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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 15, 2017 12:44:13 GMT
Excellent thread Burly Bear! I remarked on this in Les Mis thread when I saw it again a couple of years ago at the Queens Theatre and the word I used was animatronic! I felt like the show was on autopilot and once the button was pressed it was off - no pause for breath or even applause - the show had to be down by 10.17 or whatever.
I do understand the need for quality control on long running shows - if actors were left to their own devices after a few weeks/months the show would be unrecognisable and the creatives having set the production expect it to be reproduced as they envisioned it. The paying public expect a certain standard. However, this does result in the stultifying of the material after time, I feel. In the case of Les Mis it was clear that the actors had a strict track to follow - not just in the blocking (which is fair enough - they have to hit their marks for lighting and set reasons) but in every gesture. The show is completely annotated and the resident director is paid to ensure this is followed and indeed when it comes to cast change the characterisation and blocking is followed completely.
I recently saw the new cast of Kinky Boots - third cast, and the show and performances are completely the same as the original. The actors may change but the characters do not. So they conform to the template - this may be artistically frustrating but it is work (probably a years contract in a musical) and pays the rent!
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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 14, 2017 0:04:49 GMT
He is rather too prolific an author in IMHO. I think he has written over 70 plays and quite honestly only a handful can be considered successful - how many of the 70 can you actually name? I always think of the plays as - oh that's the one in the kitchen, in the garden with the pond, in the garage with the car, on the boat on the river etc. Certainly a lot of his "hits" were early in his career - Relatively Speaking, The Norman Conquests, Bedroom Farce, A Chorus of Disapproval, A Woman in Mind etc. I would argue that nothing written since 2000 (in the last 17 years ) has echoed his early success.
His future plays - was it Communication Doors with the time travel? - was so full of plot holes that it made no sense at all.
Of course also his early plays were always "tried out" in Scarborough with an unknown cast and then transferred to London with a starry cast - was it the Norman Conquests that had Penelope Keith, Felicity Kendal, Richard Briers, Tom Conti in the original cast - all at the top of their game, imbuing the plays with their unique talents.
The Divide sounds awful!
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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 13, 2017 23:15:35 GMT
Lucky enough to get a Today Tix Rush seat for this last week - an absolutely brilliant seat in the centre of Row C in the circle for £25. This was a top price seat normally at £70.
I have not seen Jerusalem and wanted to see this to see what all the 5 star fuss was about!
This is a long play, and demands a lot from a modern day audience with limited attention spans. The second and third acts running 2 hours straight with only a 2 minute " pause " between acts. However, this play and the performances held a packed theatre in total thrall.
The play throws everything at this - a large cast, animals, children, babies and even the kitchen sink.
It elicited big laughs, gasps at the end and an almost complete standing ovation from a packed house.
I enjoyed it - very well acted throughout, with high production values, but for some reason I cannot put my finger on, I was less enamoured with it than the rest of the audience. The ending which seemed such a shock to people around me came as no surprise for me and I did feel that some of the characters were stereotypes and it was over indulgent in its length.
But, as I said, overall I did enjoy it.
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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 12, 2017 22:58:52 GMT
I thought about going to see this a few weeks ago but when I checked the tickets prices (only top prices left) I thought I would leave it as it was to be shown on BBC4.
I enjoyed this on the TV - I thought well filmed for a change. The superb orchestra was the star - a wonderful sound of a great score. Surely this show is due for a revival. A whole new generation must never have seen it.
I thought the staging was excellent (although in a small space?) with superb choreography.
My only reservation was the mixed bag of the cast - superb were Robert Fairchild and Lizzy Connolly. I also liked Scarlett Strallen although slightly too "operatic" for my taste in the role. Rather poor, however, was Belinda Lang as Aunt Eller who took "hollerin" to a whole new level with no warmth to her performance at all and truly dreadful was Marcus Brigstocke as Ali Hakim.
Also the show is too long especially the first act and you always think the show is over with the wedding of Curly and Laurey and Oklahoma but no there is another 15 minutes!
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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 10, 2017 10:15:49 GMT
I agree with the above post. When I go to Chichester I always ensure I have a central seat after enduring several shows (musicals) where I was sat at the side and felt I was watching the show from the wings of the theatre. All the direction being "out front". If the show transfers to a proscenium stage in London it should be re-blocked. However, having said that, I feel that the main stage in Chichester is a very difficult space to work with.
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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 7, 2017 15:14:12 GMT
It would be easier to establish the meaning of life than predict who will play Effie from one show to the next!
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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 6, 2017 11:27:56 GMT
I went with my niece and nephew ( 15 and 13 ) and they were enthralled by the production, mainly because of the spectacle of the visuals - a great introduction to Shakespeare for them. However, I have to say that the physical tricks like the disappearing feast and table etc. prompted the most questions from them. They are so used to seeing CGI in film and computer games that the old stage tricks had the most fascination!
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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 3, 2017 23:16:44 GMT
It seems to be selling well at high prices too. Not too bothered about missing this as I am not a Sienna Miller fan.
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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 3, 2017 23:13:29 GMT
You will be safe to go on Saturdays - when he will be off doing Strictly It does surprise me has got this gig as he will be off for 2 of the busiest shows of the week on Saturdays doing Strictly. His panto commitment usually work around his Saturday unavailability but this is the West End! I am amazed the producers could not find a box office name to do this 8 shows a week?
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Evita
Aug 3, 2017 22:35:24 GMT
Post by wickedgrin on Aug 3, 2017 22:35:24 GMT
5 stars from Mark Shenton of course.....
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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 2, 2017 21:52:06 GMT
2 hours 15 minutes including interval
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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 2, 2017 16:14:45 GMT
It will be down to all that passionate kissing and over excitement!
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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 2, 2017 14:05:18 GMT
Now there's off topic and there's OFF TOPIC!!!
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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 1, 2017 15:35:45 GMT
Oh what a shame....Mark Shenton twittered/bitched that there are no guaranteed tickets for critics for this.
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Post by wickedgrin on Aug 1, 2017 12:54:38 GMT
Was going to ask if I'm the only one not bothered, but the answer is clearly yes! No, I'm not bothered either. Really unlucky with lotteries anyway ... I shall save my time and money. I hope that some people from this board are lucky though and they enjoy it.
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Post by wickedgrin on Jul 30, 2017 11:19:47 GMT
Having just seen Yank in a half empty sweltering auditorium I really cannot face a repeat in a different venue.
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Post by wickedgrin on Jul 28, 2017 16:17:43 GMT
I went to the box office at 2.00pm - the performance started at 2.45pm. Timing is everything and ensuring beforehand that the performance is quiet. They cannot have the tables empty, it would look bad. Plus a huge amount of natural personal charm of course!! Many thanks for the info. I think I might crack and start to panic before then. Unfortunately, I'm a bluff, straight-talking Yorkshireman with zero charm! Yes, that is leaving it late....you can always try earlier and if they don't give you a deal you can walk away and see something else on a matinee day. Of course, you let the box office know this by saying something like "oh not to worry, thank you anyway, I'll go and see XXXX round the corner instead". They usually don't want you to leave and spend your money elsewhere......and a deal miraculously appears! A bluff straight talking Yorkshireman can have their attractions! Good luck!
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Post by wickedgrin on Jul 28, 2017 13:24:49 GMT
I went to the box office at 2.00pm - the performance started at 2.45pm. Timing is everything and ensuring beforehand that the performance is quiet. They cannot have the tables empty, it would look bad.
Plus a huge amount of natural personal charm of course!!
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Post by wickedgrin on Jul 27, 2017 23:34:31 GMT
Late to the party for this (no change there then!) but put off by the high prices. Although I notice the prices have come down for midweek performances.
I did not win the Today Tix lottery today (again) but saw on the Delfont Mackintosh website there was ALOT of availability for the matinee so went along to the theatre to see what bargain I could bag! The Upper Circle and Balcony were clearly closed so I asked for a seat at the back of the circle for £19.50 - the lovely girl in the box office clearly wanted me to sit at the front tables (which were sparsely booked according to the plan) and was clearly upgrading people so Audra was not playing to an "empty club". These seats were £39.50 and I hesitated saying I was uncomfortable with any interaction or audience participation. She assured me there wasn't any and said I would "love it at the front" printed me off a ticket and only took £19.50 with a smile and a wink!
The stalls and the circle looked busy - not sure how they managed to make it so - clearly a lot of upgrading and discounting going on.
What can I say about the show that has not already been said. A knockout performance from Audra McDonald - just incredible. No wonder she won a Tony for the role. Great staging and lighting. I was spellbound for 1.5 hours. I only wish I had known more about Billie Holiday before going. A little more knowledge of her life would have increased my enjoyment even further I think.
But the show has clearly not taken off in London as it did in New York. Audra is not well enough known over here I don't think and Billie Holiday is a bygone era to many who will not be familiar with her work.
Edit - the front stalls table seating is incredible - you feel like you are actually in the club, but the on stage seating I would avoid unless very cheap (it isn't) as you would only see her back for much of the show.
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Post by wickedgrin on Jul 27, 2017 23:12:15 GMT
Enjoyed this very much and unfortunately still so pertinent today with Donald Trump "banning" transgender persons from the military in America - clearly we still have a long way to go......
I thought the show was melodic with great period style, with some good lyrics. Effectively staged, lit and costumed. A strong, affecting story very well sung by the entire company especially Scott Hunter and Andy Coxon as the leads.
A pity the audience was so sparse. On leaving I was given a voucher entitled "We want you! It's your turn to #jointhesquad". £10 off Premium and Band A seats for ALL performances across the rest of the run. Use code YANKRETURN to access the offer. This brings Band A tickets down to £22.50.
A real gem of a show, I thought.
The theatre was boiling hot - very uncomfortable apart from watching the sweat on all those male bodies in vests!!
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Post by wickedgrin on Jul 26, 2017 23:19:38 GMT
The last sentence of the website notice "This is subject to change and may be affected by contacts, holiday, illness, or events beyond the producers control" reads like the producers throwing the towel in regarding getting a schedule together. It sounds like they are herding a bunch of wild cats that they have no control over!
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Post by wickedgrin on Jul 26, 2017 14:46:30 GMT
However talented you might be at your job, one of the prerequisites of the job is to actually turn up for work.
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Post by wickedgrin on Jul 23, 2017 9:19:44 GMT
Spacey ruined that place. Pandered to the built in snobby audience. At least Warchus us trying to get a more diverse crowd in It is interesting you use the word "snobby" as I would completely agree about the Old Vic audience. I go to the theatre a lot (obviously) and attend many theatres and the Old Vic is the one theatre I find myself distinctly uncomfortable, always feeling slightly underdressed - despite my immaculate smart casual clothing!. The front of house staff seem to have "attitude" and there is always this ticket checking going on as you even re-enter the auditorium after the interval as if you are trying to "steal" a look at the second half. I always feel like telling them they are lucky I am returning to my seat at all!
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Post by wickedgrin on Jul 23, 2017 9:07:14 GMT
The stage at the Leicester Curve is massive. Do they open the "blinds" at the sides of the stage at the end so you can see into the wings for this production?
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Post by wickedgrin on Jul 21, 2017 13:51:58 GMT
Leicester Curve doing Scrooge (the Musical) if anyone fancies a sing....thank you very much!
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