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Post by stevejohnson678 on Dec 7, 2023 10:06:01 GMT
Coming to The Lowry from Tue 29 Oct - Sat 2 Nov 2024. On sale to members now, general sale tomorrow at 10am. It's in the Lyric Theatre at The Lowry which is a bit of a surprise, considering it's in the Courtyard at Leeds Playhouse.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Dec 6, 2023 17:49:41 GMT
Ramin announcing something at 5pm today. What did he announce? I can't see anything online anywhere? A live stream. Nothing to do with Jekyl and Hyde.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Dec 6, 2023 10:23:43 GMT
When's opening night. What do previews run to Press night is Thursday 18 July.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Dec 6, 2023 10:17:40 GMT
Not discounting previews seems to be a new trend in the West End. I'm going to pass on this too at those prices.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Dec 2, 2023 22:37:22 GMT
First report from the Ambassadors is in on the Facebook page - "what a pile of rubbish!!".
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 30, 2023 20:45:21 GMT
The scenes at Shenton Towers when one of those dastardly bloggers gives this a rave review and gets their quote on the marquee!
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 30, 2023 12:19:23 GMT
I think the Octagon in Bolton has long since overtaken the Royal Exchange as the leading producing theatre in the North West.
Might give Earnest a try in the new season but will wait until the cast is announced before booking. Seeing Brief Encounter in a couple of weeks.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 29, 2023 17:21:02 GMT
First London performance tomorrow has been cancelled. Friday still going ahead as things stand.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 28, 2023 18:52:59 GMT
Still opening for previews this week. The signage went up on the theatre yesterday.
I wonder if press night will ever happen if the scathing audience reviews keep rolling in.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 24, 2023 8:51:14 GMT
Press night is supposedly Wednesday 6 December. Eek.
Such a shame. It certainly looks the part in the images that have been released. I've seen quite a bit of praise for Ella Schrey-Yeats' performance too. The source material is so strong and should lend itself well to a theatrical setting. A real missed opportunity that this take on it appears to be so misconceived. I can't recall such a near unanimously scathing reaction to a piece quite like this before.
Like others, I feel sorry for the cast. They must be aware of how the play is being received, both online and in the muted responses from audiences.
I'm booked for late December and still inclined to see it for myself. But you do have to wonder if it will even make it to the Ambassadors Theatre at this rate and, if it does, how long it can possibly last.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 21, 2023 20:03:28 GMT
I paid a visit to Liverpool Everyman's Rock 'n' Roll Panto Cinderella last night. Despite a technical hitch with the trap door causing a small delay during the show (prompting a sing along to Beatles songs with the cast to pass the time), it was a really fun evening for both kids and adults. With a nice mix of rock, pop and disco songs sung by the company of actor-musician cast members to accompany the book by writer Luke Barns with many of the cast present from previous years, there was plenty of sass, silliness and sparkle on display. Saw this last night. Tradition dictates I go to the Liverpool Everyman for the first Monday evening of the run every year. Already booked for Rapunzel in 2024! I enjoyed this year's offering of Cinderella, though I do miss the old Everyman rock and roll panto writing team of Mark Chatterton and Sarah A Nixon. It's great to see Adam Keast back, front and centre, for his 21st Everyman panto. Although in the cast for Red Riding Hood last year, he was somewhat sidelined and peripheral to proceedings compared to usual. Making her professional debut, Grace Venus proves a great find as the central character of Ellanora (aka Cinderella). There's such a natural charm and warmth to her performance. She also delivers terrific vocals on an eclectic variety of songs, from Radiohead's Creep to Bon Jovi's It's My Life, and provides the beating heart of this production. The Everyman are certainly offering a unique, zany and empowering take on the classic Cinderella story. While it's a show that never takes itself too seriously, there's a nice, defiant message about acceptance there in amongst the larger-than-life characters and silly antics. The ludicrousness of Adam Keast's character setting off to travel the world to track down Ellanora, despite knowing exactly where she lives, is especially daft! When he eventually does track her down at home, he finds her 'imprisoned' there behind bars which just slide open! There's silliness like that at every turn. For me, the main disappointment here was that, considering this is a rock and roll panto, with a talented cast of actor musicians, I wished there was a little bit more music. 20-25 minutes in and I think we'd only had one proper song. It didn't help that some of the more upbeat numbers were heavily trimmed. The finale and encore of River Deep Mountain High is a blast, but it does highlight that a few more musical numbers like that, at the expense of some of the dialogue, wouldn't go amiss. While the show perhaps doesn't fully take off until the finale, there's still lots to enjoy here along the way. It's certainly a fresh and contemporary take on Cinderella that continues the reinvention of the Everyman's festive staple. There's more rock and roll panto fun for me in a couple of weeks when it's time for the annual visit to City Varieties in Leeds. Robin Hood is getting their rock and roll panto treatment this year.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 21, 2023 12:45:30 GMT
That report saying the show has received "rave reviews" made me laugh. There's been one rave review, from the person who wrote that article.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 20, 2023 12:48:05 GMT
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 17, 2023 13:12:53 GMT
The cast are appearing on Children in Need this evening.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 15, 2023 15:42:48 GMT
Three stars from WhatsOnStage, two stars from The Guardian. Five stars from the Manchester Evening News.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 13, 2023 11:33:26 GMT
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 11, 2023 18:39:45 GMT
Wow, the sales for this tomorrow afternoon are truly dire. Good chance to see the show with empty seats all around you though, rather than drunk audience members shouting out and singing along!
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 9, 2023 9:30:54 GMT
The Octagon's new season is announced today so this should be on sale in the next week or two, after the members priority period.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 8, 2023 13:28:49 GMT
The inflated prices at ATG venues are making me seriously consider giving up my ATG+ membership.
Burlesque has gone on sale today in Manchester. As usual, no members email was received and I missed the measly discount of £7.50 on selected performances, having checked the opening night and a couple of other dates where no discounts are being offered. The Book of Mormon has just gone on sale this week with no discount for ATG+ members, the opening night is slightly discounted but that's available to anyone.
The overcharging for shows at the Palace Theatre and Opera House in Manchester compared to non-ATG regional venues is becoming a joke. £32 to see Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder was the price I paid for a top-price ticket on a Friday night at HOME in Manchester. That's for a show with critical acclaim and sell-out runs at flagship Edinburgh Fringe venues behind it. Compare that to swathes of the stalls and circle being £70 a ticket, £75 Fridays and Saturdays, for Burlesque, a musical that's very much an unknown quantity and essentially having a trial run. Even the first preview isn't discounted!
Bonnie and Clyde at the Palace Theatre is charging up to £69.50 for standard seats, with premium tickets up to £132. The same show is in Bradford where the top price ticket is £43 weekdays and £47 at weekends and in Blackpool where top prices are £40-£42.75. There's no premium pricing at either of those theatres. Throw in the feral behaviour of some audience members at the ATG venues, as seen this weekend at I Should Be So Lucky, and the extortionate pricing for Burlesque feels like the tipping point for me. I'll be trying to get my theatre fix elsewhere, wherever possible, from now on.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 8, 2023 13:17:26 GMT
I've been to the Lowry and the Royal Exchange and can see that prices at the Palace and Opera House look high in comparison but not compared to London. London prices are pretty irrelevant for a new musical playing 200 miles away in Manchester. A top price ticket for Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder at HOME cost me £32. That's a new musical with critical acclaim and sellout shows at the Edinburgh Fringe behind it. I Should Be So Lucky had top price tickets at £20 for the first preview for ATG+ members and top prices more widely at £45 for its opening week. Up to £75 for a musical that's essentially in previews in Manchester feels like the straw that broke the camel's back for me.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 8, 2023 10:53:55 GMT
Decent pricing? Top standard prices are £70 weekdays and £75 weekends (including Fridays) for the majority of the stalls and circle, with no discounts for ATG+ members. Tickets back from Centre Row K in the Stalls are £65 on weekends. £7.50 off each ticket on early week performances for ATG+ members. Tickets on all levels have £13, £25 and £40 tickets available. That in my eyes is good. Compare that to what we saw for Starlight Express yesterday too... Well of course, I received no email from ATG explaining when discounts were available. I checked three dates, all of which had no discounts, including the first performance which is when they're usually offered. That's ATG for you. £65 for Row K back for a musical that's essentially trying out in Manchester for a couple of weeks is a rip-off in my book. £75 further forward the same. Are we really judging an expensively priced, immersive production of Starlight Express in London as the benchmark for value-for-money for a new musical in Manchester that could be awful? It seems almost everything at the Palace or Opera House is priced extortionately nowadays, certainly compared to non-ATG competitors like The Lowry. Throw in the bad audience behaviour at the ATG venues and you really start to question if it's worth paying their rip-off prices. 50% off for ATG members for opening night and a top price of say £50 would have been much more like it.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 8, 2023 10:37:17 GMT
I have booked! Decent pricing. I am excited to see what they do with this. I really hope its not terrible 😂 Decent pricing? Top standard prices are £70 weekdays and £75 weekends (including Fridays) for the majority of the stalls and circle, with no discounts for ATG+ members.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 7, 2023 10:46:17 GMT
Who's first into the TB seats? I've got June 15th, evening show. June 16th, 1pm show!
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 7, 2023 10:20:47 GMT
Good to see that seat choices were available, even if it was only half of them. I went for those row E aisle seats at £95 on the mid-platform. For anyone after a bargain, those row S pairs, near the back, at £29.50 look worth a shout. All date/stimes seem to have the same pricing. I got the same seats! Same seats here too. Row E on the aisle is obviously where it's at!
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 6, 2023 17:56:34 GMT
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 6, 2023 11:54:21 GMT
Pre-sale tomorrow at 12pm. General sale Friday at 10am. Palace Theatre, Manchester - 11 September to 5 October 2024 Edinburgh Playhouse - 15 October to 2 November 2024 The Alexandra, Birmingham - 3 to 28 December 2024 10am pre-sale for ATG+ members. 12pm for those who signed up.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 5, 2023 10:32:12 GMT
Last night at I Should Be So Lucky at the Opera House Manchester.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 4, 2023 21:46:51 GMT
Oh dear, show stopped for rowdy audience members to be thrown out tonight.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 4, 2023 18:23:36 GMT
Theatre by the Lake dates are 27 March - 20 April.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on Nov 4, 2023 18:17:46 GMT
Looks like it will be an extended version at The Other Palace. The running time is showing as 90 minutes on their website, compared to the 60 in Edinburgh. That's all the encouragement I needed to see it again!
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