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Post by CBP1 on Aug 1, 2016 18:04:25 GMT
This gets on my nerves too. Just bought tickets to Titanic at Charing Cross Theatre. Ticketmaster informed me I could print at home or pay around a fiver for some sort of special gift box with my tickets. I just want a proper ticket to stick in a scrap book. And am also willing to pay slightly more for this, but that was just silly money. I also tend to completely forget about the print at home option until it's too late.
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Post by CBP1 on Jul 31, 2016 11:03:51 GMT
Just wanted to add my voice to the words of caution above - if there is any chance of you seeing the play soon DO NOT READ it first! It's such a visual piece and I'm sure it will lose something in written word alone.
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Post by CBP1 on Jul 29, 2016 22:18:48 GMT
Just got back from this. Agree with much of the above. The cast (notable exception aside) are generally very good, and the female leads in particular manage to do a lot with some ropey material.
In the interval I was thinking that it was a decent show that needed a bit of work. A lot of the first act was very musical by numbers - dialogue then predictable song, dialogue then predictable song. Repeat as needed. Melodies generally pleasant but lyrics pretty simplistic.
Oh God did it unravel in the second act! It took itself extremely seriously until it suddenly descended into farce completely out of nowhere. And then back to sickly sweet again in an instant.
Some of it was really quite good. Niamh Perry was a particular highlight. Her performance was really moving at times and and had some great songs. But some of it was downright bizarre. Overall I just don't think they got the tone right. The opening had me giggling as it had an African scene that felt straight out of the Book of Mormon but without the intentional humour. Some felt a bit Jason Robert Brownesque. The really bonkers bit strongly reminded me of a cross between the Master + Marguerita and Spooky Mormon Hell Dream. And my wife said exactly the same.
House nowhere near full. And a couple of people left when it all went mad. The cast looked quite embarassed during the bows.
I actually quite liked the projections. And there was a lot of great choreography (with gymnastics galore).
I don't quite know what I thought of it but I don't regret seeing it. Give it a go if you can get a discount/comp - as seems likely given the reviews.
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Post by CBP1 on Jul 26, 2016 9:01:47 GMT
I had a moment in Part 1 where I thought that was where they might be going but I quickly concluded that was more me being hopeful than anything deliberate.
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Post by CBP1 on Jul 10, 2016 22:49:20 GMT
It was LONG. Think the 8.30pm show kicked out around 11.10pm last night (but it did start a bit late)
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Post by CBP1 on Jul 10, 2016 10:22:06 GMT
I saw this last night and was a bit disappointed. It wasn't quite what I was expecting. It was quite slow and not nearly as funny as I'd hoped. Saying that, the two cast members from the Toxic Avenger were every bit as good as I remember them. Marc Pickering is hilarious. As is Hannah Grover, but she's also a great singer. I have decided she should be in all the musicals from now on. All of them.
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 23, 2016 23:31:47 GMT
I get absolutely flummoxed when I'm reading people saying Dean isn't a strong singer! His technical ability is incredible and I personally love his tone too, though appreciate it might not be for everybody. I'm not sure what other people are hearing sometimes. His voice blows me away. He's clearly very good at vocal gymnastics. But he does it all the time and I think he almost tries too hard. For me it's the old cliché that sometimes less is more. I love a bit of well placed riffing but more often than not I just like to hear the melody sung as written. *disclaimer* I haven't seen Aladdin yet!
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 23, 2016 20:30:56 GMT
So without spoilers is it worth going to part 2 tomorrow having suffered at the hands of the rail network today. ATG were most unhelpful and wouldnt let me exchange. Im going end of July anyway so its not long to wait Personally I'd wait. It would be like picking a book up and start reading from the halfway point. It's very much one singular play split down the middle. Completely agree. And I thought part 1 was the better part. I would definitely want to see that first!
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 22, 2016 23:32:56 GMT
I also thought it wasn't that bad. I saw it in the same week as From here to Eternity and I definitely preferred this one!!
It clearly needed some work and the crappy advertising did it no favours at all. Or the name actually - I don't know why it wasn't just called something like "Profumo".
I remember leaving the theatre and saying that it could have worked if it had been in a much smaller venue like the union, where they could have really played up the seedy subject matter.
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 22, 2016 23:23:03 GMT
The Bane bit got a slight titter - it's the voice. I know he's not supposed to be human, but I can't imagine a centaur talks like a bit of a prat. Nail on head!
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 19, 2016 22:22:54 GMT
The Bane scene. I really expected to come on here to see people saying it needed to go. There was quite a lot of giggling from the audience which I don't think is what they were going for. I don't remember any giggling, odd, I remember an oooh (I'm rubbish with writing sounds) at the sight of him. Possibly more to do with it being Bane than how it was done. I definitely don't think the scene needs to go. Do you? I thought it was quite important because it's what causes Harry to separate Albus and Scorpius because of the dark cloud. I agree it's important plotwise but I felt like it needed some sort of tweaking. I really liked the concept but it felt a little bit panto horse to me. And the acting felt a bit over the top. If the actor reined it in a bit (pun definitely intended) I think it could really work.
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 18, 2016 10:56:48 GMT
Also CBP1 what was it that you thought wasn't going down as well with your audience as with the first preview? The Bane scene. I really expected to come on here to see people saying it needed to go. There was quite a lot of giggling from the audience which I don't think is what they were going for. I also get excited whenever there's a part 2 performance. Two show day today!!
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 17, 2016 14:41:16 GMT
On that note - a warning to anyone trying to take food into the theatre. If you get a mean person at security they will make you throw it away. ... or eat it on the spot. Yes that would seem to be the most obvious option. The security lady I got told me I must throw my food away immediately. It did not occur to her that there was an alternative. Luckily I had actually eaten it already and had just yet to dispose of the Pret bag.
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 17, 2016 13:47:52 GMT
I got two rear stalls on consecutive nights through the returns email I'm so confused! I feel like the ticketing system is needlessly complicated. As is the security at the theatre. What I particularly enjoyed was the way they searched bags if you had one and scanned you if you didn't. But nobody got both their bag and self searched. On that note - a warning to anyone trying to take food into the theatre. If you get a mean person at security they will make you throw it away.
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 17, 2016 13:30:53 GMT
I don't really understand how the online waitlist works then! I thought the idea was that people who had signed up to that got first dibs. So far I've only had one email about return tickets, but there seem to be loads knocking around.
As it worked out, I ended up getting lucky on the Nimax website last week but if I hadn't I might have been slightly peeved at the lack of communication as to the various different ways you might be able to obtain returns.
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 17, 2016 13:19:54 GMT
Rachel Tucker's first "last" Wicked show. The atmosphere was amazing. People openly blubbing at the interval. I managed not to cry until she changed the line to "for the last time I feel wicked". Then I lost it. My emotional state probably wasn't assisted by having had very little sleep* and seeing both the mat and evening performance in one day.
*Yes, I was one of those people. In my "defence", I only camped for one night and spent much of it thinking I wasn't quite mad enough to be in that queue.
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 16, 2016 19:32:34 GMT
I'd love to see them re-work Wicked witch of the East into a full song. Done right, that's one of my favourite moments in the show. And not to go back to the debate earlier, but it's a moment that I think a certain Nessa has really failed to being to life. It's her one real chance to milk it. I still wish that was on the cast recording.
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 16, 2016 18:27:18 GMT
I really can't imagine how people will react if they read the script in isolation (not least because those people are probably more used to reading prose).
But hooray for being able to spoil it soon, one way or another.
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 16, 2016 18:15:35 GMT
Easy peasy for shows that are set in a theatre. Or a railway station apparently!
Separately, more of you lot need to get your arses to the Palace pronto. The Potter discussion has dried up completely in the spoiler thread, and I can barely say anything to you lot for fear of spilling the secrets!
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 16, 2016 12:30:35 GMT
Daniel, I absolutely love that you've just told me I didn't get your sarcasm but then you continued replying to my post. The specific wording of "no one in that theatre is believing..." was sarcastic wording on my part.
The second part of the response is merely my opinion.
If we're going to be pedantic about this, your statement was hyperbole/exaggeration. Nelly's response was sarcastic - He clearly didn't actually think you had asked the entire audience for their views. Can we stop arguing about semantics now please?
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 16, 2016 11:57:22 GMT
Secondly, in the world of Oz, you can accept things like green witches, goats and monkeys, but when they specifically say about Nessarose being Elphaba's younger sister, it has to be a bit believable at least from a human perspective. And as I said, it is not like it is visibly minor, Katie looks significantly older than Emma, which isn't helped by the fact that Emma looks younger than she is anyway.
Maybe green is a very youthful skin colour.......
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 15, 2016 13:55:50 GMT
Out of interest, how does the badge thing work? Do they try and give them to as many people as possible or do you have to make a beeline for a staff member? I don't want to miss out on them (sad that may be)! I wonder how long they'll keep giving them out, until press night I guess? They were handing them to everyone as they left. The usher was quite insistent that I take a Part 2 badge to match my other one!
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 15, 2016 12:06:16 GMT
You know what would be great? A paper insert they hand out at the end of part 2 that has full cast info of who plays which characters, for anyone who wants to know. Or update the cast board in the foyer during act 2 of part 2 so people can look at the end. I thought the cast board was updated at the end of part 2 yesterday, but I admit I only looked it very briefly as I was trying hard to extract myself from the swarms of people loitering in the lobby. And looking back at the programme there are one or two names in there that I hadn't realised were in it. A paper insert is a brilliant idea though. They already have people handing out badges so might as well add the cast list to it. Surprised they're not selling a Part 2 programme really. Good chance to fleece people for even more money. Maybe they will post-previews.
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 15, 2016 9:24:31 GMT
Here you go kids. Diana Rigg AND Tim Curry! And he sings! I remember my dad wouldn't let me watch this once (as in it was being shown on tv and in those days that would have been my only chance) because i dropped too much fish food into the tank and the fish where going to eat themselves to death. I wonder if this is why I'm fat? Still trying to get Daddies love?? I digress How did I not know this existed?!! (I did a similar thing with my fish when aged around 2. Except it involved talcum powder rather than fish food.)
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 14, 2016 23:44:53 GMT
I just posted in the other thread but the spoiler free (and abridged) version of my thoughts goes a little like this:
Really enjoyed part one. Not so convinced by part two. I think it needs more work. Still some nice special effects (although fewer) but it drags more than part one. Much like the books, I think some cutting is in order. Actually, I'm still not convinced it needs to be in 2 parts.
Also, I don't care what JKR thinks. All shows containing witches at school should be musicals!
Overall though it was still enjoyable. I liked the touch of handing out a second "keep the secrets" badge to complement the first!!
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 14, 2016 23:09:52 GMT
Hooray I can finally post in this thread!!
I agree with a lot of what's been said already. I liked Part one. Lots of the technical stuff was really impressive and I thought the story was good (as long as you don't think too much about time travel!). I thought the Bane scene came across oddly (lots of giggling) but wouldn't cut too much else. Except maybe some of the flashbacks. Loved the dementors.
Part two needs a lot more work. I think it's too long and needs quite a lot of dialogue cut. The effects were also less impressive on the whole (patronus and wall writing excluded). To be honest I'm still not convinced it needed to be in two parts.
I'm with the majority on Delphi.The transition just wasn't convincing. Again, she had way too much explanatory dialogue and she seemed to lose characterisation in an attempt just to get through the script. Hopefully she'll improve with time.
Scorpius was the absolute star of the show for me. Actually the Malfoys in general provided some wonderful comedy.
The rest of the cast were also strong and Hermione was perfect but I thought the female characters were chronically underused. I was disappointed that this was yet another story that focused on the male leads and had women as bit parts. The original at least had Hermione as one third of the main gang. This dropped the girl sidekick in favour of a play about two boys and their relationships with their fathers. Rose was pointless. Yes the villain was a woman. But a pretty one-dimensional one. We got long winded monologues from Dumbledore and a chance for Snape to play the hero again. Yet Bellatrix didn't feature and only got a token mention at the end for those who somehow hadn't already worked out who Delphi was meant to be. I felt leaving that there were some missed opportunities to do more with some of the characters.
On the other hand, I would happily watch a Scorpius spinoff!!!
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 13, 2016 15:53:22 GMT
The last one needed to be as long as it was, but books 4 to 6 were far too long. I still loved them all though, I was exactly the target age and got all of them from book 4 onwards the day they were released. I remember reading Deathly Hallows in about 4 hours the first time through. Then I read it again a couple of days later to take in and appreciate the detail. I didn't mind the length of Goblet, HBP or Hallows. I really don't see much in Hallows or HBP that could be cut. OOTP though was too long and there seemed to be a lot of filler and repeating the same things again and again. It felt more of a chore to read that one compared to all the others. Yes, is that the one with the same dream/prophecy sequence over and over and over and over?! I think that's the one in particular that I felt needed some cutting. I really like Goblet of Fire and I think the Deathly Hallows probably also needed to be that long. I think Half Blood Prince felt a bit of a chore at times too but that might have been a hangover from the previous book. I also found that I had lost track of all the new characters that had been introduced by that stage.
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 12, 2016 18:19:42 GMT
Cats is the most pointless thing I have ever seen on a stage. I just don't get it and how it is still going, despite being so dated. Sorry Cats fans.
Totally agree!
I think this one may be quite a popular opinion! I just don't get it either.
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 12, 2016 16:55:41 GMT
Ordinarily I would agree and do the same. However, they were all coming out when I was at school and everyone was talking about them so I wanted to be able to join in. Also I loved magic and fantasy so I thought they'd suit me. I'm glad I persevered as I grew to really enjoy the later books (even though they were far too long). I did re-read books 1-6 before the last one came out to refresh my memory. Totally agree. The first couple of books aren't all that great but it really starts to pick up from book 3 onwards. Unfortunately as the books pick up, the editors clearly put down their pens. The last few could really have done with some significant trimming. I was sceptical about the play being in two parts for this reason but there's not much I would drop from Part 1. It did drag a little bit in the 2nd Act but it recovers spectacularly at the end. Fingers crossed Part 2 continues along those lines.....
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Post by CBP1 on Jun 12, 2016 16:32:03 GMT
OhGeorge... She ain't gonna be coming back. Maybe start trawling Wetherspoons and you may find her? I can't see them announcing she'll be back by the 11th July and saying she wants to return and also saying that any information saying she won't return is untrue showing me that she won't return. If she wasn't going to return them why didn't they say that instead of messing people around? George - He's just trying to wind you up. Stop rising to it. Mr B - Stop it. It's too easy!
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