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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 18, 2018 18:16:00 GMT
Yes there was definite "tinkering" with the website on Saturday! I had looked at booking on Thursday for Saturday and there was loads of availability - so I didn't book but when I returned to the website on Saturday morning it was virtually sold out! So I didn't go! Most odd!
The show looks like fun though and at the right price I'll go. But not paying anything like full price for the dump that is the Arts Theatre! At the Toxic Avenger the toxic waste seemed to be in the carpet of the auditorium from the smell!
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 17, 2018 13:16:56 GMT
The tour not coming anywhere near me (so far) but I have high expectations for this, although I am not a fan of the "juke box" musical. Jonathan Harvey is an excellent writer. Katherine Kingsley is fabulous and Maria Friedman would not direct a poor piece I wouldn't have thought.
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 16, 2018 9:59:53 GMT
Great performance by Sophie Thompson though!
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 16, 2018 9:57:27 GMT
I find audience behaviour worse the more "popular" the piece is - audiences for plays are generally better behaved than musical audiences.
I had the full gamut of bad behaviour in one go at Young Frankenstein last week.
1. A young couple in front of me (stalls) were constantly leaning on each other and kissing - get a room! 2. The couple to the left of me were sharing a bottle of red wine (it stank) and had a second bottle for the second act! 3. A woman next but one to me on my right was constantly checking her phone every 3/4 minutes throughout act one! I did lean forward and glare at her and the checking became less frequent but still went on. 4. A man behind me had to re-tell the punchlines to his companion (who was deaf) throughout!
It was a testament to how slick the show was, that all this did not ruin my evening.
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 9, 2018 11:33:22 GMT
Has the casting of Lulu resulted in a huge upsurge in ticket sales?
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 9, 2018 11:23:39 GMT
Apparently Sheila Hancock is leaving the production at the end of March and Linda Marlowe takes over from the 2nd April. Very odd, as this is only a 3 month run anyway and this wasn't announced at the start.
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 8, 2018 9:20:22 GMT
No creatives or actors go into rehearsal to create poor or misconceived work, so initially at least they must be "on board" with the directors vision. The director has to be "in charge" - so there can be no management by committee in theatre but it should be a collaborative process.
The design, theme, setting of the piece will have been discussed at production meetings - long before even the rehearsal process begins.
So with all the experienced creatives and actors involved - surely at some point someone says something along the lines of "I don't think this is working?" Perhaps they don't?
But experienced actors must know they are in a dud? They are probably grateful for the work - it pays the rent, the NT is a prestigious credit to have on their CV's, and there will be camaraderie (hopefully) among the company.
It has probably been a bitch fest in the dressing rooms/green room/pub/someone's flat among the cast! " What's with all the plastic bags? - Hasn't Rufus watched Blue Planet?" " He's got me running up and down that ramp and round in circles like a lunatic". "He's got me up a pole!!" "Have you seen the state of my costume?" "Where are we supposed to be?"
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 8, 2018 0:04:57 GMT
I pity the poor actors having to do this night after night after night. It's going to be long few months......
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 7, 2018 23:59:25 GMT
Well, from being completely "sold out" according to the NT website BEFORE this opened there seem to be tickets available for all performances AFTER it's opened. The box office has clearly been busy ....with returns!
What a disaster....It's been a while since I have seen such unanimously poor reviews!
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 7, 2018 0:17:22 GMT
Prediction - Hamilton will win virtually everything!
I do hope John McCrea wins for Jamie but he's up against Giles and Jamael (head to head) in Hamilton - we shall see. It is SO subjective - I may have to lie down in a darkened room to calm down!
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 5, 2018 17:14:56 GMT
bit.ly/DonmarADApplications are being accepted until the end of the month for the post of the next Artistic Director at the Donmar. Who would you like to see in this post? Plus, as we are all theatre enthusiasts with divergent opinions, would you put yourself forward - hypothetically? What would your "vision" be and what would make up your opening season - say 3 plays and a musical?
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 5, 2018 13:42:43 GMT
Has the cow been milked dry yet? That's no way to talk about Martine McCutcheon!
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 4, 2018 18:28:48 GMT
Good job it got all those five and four star reviews then. Of course, because it was "written by Alan Bennett" - National Treasure at the National Theatre! More complex than your average Bennett play and knowing a bit about Arden and Britten would be pretty useful but far superior to most and yes, as you imply my knowledge of Arden and Britten is fairly basic, but then I believe a play should not rely on the audience to have prior knowledge of subjects discussed. Of course, Art is subjective and that is the magic of it.
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 4, 2018 15:23:42 GMT
Seem to remember The Habit of Art was pretty dreadful too Oh yes, indeed. I seem to remember commenting to my theatre companion at the time that had the play been submitted to the NT without the "written by Alan Bennett" it would never have got produced.
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 2, 2018 12:32:56 GMT
Yes, but £75 "only" buys you extreme side and rear stalls and dress circle. All the central seats are £125. Of course there are cheaper options further up and further back but there is a huge shift now I think where "premium" prices used to be only a few rows in the central stalls are now ALL the central stalls and circle.
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 1, 2018 23:07:35 GMT
Could this be this years version of casting Marcus Brigstocke in Barnum?
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 1, 2018 11:02:16 GMT
There was quite a bit of discounting for Carousel last year. I remember seeing good stalls and dress seats for £30 at TKTS on the day.
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 1, 2018 10:56:55 GMT
Lucas would have made a better Gerald, or even Sir John or Parchester.
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Chess
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 1, 2018 10:54:09 GMT
So where are they then? Still PLENTY of availability across the limited run... ENO might have thought she could shift some extra tickets, and it sounds like you do too. But they ain't shiftin'... Indeed not, and even the Michael Ball fans must still be snowed in, under a duvet with no internet access to book.
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 1, 2018 10:45:16 GMT
I am sure he will be very good - especially with the comedy "business", but he is a performer I just don't warm to, I'm not sure why?
I'll book a cheap seat - I love the show!
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 1, 2018 10:38:28 GMT
and I was so looking forward to this.......
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Post by wickedgrin on Feb 28, 2018 15:17:23 GMT
I have no idea how big the issue is. It will always be a problem where there are far more trained actors than there are paid roles.
However, Shenton has regularly reviewed the Edinburgh Fringe theatre, for example where I would suggest a very high percentage of performers do not get paid - opting for the exposure and the (deluded?) notion they may be spotted and swept off to Hollywood! This issue could alter the entire Edinburgh Fringe Festival!
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Post by wickedgrin on Feb 28, 2018 15:12:04 GMT
I am surprised the issue of no pay has not come up before. Shenton has long championed fringe venues where the artists have not been paid. No payment for work equals amateur or hobby. I have long been astonished that these productions have been treated as professional.
Insisting on free "plus one" tickets will not help the cause for payments of artists either in a small fringe venue. Plus free programmes and drinks.
I attended the production of Hair at the Vaults at a performance Mark Shenton attended and was astonished that he had two reserved prime seats while the rest of us "plebs" had to scramble for the unallocated seating. I thought surely he should experience the show in the same way as a typical audience member rather than have preferential treatment. I ended up at the back of a shallow rake with a large person in front of me and barely saw anything!
He, of course, complains bitterly when other journalists get preferential scoops like Baz in the paper we don't mention!
However, having said all that, I do support him in this stand - I only hope he sticks to it.
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Post by wickedgrin on Feb 27, 2018 19:29:24 GMT
I wonder if they will do that in London to give La Burke more to justify her star billing?
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Post by wickedgrin on Feb 27, 2018 19:26:36 GMT
It’s pretty cheap to stage for a tour and the jukebox element easily brings in the Hen parties. That’s the only reason I can see why this is happening again. Completely true. However, they do have to cast a couple of leading ladies who can " cut the mustard" on those songs though! Plus inevitably some eye candy ex soap star for the body guard Frank. I remember seeing Tristan Gemmill (currently in Corrie). His performance made Pinocchio look like a real boy!
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