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Post by Latecomer on Sept 11, 2019 22:02:22 GMT
Welcome Forrest! I loved Tom Motherdale in Richard III too! He was fab wasn’t he! Hope you enjoy and happy posting!  |
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Post by Latecomer on Sept 5, 2019 21:24:10 GMT
No-ne has taken the trouble to work out what people actually wanted when they voted Leave. I shall leave aside the fact that there was proven electoral fraud and the overspending (illegal) in the last few days probably made enough difference to the vote to change the result. I have to acknowledge that lots of people just “wanted to leave” but when challenged on this most of the people I have talked to either wanted to “shake things up” or have swallowed the Daily Mail hate rhetoric and wanted someone (preferably another group) to blame for the lack of high wages/public services but I may be wrong.....
We need to go back to the beginning and have public assemblies throughout the country to work out what people want....until we do this will not be settled. And stop calling it Clean Break or No Deal, call it No idea deal.....as if we left with no arrangements we would then just have to negotiate in a panic from a position far weaker as we are hit far harder as a proportion of our economy. It will not be the end of anything....
Personally I think if they offered the deal we have now (opt outs whenever we want of things like Schengen, the Euro, rebate etc) we would love it!!!!
Revoke A50 with promise of proper consultation by people’s assemblies with strict timetable and then we can always resubmit if at a later date we work out what relationship we actually want that is better and will keep Ireland and Northern Ireland safe!
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Brexit
Sept 2, 2019 21:10:03 GMT
Post by Latecomer on Sept 2, 2019 21:10:03 GMT
Believe our voices were heard during Johnson’s address to the nation and he appeared flustered. On my way home to see if true. Initially wasn’t going to go to Parliament Sq today, once there a last minute collective decision to walk down to Downing Street which now seems inspired if unplanned as we did not know about the address until we had gathered at 5:30. Here’s to College Green tomorrow which could be interesting viewing. Great work....could hear you clearly, even on the BBC(!) and they remarked on it afterwards. Johnson looked flustered and rather rushed. |
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Post by Latecomer on Aug 25, 2019 19:50:00 GMT
Anyone else spending the Bank Holiday weekend sitting inside with all the curtains drawn against the heat or is it just me? Yep! Doors and windows shut, blinds on sunny side down, fan on. Regular trips to the thermostat in the middle of the old cottage to congratulate myself on keeping the house down to 25 degrees (it’s 32 outside)! |
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Post by Latecomer on Aug 16, 2019 20:45:57 GMT
A referendum won’t sort it.....it’s too simple. Even if we vote to remain (which I hope we would) we need to address the issues. This is a complex issue (how we feel about our national identity, how we view the past, internationalism, migration, the change in the jobs market, north vs south, rich vs poor, how much the state should provide in public services)
It can be done....the Irish set up People’s assemblies to tackle abortion...look at Wikipedia for detailed analysis.
My only reservation is that a large part of the ruling elite doesn’t actually WANT to solve these problems, they just want to be rich. That is the only rational explanation I can arrive at....
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Post by Latecomer on Aug 16, 2019 20:11:48 GMT
Oh and I still feel the need to say that the Referendum was not legal as the leave side broke the law, spending too much money, which changed the outcome. Still being investigated by police...how can people STILL use the result of this vote to justify action?
And “no deal” was not put forward by leave at the time...we know as a scientific fact as you can track the number of “google searches” for a phrase and the numbers searching about it did not spike until far later (probably when May started waffling on about “No Deal is Better than a Bad deal” Such tosh.
And even if result was 52/48 the referendum has NEVER answered (even now) why people voted to leave and what they meant by it....May’s biggest failing is that she never actually bothered to find out what the vote meant. Revoke and People’s assemblies and then address the issues raised in them is still the most creative solution. Gives people a voice, says we wont ignore what you feel but we will be grown up about it and recognise that perhaps those feelings have not been caused by EU memebership.
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Post by Latecomer on Aug 12, 2019 21:27:03 GMT
I think there was a better play struggling to come out that didn’t quite make it...but it was a noble attempt. As a signed up member of the Labour Party and firmly believing in “for the many not the few” I too struggle with the dilemma of, do I stick to principles and not hand down acquired wealth to my children, or, do I ditch principles as they will never be able to afford their own houses without help? If I give them money (that I have more or less acquired because property prices have gone up, rather than working for it) am I just perpetuating the problem? If I don’t will they have a harder life than I did? Does that matter?
I think the play would have been more biting if they had decided the youngest son needed the money more than the other two....that would have set the cat amongst the pigeons.
Mind you, why I think I could possibly do better than an accomplished professional writer of plays is beyond me! Made myself chuckle....
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Post by Latecomer on Aug 10, 2019 20:34:22 GMT
I remember rather enjoying the power cuts of the 70s....we had a Tilly lamp we used to light up the room and I think we used it as an excuse to not do homework! Poor parents may have been stressing about it all but as children we accepted every excuse given to not work!
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Post by Latecomer on Aug 9, 2019 8:54:48 GMT
No deal doesn’t help matters. It does not creat certainty we we still have to sort out the same problems with the EU but we have a worse bargaining position! They will insist on all the things they asked for in the negotiation and refuse to play ball unless we accept. Crucially all the countries of the EU will have to agree any deal (for the withdrawal agreement it was just a majority) so then we have Gibraltar, fishing rights etc and other national interest of any EU county coming to the fore.
In the case of “no deal” we are a small country surrounded by water that HAS to import lots of things from Europe. Europe on the other hand is a very large land mass that, if it cant get stuff from the UK, can probably source it from somewhere else in Europe/land masses attached to Europe that are not disrupted. Plus they talk about “the German car manufacturers will suffer” Yes they will, but the history of the EU suggests that they will weather the storm rather than ruin their single market....and no doubt they will provide economic relief if needed from EU funds if certain areas are badly hit.
Get real....no deal just means MORE chaos.
Plus Labour...I think (despite it being an unpopular opinion) they are trying to do the honourable thing. They are trying to do a deal where we would be a “Norway” sort of deal...as close as we possibly could be, so as to satisfy those people who feel they have been overwhelmed by Europe (in a very deep down way). I would like to remain (and am disappointed the talk was not more about being outward looking and the benefits of the EU - but was probably hard to do as politicians had been scapegoating the EU for all our problems for years) and am a Labour supporter and although I am often uncomfortable with their position I can see why it is as it is.
Oh and I think Corbyn is principled, and hope he becomes PM. Not fashionable but often on the right side of arguments and genuinely popular with the young people who see that.
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Post by Latecomer on Aug 7, 2019 14:25:54 GMT
I get so frustrated at all this....it really is not worth watching the news on a regular basis as it changes so much day to day. The most sensible suggestion I can see is to revoke article 50 and then have a series of people’s assemblies throughout the country trying to establish what caused people to vote for “Brexit” and what they meant by it....seems to me we still don't even know that! Surely if this technique can be used by the Irish to tackle the most sensitive issue of abortion then it should be possible to use it to investigate this further (see Wikipedia on it, it’s fascinating how it worked).
I have very little hope that that is what will actually happen....how the hell have we got to the state where it seems as though Boris will do anything to crash us out with a no deal Brexit even though parliament has shown that’s not something they would vote through? Take back control? Democracy?
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Post by Latecomer on Aug 5, 2019 8:41:01 GMT
Special offers today only on Today Tix....have nabbed two in Royal Box row H for £15 for me and (hopefully!) Peggs!
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Post by Latecomer on Aug 4, 2019 7:26:16 GMT
A couple behind me at the interval Her: you didn’t tell me it was going to be so dull, nothing has happened Him:you knew it was Chekhov Her: yes but I thought something might have happened. Will it be like this for the rest of the play? Him: sigh. We don't have to stay Her: oh no, we can’t leave, I’m not moaning but I don't think it’s as good as what they usually put on here... Him: *long silence* what are we having for tea later? |
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Post by Latecomer on Aug 1, 2019 12:17:04 GMT
Well this was fun wasn’t it! I did think it was a shame that the ad libs not in the play got the biggest laughs but have to admire the audacity of the production for just going for it at all points! Thought the lovers were very good with movement....there was a LOT of climbing over bedrails and walking across mattresses etc and they made it look very natural. Loved the gender swap. Actually liked how Gwendoline Christie played the part (I know some people didn’t) and definitely a splendid Bottom (funny but quite endearing rather than annoying)!
The Bridge itself could do with a good boot up the backside....I know the loos are lovely but that lame cup of tea with the pathetic tea bag and half filled pot of tea? I asked for an Americano coffee and then had to ask for milk...bored looking girl looked surprised before getting me some. I asked the box office if they would be doing a poster for Lion Witch and Wardrobe and she said she didn’t think so but had been asked by quite a lot of people. I replied that perhaps it would be a good idea to feed back to the management and could we have fliers while they were at it ....to which she said they were too hard to organise as the productions change.....I gave up at that point....how do other theatres manage?!!!!
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Post by Latecomer on Jul 30, 2019 18:17:48 GMT
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Post by Latecomer on Jul 29, 2019 17:38:30 GMT
So, public booking today and I quite liked the look of the plays but didn’t want to use up more than the £54 credit voucher I had (from resale of tickets by them needed using within the year)....so have used their “book all 4 plays and pay for 3” and got seats at the back for Wed matinees for all of them. Plays are more about factual events/concepts than emotional drama (I think?) so I reckon I don't need to be quite so close to stage...we will see!
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Post by Latecomer on Jul 26, 2019 18:06:45 GMT
Frankly brilliant! Laugh out loud funny! |
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Post by Latecomer on Jul 25, 2019 14:40:57 GMT
Row E for me at matinee yesterday. Thought Parkinson was miscast....hardly a plain mouse that on-one would notice? And didn’t really enjoy Everett either....thought he was miscast too perhaps? I thought set was rather large.....perhaps would have been better with smaller more claustrophobic feel? And somehow I thought the whole direction just didn’t work...not quite sure why....but I have seen much better. Having said that I did feel I had been transported to another world when I emerged from the theatre....felt a bit spaced out as you do sometimes after good theatre, so perhaps I am being a bit harsh! I agree, wouldn’t have known understudy was an understudy...he nailed it! Went for a cup of tea ☕️ afterwards as that always makes everything ok! |
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Post by Latecomer on Jun 23, 2019 11:54:03 GMT
I really liked this, was never bored, and am disappointed to hear that people left at the interval. Great acting, great atmosphere. I would personally like to rip the stool off the stage and throw it under the drum revolve though, what a heinous piece of set decoration for anyone in the first few rows. I was SO angry about the stool that I wrote a strongly worded letter to the national box office. To their credit they sent me a credit note for the £30 I had spent on my two tickets. I am used to “slightly restricted” in the first few rows but this was just too much (I was in A19 so just below the stool!) |
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Post by Latecomer on Jun 22, 2019 16:20:14 GMT
Don’t think it was the spoiler as above. I think it was alternative endings indicating a lack of faith in either one. I feel it should have ended with the riots, the ‘revolution’ and then we can make up the rest ourselves, trust the audience. The ending was to me somewhat sentimental and this undermined the whole premise of the series. Maybe like a documentary they could have written up on the screen rolling, the consequences rather matter of fact like but somebody fell in love with that pseudo science. The political and social reality were terrifying, no need for the parallel sci fi stuff. But the sci fi stuff changes the politics....look how twitter and the internet has changed politics....you can’t ignore the sci fi changes. I agree it was a bit clumsily done but imagine if the last experiment succeeds....where then for the world? |
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Post by Latecomer on Jun 21, 2019 7:38:43 GMT
I enjoyed this strong play very much. I found it quite resonant to the situation in the UK. The plight of Oscar especially touched me. Being eastern European I always felt I had to work extra hard for lower rates and I wasn't quite accepted but it was very covert until brexit came. The underlying and complex racism in the story is very well portrayed and it shows the different layers of racism very poignantly. I didn't like the ending though. 2 people out of 4 in that end scene were unrealistic. Circle slip seats were brilliant. Maybe the fact we had all 4 seats to ourselves helped as we could move freely but the view was excellent. A must see in my opinion So glad you got to see it and enjoyed it!Thank you for posting what you thought about it. I am so sorry that you encounter this sort of racism in real life...our society is very good at pitting poor groups against each other....it’s so easy (and lazy) to say “why has that newcomer got that house/job I wanted” when the real question should be “why can’t we all have a good level of basic life instead of the rich getting richer leaving behind the poor”. |
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Post by Latecomer on Jun 19, 2019 20:15:42 GMT
It's a philosophy, fair enough. To me, all that stuff is just everyday living. I just wouldn't have seen it as change in any particular way. Interesting. You are one of the best theatremonkey.....you help make the country a better place by moderating on here and you’ve sort of made activism (getting a good seat for a fair price) into a job with your website! Never underestimate common decency and the power of queuing.... |
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Post by Latecomer on Jun 19, 2019 15:59:41 GMT
Well, yes, obviously. Also true. Trouble is, there is nothing much legal that you can do to protest if you are not wealthy or able to form a pressure group with people wealthy enough to take a matter all the way. Little things....this year I have bought the Big Issue. I have bought all my new clothes from charity shops that I support. I have tried to eat more Vegan and vegetarian foods each week. I walk more places instead of getting out the car. I have requested my groceries are delivered without bags and choose green delivery slots. I am using a reusable cup on theatre visits and have bought my own water bottle and use it. I have stuck “Bollocks to Brexit” stickers on Dyson hand driers (this may not strictly be legal but I am prepared to take the chance). I have challenged old friends to think about perhaps supporting a party that likes buses when they complained about their only bus service being cut and another to actually read the Labour 2017 manifesto (they are seriously rich and think Labour are the devil....no problem with that if they have reasons but mostly based on “Corbyn is a Russian spy and wants to steal ALL your money”) I have challenged work colleagues who carelessly say the young are snowflakes or that Veganism is a fad and they don't know why it’s catching on. They may all be small acts but every time we challenge a view or do something it counts! |
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Post by Latecomer on Jun 16, 2019 8:03:00 GMT
Either side is fine! Enjoy! And i forgot to say welcome to the board! |
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Post by Latecomer on Jun 15, 2019 23:09:24 GMT
This is my very first post. I've been reading the forum for some time now, so just as well I registered now. I want to see Sweat in Gielgud and I am looking at the cheapest seats. Which is the best option for this production, the very back of the stalls or the side slips in Dress? I've been reading comments on seatplan.com but I still cannot make up my mind. The slips are better for seeing the actors expressions which is always better for plays but am I going to miss parts of the play? Also, am I going to annoy people behind me - it seems that I will have no option but keep leaning forward constantly? Finally, which side of the slips is best for this specific production? My final option is to get a day seat, I work just around the corner and I could pop out at 10.30 am. I don't suppose the day seat queue is that competitive for this play? Thanks They are selling 2nd row stalls seats for £27.25 on Delfont Macintosh site......sat there today and great view. Stage nice and low. Some available for the odd date throughout the run....I am not sure if row A are dayseats but those would also be great! Loved the play...clever...and thought acting and production was excellent. |
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Post by Latecomer on Jun 5, 2019 20:03:51 GMT
Stunning TV.
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