1,103 posts
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Post by mallardo on Oct 6, 2017 16:16:17 GMT
There's a moment in Heisenberg when the 75 year old butcher, Alex Priest, tries to explain his love for a Bach sonata to the 42 year old receptionist, Georgie Burns, the woman with whom he has become so strangely involved. What fascinates him, he says, is his inability to predict the next note - Bach keeps crossing him up by veering in unexpected directions. The speech - superbly delivered by Kenneth Cranham - rather sums up the idea of the play. Uncertainty is a fundamental principle not only of particle physics, Heisenberg's field, but of all of life, all the time. Few of us would argue. We want to control our lives but never can. Randomness is built in.
Simon Stephens's play advances this evident truth via a totally unexpected relationship that comes from nowhere and changes everything for its two protagonists. Like the Bach sonata, the relationship moves in uncharted directions. I did not know where it was going and was surprised where it ended up. Not in a big way, mind you. It's a low key play, its plot advancing in hesitant stages.
And, it must be said, the randomness theme is not rigidly adhered to. One of the characters has an agenda which imposes a kind of narrative shape to the story. But, I suppose, one could see this inconsistency as just another aspect of, well, the uncertainty principle.
In any case, Alex and Georgie are two beautifully written and finely played characters. We care about them as people not as illustrations of the author's message. It's not often that we see a convincing love story - that includes sex - involving a 75 year old man, but Cranham and the vibrant Anne-Marie Duff make it work and then some. Duff is always wonderful, even in a catastrophe like Commons, but here she is altogether radiant and life-affirming and, to me at least, absolutely irresistible.
Marianne Elliott's production is simple and elegant and perfectly suits the intimacy and fragility of the piece. There will be those who will not respond to this but to me it was powerful and compelling theatre. I relished every moment of it.
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134 posts
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Post by Kenneth_C on Oct 6, 2017 16:22:58 GMT
Honestly I didn't see the fuss about the play at all when I saw it in LA. Though I suppose it may well be better with this cast and director (and no jetlag). On the face of it I'm not that bothered about seeing it again, though. It was the same cast (including Tony-nominated Denis Arndt) and director as the Off-Broadway and Broadway runs in L.A. But I agree it was underwhelming. It held my interest for the first 20 minutes or so, but then.... Someone said it was less a "play" than an "acting exercise", and that pretty much sums it up.
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5,274 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Oct 6, 2017 19:23:15 GMT
Thank you for these reports.. it has saved me the cost of a ticket , I ain’t going!
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893 posts
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Post by vdcni on Oct 6, 2017 21:18:41 GMT
Saw this tonight and very underwhelmed.
It doesn't have anything to say and it doesn't not say it very well.
Duff was great, Cranham ok. Even at 80 minutes it overstayed its welcome.
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231 posts
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Post by harrietcraig on Oct 6, 2017 21:51:30 GMT
I found the female character so annoying, despite a great performance by Anne Marie Duff. I felt the same way when I saw the play on Broadway (with Mary-Louise Parker as Georgie). One of the reviews of the Broadway production had this to say about her character, which I thought was absolutely spot on: "To enjoy Heisenberg, one must fall in love with Georgie, or at least be able to tolerate her. But, too often, her manner, supposedly defined by a disarming eccentricity and blunt, clarifying honesty, is merely grating and infantile. ... Fishing for compliments, she asks Alex, 'Do you find me exhausting but captivating?' Well, yes and no."
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Xanderl
Member
Not always very high value in terms of ticket yield or donations
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Post by Xanderl on Oct 6, 2017 21:56:19 GMT
Agree with the above. Enjoyed it but it is slight
Very odd choice for a West End production, seemed much more suited for a smaller space (as the original off-Broadway production was). Or a starrier cast.
My £19 stalls seat was good value (as I would have happily paid that to see it at the Almeida or Royal Court) but would have felt differently if I’d paid more
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617 posts
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Post by loureviews on Oct 7, 2017 9:27:54 GMT
Is this play good? It sounds kind of dry .. though the production shots have got my intrigued. Slightly scared of seeing Granham on stage after his hideously actory performance In The Father He was absolutely fantastic in The Father. My husband and I were both in tears by the end. And it's Cranham.
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1,187 posts
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Post by theatrelover123 on Oct 7, 2017 10:28:50 GMT
In my opinion, Cranham gave a terrible performance in The Father.
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1,119 posts
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Post by martin1965 on Oct 7, 2017 12:05:09 GMT
In my opinion, Cranham gave a terrible performance in The Father. ?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2017 12:18:00 GMT
Could someone advise on where the 19 quid stalls tickets are to be found?
Apols if the answer is 'from the theatre'; have been looking for reduced price ticks for this, am interested but not that interested.
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Xanderl
Member
Not always very high value in terms of ticket yield or donations
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Post by Xanderl on Oct 7, 2017 12:46:33 GMT
From the theatre Go to the Delfont Macintosh website. There were some side seats near the front for £19.50 which I suspect will have gone, but the back few rows of the stalls are still available for that price
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816 posts
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Post by stefy69 on Oct 7, 2017 14:07:42 GMT
In my opinion, Cranham gave a terrible performance in The Father.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2017 16:48:29 GMT
From the theatre Go to the Delfont Macintosh website. There were some side seats near the front for £19.50 which I suspect will have gone, but the back few rows of the stalls are still available for that price Bless you for not adding 'you muppet' to that!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2017 16:48:47 GMT
From the theatre Go to the Delfont Macintosh website. There were some side seats near the front for £19.50 which I suspect will have gone, but the back few rows of the stalls are still available for that price Bless you for not adding 'you muppet' to that!
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2,389 posts
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Post by peggs on Oct 7, 2017 18:48:30 GMT
Here now so will see, so far only cheap end of rows occupied. People behind have sweets, torn between glaring early in case noisy or asking for one now these seats are either getting smaller or I'm getting bigger.
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1,119 posts
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Post by martin1965 on Oct 7, 2017 20:09:14 GMT
Here now so will see, so far only cheap end of rows occupied. People behind have sweets, torn between glaring early in case noisy or asking for one now these seats are either getting smaller or I'm getting bigger. Tell them to bum off!
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2,389 posts
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Post by peggs on Oct 7, 2017 21:09:48 GMT
Should have scowled they chattered through every scene change. But was quite eventful, man tried to get out mid scene past the slowest I must protect my drink at all cost woman and promptly collapsed, queue audience trying to be helpful for several mins before any ushers could be found.
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2,389 posts
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Post by peggs on Oct 7, 2017 21:12:35 GMT
Spent first hour thinking this is an odd west end play and yes surely a smaller more intimate space would work and suspecting I was possibly missing something. Then in last ten mins found self oddly charmed. Only it wasn't last ten mins as turns out I can't add up and for some reason had made 80 mins an hour and ten when it clearly isn't so it had another ten mins to ferment my I rather like this even if not quite sure why or if I have missed some great point.
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1,866 posts
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Post by Marwood on Oct 8, 2017 0:35:08 GMT
I'll be generous and say I liked this, but as other people have said, the whole thing is very slight, and you won't really be missing much if you don't see this.
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2,206 posts
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Oct 8, 2017 18:58:27 GMT
I liked this. Nice to have Anne-Marie Duff back
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294 posts
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Post by dani on Oct 9, 2017 8:12:09 GMT
I liked this. Nice to have Anne-Marie Duff back Back from the clutches of Common, do you mean?!!
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530 posts
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Post by jek on Oct 9, 2017 10:57:26 GMT
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2,389 posts
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Post by peggs on Oct 9, 2017 17:36:39 GMT
Thanks jek for the link.
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2,206 posts
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Oct 9, 2017 17:37:53 GMT
I liked this. Nice to have Anne-Marie Duff back Back from the clutches of Common, do you mean?!! He he, that's the one
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2017 21:18:07 GMT
Just back from this one. I'm sure the press will love it, but I was struck by the bizarre choice to have it open Marianne Elliot's season. I just didn't think it was a particularly good play. The 90 minutes zoom along nicely enough, but I wasn't moved or excited by it. Sterling performance by Anne-Marie Duff and a confident, if stilted performance by Cranham who I adored in The Father last year.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2017 13:13:50 GMT
Seems like a batch of two and three star reviews.
Having only read it (and struggled to get halfway through before abandoning) those reviews don't entirely surprise me. There was always that chance of the reviews being overly kind on the basis of it being a new commercial venture from a team of creatives who've done critically lauded work in the subsidised theatre.
Not sure it is best suited for the West End - I found it quite pretentious, and it feels more like a studio piece in a subsidised space - but I think they thought it might be a cheap show to get up, and were hoping that the Stephens/Elliott/Cranham/Duff grouping might see it across the line. Be interested to see how it ends up selling off the back of the reviews though.
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1,093 posts
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Oct 10, 2017 13:43:49 GMT
It's almost embarrassing how hard all involved are working to shill tickets. I'm surprised we haven't see Simon Stephens show up on Saturday Kitchen yet, or playing second fiddle to animals who do tricks on the One Show.
It's just the wrong venue. If this was on at the Court it would have sold out.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2017 14:25:50 GMT
A delightful young man from the box office called me earlier to say that the balcony is closed today so they're upgrading me by moving me into a much nicer seat.
He asked me where I'd like to sit so I suggested the bar. That wasn't an option apparently so I'll have to sit with the great unwashed unfortunately.
*shudder*
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2,206 posts
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Oct 10, 2017 18:43:46 GMT
A delightful young man from the box office called me earlier to say that the balcony is closed today so they're upgrading me by moving me into a much nicer seat. He asked me where I'd like to sit so I suggested the bar. That wasn't an option apparently so I'll have to sit with the great unwashed unfortunately. *shudder* Cheek of this one, upgraded from the balcony and moaning he'll have to sit with the hoi polloi. I paid top dollar for my premium seat
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Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2017 9:06:16 GMT
Well. It's only about an hour and a half but it certainly feels longer. It's so dull they could put it on the NHS for insomnia sufferers. Whoever made the decision to put it on in this theatre needs to consider whether working in London's glitzy West End is the career for them. I spent most of the show primed in my seat waiting to attack any random pile of tumbleweed that might have zipped by.
Anne-Marie Duff, God love her is a tremendous actress and she has an indefinable charisma but she's woefully miscast here for my money and never once convinces as an American. She doesn't strike me as the kind of woman who wears such dreadfully mismatched undies either but the biggest problem is that her character is just so unbelievably irritating. To the point where you want her to fall through one of the trap doors on the stage at various intervals. Kenny Cranham is also very good but it's hard when the material is this boring. Plus he wears his socks to bed. And not even nice toasty warm bedsocks either. His normal ones.
On the plus side, at the curtain call AMD and KC seem to get on like a house on fire and she does seem really rather lovely.
It's appallingly directed though. There are a couple of scenes where if you're in the upper areas of the theatre, you'll have various bits of headless acting going on. And for those people who have a fear of the walls closing in on you, perhaps avoid this show. The person operating the walls gets a bit heavy handed towards the end of the play but there you go. Perhaps he fell asleep on the button. BUT the best bit of the whole play is that there are some lovely interpretive dance moments between scenes which are a comical delight.
Finally, someone needs to tell Anne-Marie to take a look at Skyscanner. I went to New York recently and my flight was nowhere near £15,000. She needs to speak to 'Watchdog' about her travel agent.
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