|
Post by ATK on Jul 2, 2018 18:52:13 GMT
Lots of available dates on the website now.
|
|
530 posts
|
Post by jek on Jul 3, 2018 14:51:23 GMT
Big article about this in the Financial Times at the Weekend (front cover and inside page of the Life and Arts section),'Making A Drama Out of A Crisis' by Sarah Hemming. I have the actual physical paper but I guess it will be online behind the FT paywall. It is in part a survey of the sort of drama made from stories of financial affairs - Glengarry Glen Ross, World Factory, Serious Money and Enron are all mentioned. But it also mentions how the Lehman Trilogy has morphed from having a cast of twenty in earlier productions to just three in the current one with those three actors conjuring up multiple characters with - among other things, Adam Godley playing a billiard ball and Simon Russell Beale an 18 year old girl in nineteenth century Alabama. Must admit that having read the article I am now more pleased that I booked tickets.
Still think that the FT has among the best arts coverage of any UK paper - hence why I buy a physical copy of it at the weekend.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2018 15:29:08 GMT
The idea of SRB playing a teenage girl has made me sort of regret giving up my ticket for the first preview, even though it would've been an AWFULLY late finish for a school night. When's the soonest anyone here is going?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2018 15:33:26 GMT
I'm going on Saturday!
|
|
5,586 posts
|
Post by lynette on Jul 3, 2018 16:24:17 GMT
Let us know if SRB wears a dress.
|
|
530 posts
|
Post by jek on Jul 3, 2018 16:27:41 GMT
lynette Get the impression from the article that that is not going to happen! Rather it is all about the gesture or how someone sits. I'm going in about ten days and am now properly intrigued by it.
|
|
2,389 posts
|
Post by peggs on Jul 3, 2018 18:24:54 GMT
I am more intrigued by how you go about playing a billiard ball but then I have already seen SRB in a dress.
|
|
|
Post by oxfordsimon on Jul 3, 2018 22:28:54 GMT
SRB wore a frock in Privates on Parade if I recall correctly... So he has done that!
|
|
|
Post by raiseitup on Jul 3, 2018 22:51:48 GMT
Big article about this in the Financial Times at the Weekend (front cover and inside page of the Life and Arts section),'Making A Drama Out of A Crisis' by Sarah Hemming. I have the actual physical paper but I guess it will be online behind the FT paywall. It is in part a survey of the sort of drama made from stories of financial affairs - Glengarry Glen Ross, World Factory, Serious Money and Enron are all mentioned. But it also mentions how the Lehman Trilogy has morphed from having a cast of twenty in earlier productions to just three in the current one with those three actors conjuring up multiple characters with - among other things, Adam Godley playing a billiard ball and Simon Russell Beale an 18 year old girl in nineteenth century Alabama. Must admit that having read the article I am now more pleased that I booked tickets. Still think that the FT has among the best arts coverage of any UK paper - hence why I buy a physical copy of it at the weekend. Thanks for the heads up! The article is here and is certainly an interesting read www.ft.com/content/2f0fe6ca-7a1a-11e8-bc55-50daf11b720dYou have to complete a survey to read the full thing (or maybe use incognito mode in your browser).
|
|
3,472 posts
|
Post by showgirl on Jul 4, 2018 3:11:32 GMT
Agree, jek, that the weekend FT is a great read; we have it but I have so little time for papers and OH sits on them for literally months so only drip-feeds me the Life & Arts section when it's way out-of-date. However, I do know far more than he does about what's on or coming up theatre-wise, so his frustrating habit of asking me - long after I've booked for a production or have even seen it - whether I've heard of it and am interested in going came into play here. I told him I had written it off and that tickets had been very popular in advance but that I'd try to help him get one if he wished.
|
|
530 posts
|
Post by jek on Jul 4, 2018 7:41:21 GMT
I am really grateful that we have a recycling collection every other week which acts as my 'deadline' for the previous two weeks newspapers, showgirl. But there is so much thrown away here that I never get round to reading. I do, however, always make time to glance through the extremely funny or obscene (depending on mood) 'How To Spend It' supplement! Who knew that things could cost so much?
|
|
1,316 posts
|
Post by tmesis on Jul 4, 2018 7:50:51 GMT
If the "very little dialogue" rumour is true, then I am going to kick up SOME STINK when SRB stands stationary and rarely-speaking on the Lyttelton stage for the best part of four hours. I imagine Polly Bennett, credited with "movement", would be fairly disgruntled by this too. Maybe some interpretative dance?! 'SRB dies dance!' I saw SRB dance with the Royal Ballet at ROH a few years ago as The Duchess in Alice in Wonderland.
|
|
5,586 posts
|
Post by lynette on Jul 4, 2018 15:32:49 GMT
Maybe some interpretative dance?! 'SRB dies dance!' I saw SRB dance with the Royal Ballet at ROH a few years ago as The Duchess in Alice in Wonderland. I saw this too. V entertaining.
|
|
5,586 posts
|
Post by lynette on Jul 4, 2018 15:33:48 GMT
lynette Get the impression from the article that that is not going to happen! Rather it is all about the gesture or how someone sits. I'm going in about ten days and am now properly intrigued by it. You might be our first to see it so keep us informed. Anyone going earlier? Just checked and I’m going on 17 th.
|
|
|
Post by nev on Jul 4, 2018 21:38:23 GMT
Long time lurker here. I saw this tonight and felt compelled to crawl out of my lurker corner to say that I found it absolutely incredible. My first 5* of the year (other than Sea Wall).
Was slightly apprehensive given the length and only three actors, but I need not have worried. The set is spectacular. Having mostly seen SRB in more traditional Shakespeare, I was amazed at his versatility. The story in itself was captivating, but there's very little 2008 (for those interested in that part of the history). There's some very clever storytelling in parts. Still, it was a preview and some minor niggles I'm sure will be sorted out before press night.
The hours flew by and I'd happily see this again.
|
|
1,465 posts
|
Post by foxa on Jul 4, 2018 22:25:19 GMT
Thanks for posting, Nev! I'm seeing this next week, so pleased to read your good review.
|
|
|
Post by QueerTheatre on Jul 5, 2018 15:26:44 GMT
I'm going tonight and had been slightly dreading it, thanks for giving me a glimmer of hope nev
|
|
5,586 posts
|
Post by lynette on Jul 5, 2018 15:46:17 GMT
Thanks nev and welcome.
|
|
2,206 posts
|
Post by theglenbucklaird on Jul 6, 2018 19:26:20 GMT
|
|
|
Post by learfan on Jul 6, 2018 21:41:22 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2018 0:53:45 GMT
|
|
1,197 posts
|
Post by theatrefan77 on Jul 7, 2018 10:53:57 GMT
I enjoyed this very much on Thursday night. It finished at 22:20, so not as long as originally announced.
The three actors are excellent with Simon Russell Beale being truly hilarious when playing the female characters. The story is very interesting. Act I was perfect and it really flew by. Act II was good but slightly boring in parts, a little bit of trimming would certainly help. Act III wraps things nicely although the twist dancing could have been a bit shorter, it was very funny to start with but it goes on and on and on.
Great set too and I love that the piano music was live. It sounded really great. The piano player is in the right hand side of the stage so I'm not sure if it would be distracting if you sit close to the stage in that area. We were in Stalls row P centre and the view was excellent.
I'm sure they will iron a few bits before the opening night and I look forward to seeing it again later in the run.
Highly recommended.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2018 7:51:53 GMT
Well. Exposition ahoy! I feel like I've spent over three hours watching one of those Channel 5 drama/documentaries. There's so much standing at the front of the stage telling the story (often speaking about their own characters in the third person) that I half expected someone to pull out a projector to demonstrate their point on occasions. Alas, they did not.
There's also a piano player at the side of the stage which for a moment I got excited thinking that she was going to raise up like an old fashioned cinema organ but that excitement was soon stamped out. She got a bit loud at times and started getting distracting but I forgive her, she's sat there for a very long time. She must get bored.
While it's a fascinating story (although they really deal with the beginnings of the bank rather than its 'collapse') and I did enjoy it, I found it all a bit too long myself (although strangely the third act feels really rushed) and it got mildly less interesting as the whole thing went on but the cast are strong and work had for their money. Dame Sir Lord Simon Russell Beale does steal it for the most part and both he and Adam Godley play off each other very well as the 'couples'. If I have a problem with the show I think it's that each act is just a variation on a theme and there's no real drama or any light and shade. What you get in one act is virtually the same as you get in the others really - they look the same, they sound the same, they feel the same, they're performed in the same way. It's almost like a fringe play that's just been given a bigger budget. Although they do move all of the boxes around to different places in each act so that mixes it up a bit. Which is nice.
On the plus side, there's some delightful twisting from Dame Sir Lord Simon Russell Beale and Ben Miles, some nice coats, some funny accents, two men kissing and if you love a revolve, you'll be in heaven. The '80s office chic' set is spinning around more than Kylie in a gold hot pants disco comeback.
Oh and for those interested in those kinds of things, there are gun shots in the third act and some dizzy inducing video screen work too.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2018 8:34:21 GMT
Was also there last night and agree with Ryan. I enjoyed it but there is no real plot points or drama in the story that really moves it forward and I would say it is a bit more episodic in its structute and let’s be honest banking isn’t the most enthralling thing. All the cast were very good and all had good chemistry making the rhythm of the piece flow as well as made playing all the different characters look quite effortless and I can’t fault them at all. Liked the set and thought it was simple and cleverly used. The projections were very good and did like the live piano playing which added to the atmosphere and feel of the show. At the end of the day however I think one of the problems is that this is a story that isn’t worth telling today about rich successful white men and all their success and power. Also as the cast played multiple characters over 150 years i did get a bit confused and it was hard to remember who was who or empahise with what was happening. Overall i did enjoy it and the show did have many strong elements but it wasn’t really a show that resonated with me.
|
|
2,206 posts
|
Post by theglenbucklaird on Jul 8, 2018 8:48:19 GMT
I was there last night and agree with lots of what was said. Really enjoyed it, actors were great, was very long but last act rushed, comedy bits were very funny, the set was brilliant and well used, loved the twist and well, it's got SRB in. I liked the narration style telling of the story, thought that was quite clever.
Nominate myself for bad behaviour thread. I was desperate to say hello to Ryan so shouted out your name in a scene reminiscing 'Dan, Dan, Dan'. The only trouble with that is everybody turns and looks who is shouting and making the commotion. Can't believe I was so close, but so far away. Still probably for the best. Never meet your heroes eh Ryan
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2018 11:59:34 GMT
Nominate myself for bad behaviour thread. I was desperate to say hello to Ryan so shouted out your name in a scene reminiscing 'Dan, Dan, Dan'. The only trouble with that is everybody turns and looks who is shouting and making the commotion. Can't believe I was so close, but so far away. Still probably for the best. Never meet your heroes eh Ryan Oh no! Did you see me or were you just hoping that I would hear your plaintive cries above the tinkle of the ice cubes in my gin? You should have hunted me down, I was looking particularly smashing last night too. You'd have seen me looking my best. There will always be a next time. Unless one of us were to die beforehand of course. But let's live in hope instead.
|
|
4,038 posts
|
Post by kathryn on Jul 9, 2018 11:16:47 GMT
Dame Sir Lord Simon Russell Beale LOL. From now on I am definitely calling him DSLSRB.
|
|
2,960 posts
|
Post by crowblack on Jul 9, 2018 11:50:04 GMT
I'm only skimming comments here because of spoilers, but is this really rather in the vein of Ink, This House, Network, that kind of thing? Men in suits plays. I've booked to see it in October mainly for SRB though the subject matter really doesn't grab me.
|
|
371 posts
|
Post by popcultureboy on Jul 10, 2018 18:04:46 GMT
I'm only skimming comments here because of spoilers, but is this really rather in the vein of Ink, This House, Network, that kind of thing? Men in suits plays. I've booked to see it in October mainly for SRB though the subject matter really doesn't grab me. No spoilers, but if the subject matter doesn't grab you, then SRB or no SRB, I think you'll be bored to tears.
|
|
2,529 posts
|
Post by n1david on Jul 10, 2018 23:00:37 GMT
Well I thought this was rather excellent tonight.
I think it is a niche story, it’s pretty dense in terms of characters and family relationships (the family tree in the programme helps). It’s about family and heritage and success and failure. It certainly does help to know the story of Lehman’s downfall beforehand as it is told very allegorically here, so there’s no talk of sub-prime mortgages here.
It probably helps that I have a connection to this world, having worked in the City for a while. I interviewed for Lehman a while back but didn’t like the role and husband was offered a job with them a week before they went bust. So the last act had some resonance for me in terms of the Lehman’s which I knew.
Superbly acted, and for me the characters were clearly delineated and loved the scripting that echoes through the generations. Was very well received tonight - the dancing scene that a previous poster didn’t like got a spontaneous round of applause at the close of the scene, and an almost universal standing ovation at the end tonight. Having said that, a few leavers, mostly at the first interval. 3h20 tonight although there seemed to be some confusion as to whether there were two proper 15 minute intervals, or one longer and then a pause. Seemed to be the former to me but hpguess they might be playing with this.
So, not for everyone I reckon, but I thought this was great and tempted to see again.
|
|