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Post by nash16 on Jun 18, 2016 22:36:18 GMT
This was terrible.
I fear Mike Bartlett's worst play. And we were really looking forward to it.
We went this evening, but asked the ushers about the technical troubles. They said it was "ongoing", but I hope they fix it for Tuesday's Press Night, because if the set fails again, I fear the press will make that the focus and use it to describe the play itself which feels very weak. It was an evening of very dry opinions of the individual, the state, Russia, America, what is truth, which makes it all sound more interesting than it was, because it was actually so dull. One room, with not a lot happening in it. I know Snowden was/is trapped in a similar environ, but there's no need to inflict it on us all, and have no interval. We really couldn't engage with any of the characters. Jack Farthing does his best, but taking his top off does seem like a desperate measure. How Dunne has learnt all the facts and wikipedia style ramblings is beyond me. She deserves a medal. HEr and Farthing try their best with the "witty banter" moments, but they die a death because they're surrounded by dry theorising. Mackay tries to inject some Pinter/mysterious force into proceedings, but again, dull. So many pauses in it all, supposedly significant: folding a chocolate bar wrapper, pouring a drink…bore off!
The set change at the end WAS visually impressive, but was basically bashing the audience over the head with its metaphor. Nothing exists. Nothing is real. Am I here? Are you here? Engage us. Give us some drama.
No, no, no, no, no.
Poor.
Don't let the set change blind you. Remember how you feel in the first 1hr 30mins.
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Post by nash16 on Mar 29, 2016 22:12:10 GMT
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Post by nash16 on Mar 16, 2016 16:03:33 GMT
Very tempted to see this, sounds great.But i have only have one possible sslot for it, and it's a toss up between this and seeing Billy Elliot for a final time before it closes. decisions decisions. I would see PP&T. Went back to BILLY last night and it's not in the best shape, despite it closing. Felt quite forced comedy wise, and the Mrs Wilkinson just doesn't quite do it. Keep your good memories of that, and get new memories instead of this great new play and Denise Gough's performance.
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Post by nash16 on Mar 13, 2016 0:13:58 GMT
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Post by nash16 on Mar 3, 2016 23:55:07 GMT
Baz is confirming this with Vanessa Redgrave as Margaret. It should be a very exciting production. Really can't wait for this.
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Post by nash16 on Feb 17, 2016 13:01:01 GMT
I was sat 3 seats away from stage, on right hand side facing, and Debbie is right, you only miss a door, save the other side where I feel you would miss a lot. Hard to hear quite a bit of it, even with them mic'd. Why mic them at all? Sometimes, Katie… Nudity everywhere, but I felt serving the text. It's not an easy watch, and could understand why people would walk, especially NT members, who book Previews as standard. Students will go nuts for it. The older generation not so much. It's great to see Mitchell doing something brutal again though, after the children's shows. Great for Rufus bringing her back.
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Post by nash16 on Feb 16, 2016 13:52:28 GMT
Front row tomorrow night thanks to the Friday Rush tickets! Does anyone know the running time of this play from any past productions? Going tonight as well. Really looking forward to it. The play normally runs at 1hr 30mins.
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Post by nash16 on Feb 16, 2016 13:50:37 GMT
You've gone from not reading between the lines, to now reading between lines that were never there. I love this! Could you expand on why you thought the fool was a "low point" particularly in that production then? I could but I don't have to. More instructive would be for you to explain why you looked at that actor and saw someone from Japan, in fact for you that is apparently such a defining characteristic you mentioned it when no-one else here had. I looked at them and just saw an actor. You may "love" being called out for your somewhat immature attitude to diversity in casting but accusing people of racism with no foundation or evidence at all could get you into a lot of trouble. Probably you think your initial comment on this thread was a joke. It wasn't. It was far from a joke, unfortunately. It's your choice not to expand on why you thought that particular performance was a "new low" though. We will never know...
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Post by nash16 on Feb 15, 2016 16:07:20 GMT
Ah, the point I was making... Rather than report you to Admin let me explain why your post was offensive so you might learn something. I am well aware that you were charging me with racism. In this production the Fool was played by a Japanese actor. I said the Fool was bad in this production. You are saying that the reason I am saying this is that I am a racist, that is that there is no possible other reason for me to have taken the view, for example that the part was badly acted, or the director's interpretation of the part was ridiculous, or any number of valid reasons. To show up the stupidity of that view I should point out that I also thought Hawthorne was very poor in that production, do you think I'm saying that because he is English ? However, there is another implication from your comments, you must think that because the Fool was played by a Japanese actor then they should be above any normal criticism which might be directed at English actors. What they teach you in any diversity training course (you might try one) is that the assignment of a single characteristic to a single race or ethnic group is racist. That could be "All Mexicans are lazy" or "All Japanese are good actors" - the fact is that some are good, some are bad, some are average, they are all individuals just like us. Ponder upon that - equality means that they should be treated equally, no ? Of course also present in your post is a version of the tedious old political argument "Anyone who disagrees with me is Hitler" - the adolescent tendency to ascribe the worst possible motives to anyone who simply disagrees with one of your opinions. I have close family members who are immigrants to UK so the charge is doubly ridiculous. I don't expect an apology. You've gone from not reading between the lines, to now reading between lines that were never there. I love this! Could you expand on why you thought the fool was a "low point" particularly in that production then?
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Post by nash16 on Feb 15, 2016 9:52:17 GMT
Yes, wasn't the Fool in that one…a foreigner? Of "Japanese" extraction? #outraged Bit racist of you to say that. Ah, the point I was making...
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Post by nash16 on Feb 14, 2016 22:50:38 GMT
the Nigel Hawthorne Lear was interesting, with Michael Maloney, but the falling rocks were pretty terrifying and the genuine. centuries old Kimonos made Goneril and Regan immoveable. But i'm thrilled to get the chance to see Glenda again..... Hated the Hawthorne one, a new low with the Fool in that one. Yes, wasn't the Fool in that one…a foreigner? Of "Japanese" extraction? #outraged
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Post by nash16 on Feb 5, 2016 1:22:12 GMT
Ralph Fiennes to play the title role in Rupert Goold's new take on Shakespeare's classic.
Opening June.
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