade on Jul 15, 2022 21:40:42 GMT
Saw this this evening. Just wow! I absolutely loved the original but this version is so well done. I can’t fault it really… there was the odd thing where, comparing the two versions, I marginally preferred the original but it feels unfair to put the two side by side.
You also really have to give special mention to the lighting design - there are so many points where it’s just stunning. It’s in absolutely no way subtle, but is so crucial to the atmosphere of the whole production.
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Post by Ade on Mar 13, 2022 17:11:30 GMT
One final thought from me - wow that’s a high stage. I mean back in row F I couldn’t see their feet so I’d be surprised if those in the front row could see much of their legs at all. Which given Jonny Bailey spends a good portion of the play crawling around on the floor isn’t particularly ideal.
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