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Post by lynette on Jul 20, 2019 5:52:22 GMT
Going tonight. I’m not sure whether to be flattered or insulted to be assumed rich because I’m going on a Saturday night. I usually go to this theatre on a Saturday because it would be tricky otherwise re work and we like to eat next door first. It isn’t an elitist decision. We can’t have this kind of ‘ooo so wealthy you can afford to get such and such tickets’ on this Board. It is nonsense. Some of us budget carefully and get bargains and some of us spend more to book potential hits early and so on. We are all welcome here.
Would love to have seen Sandi, old fave of mine from Sat morning tv.
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Post by NeilVHughes on Jul 20, 2019 11:45:08 GMT
Always considered the Park as one of my cheapest Saturday theatrical haunts and definitely one of the least elitist, quite often do a matinee in the 90 and the evening at the 200 with one of their cheap margherita pizza’s in between, usually works out as less than £25 a ticket for both shows.
Did not consider this due to the random element and higher ticket price, now tempted, will maybe try for a matinee day ticket next week and leave it in the hands of the Theatrical Gods.
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Post by Dawnstar on Jul 20, 2019 11:54:37 GMT
Going tonight. I’m not sure whether to be flattered or insulted to be assumed rich because I’m going on a Saturday night. I usually go to this theatre on a Saturday because it would be tricky otherwise re work and we like to eat next door first. It isn’t an elitist decision. We can’t have this kind of ‘ooo so wealthy you can afford to get such and such tickets’ on this Board. It is nonsense. Some of us budget carefully and get bargains and some of us spend more to book potential hits early and so on. We are all welcome here. Would love to have seen Sandi, old fave of mine from Sat morning tv. While I'm not seeing this play, I completely agree with your general point. I earn considerably below the national average as a temp yet go to the theatre, including ROH, frequently because I'd rather spend the majority of my earnings on theatregoing than owning a car or going on lots of holidays or eating out frequently, etc. It's all about what you choose to spend your money on.
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Post by Steve on Jul 20, 2019 12:52:24 GMT
Oops, didn't mean to start a class war. Sorry, Lynette. To be clear, I don't consider wealth a badge of honour or dishonour, and consider most human beings (and squirrels) to be generally wonderful, regardless of wealth or lack of it. I was just trying to help the guessing game of when Gillian Anderson will be scheduled, and I figured the pricier tickets would probably get her, since this is a fundraiser primarily, and therefore it behooves the Park to keep their biggest givers as happy as they can. Anecdotally, I remember attending a pricey Saturday night of Letters Live at Freemasons Hall, and hey presto, we got the Hiddleston/Cumberbatch motherlode! So, actually, I'm delighted when others (or myself) coughs up the big money, whether or not they are wealthy (and objective "wealth" is relative, anyway, which is why I used the term "wealthiest," a term I now substitute with the word "givingest" so as, to defuse the class war I inadvertently started lol), since the Park is a great project, and generally unsubsidised. Besides which, any audience would be lucky to have the Board Godmother, effortlessly civil and endlessly amusing, in its number!
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Post by lynette on Jul 20, 2019 14:03:32 GMT
OK, Steve, thank you and apology accepted. Will be v funny if it is GA tonight!
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Post by n1david on Jul 20, 2019 17:07:56 GMT
I am going next Saturday, closing night and should be able to work out from a process of elimination who I will be seeing beforehand...
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Post by lynette on Jul 20, 2019 17:22:04 GMT
Think I know who it is tonight. I’m in the cafe next door and person of interest has just been in and out accompanied by a theatre person. Not telling. 🤪
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Post by lynette on Jul 20, 2019 20:54:29 GMT
Tonight John Bishop. Funny anecdotes during and in the q&a raised extra £650 for drink with him after photo etc. The play could be tightened up. But not bad.
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Post by westendgurl on Jul 21, 2019 16:31:50 GMT
I thought this was good fun. A little on the long side, but when the Inspector finally arrives (ours was Neil Morrissey) things liven up. Love the concept and I was glad to finally get a standing ticket. Ended up getting a seat because some people left when the celebrity was revealed!!! All in all a good fun night out and I'd recommend.
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Post by partytentdown on Jul 23, 2019 6:23:35 GMT
Last night was Gillian Anderson
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Post by l0islane on Jul 23, 2019 12:42:20 GMT
Last night was Gillian Anderson Yay, I managed to see Gillian (and I don't have to go to any more performances!!), she was hysterically funny. I've seen this 'play' quite a few times now and I've really enjoyed the concept and I'd love to see them do something similar again. The only thing that niggles me slightly is {Spoiler - click to view}it's clear they have prepared the actors to a certain extent for the ' improvised' moments in Act 1 where 1) they have to perform a poem or song and 2) where they have to explain how they solved their biggest case. Gillian had prepared cards last night and other actors have mentioned in the Q&A that they've been told to prepare something Why not just let them genuinely improvise? It would make it a lot more fun, it doesn't matter if they screw it up or it makes no sense or whatever, all the actors I've seen in the play have messed up scenes or broken character and several times things have just descended into chaos, that's the whole point of it! Next time they should have the courage of their convictions and the whole thing should be genuinely unseen and unrehearsed. That being said it's for charity and it's a whole lot of fun so I won't grumble too much!
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Post by n1david on Jul 27, 2019 22:41:24 GMT
Well at closing night tonight we got Adrian Dunbar and I have to say I think we really lucked out. Did a phenomenal job with a couple of truly remarkable moments. Enormously funny - yes, it's messy, it's scrappy, the "play" as it is doesn't really hang together and has its longeurs, but the energy created in a small space by a talented actor being asked to perform at their limits was hugely enjoyable.
I think tonight's actor was genuinely unprepared for the show - Adrian had flown in from Belfast arriving just an hour before the show and I genuinely don't think there was any preparation in advance.
The co-creators said in the Q&A that this might have another life somewhere else, and that there might be something else with the same format to follow. I suspect it's something where the impact lessens as it's repeated, but at this stage I think it's a fairly genius concept - but very much as a charity fundraiser rather than as a real play.
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Post by lynette on Jul 29, 2019 21:25:26 GMT
It is very good for fund raising. Interesting that the funniest people have not been the expected. Am i right in saying that the actors have done best? So lots of actors please for the second series. And Sandi T again whom I would love to have seen.
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Post by Steve on Jul 31, 2019 23:06:18 GMT
It is very good for fund raising. Interesting that the funniest people have not been the expected. Am i right in saying that the actors have done best? So lots of actors please for the second series. And Sandi T again whom I would love to have seen. I suspect to be funny in this sort of thing you have to to humble and act the part the best you can, roll with the moments, even and especially if the script makes you the butt of the jokes.
I would have loved to have seen John Bishop, a comedian so massive that he plays the O2 Arena (16,000 people) on his tours, in that I would have been fascinated to see if he could squash his comic instincts, and ego, and refrain from doing impromptu stand-up bits to get the audience onside, and just "enjoy" the ride lol?
As for Sandi T, if she's available, it was clear in her slightly embarrassed, eye-rolling, teeth-gritted, yet pliant post-performance interview that they would be easily able to twist her malleable arms to do the sequel to this show. Apparently, it will be an all new story and they will try to get all the people who performed this time back again. Sandi T would definitely appear if she has a free slot.
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Post by lynette on Aug 1, 2019 18:05:22 GMT
We saw John Bishop. One thing they didn’t prepare him for was the level of volume. He was too quiet and hesitant and a few minutes practice with the ear thing and mike would have helped a lot. I’m not deaf but we were sitting at the side and when his back was to me I couldn’t hear him at all. My OH who is partially deaf took the loop thing but still found him inaudible. His stage craft was lacking, he didn’t hold the stage well until the cast moved to place him in the centre. His impro spots were weak, one a funny, unrepeatable joke and the other one a political jab at Boris Johnson which in this context was inappropriate ( especially as this theatre had gained its political colours with the Boris play earlier in the season) And the aggressive nature of this political jab was unnecessary and he had to apologise for it afterwards. The Park is supported by all sorts and he was wrong to assume a political stance. In fact the audience’s response was muted. He did have a go with the dancing and he did look very uncomfortable but I was disappointed. However, an experiment well worth repeating especially with this theatre’s very supportive punters.
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Post by vickyg on Jan 10, 2022 15:37:11 GMT
This will be back from 9th Feb to 12th March. From Instagram it looks like the same premise and a number of the same guests/celebrities.
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Post by lynette on Jan 10, 2022 17:57:00 GMT
It was ok when I saw it last time round but not overwhelmingly so. Nice dinner beforehand maybe and with old friends , it would make a nice evening. Note, the place next door isn’t the wonderful Lebanese restaurant it used to be despite being still the same name, the cottage. Go round the corner and the original people are there , good food. ps they ask you to put on masks just before a play starts so catches all those nonmaskers, very good idea.
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Post by l0islane on Feb 10, 2022 16:07:43 GMT
I got a standing ticket for the first night of this yesterday, the detective was Jonathan Pryce. I really enjoyed Whodunnit 1 but I've got to say I wasn't really won over by the sequel. It was only the first performance so hopefully they'll edit it down a bit but the setup (before the celeb comes onstage) was really long, I didn't look at my watch but I would say it was at least 40 minutes before they came on stage, and honestly without the celebrity it's just a mildy amusing, daft play. So many of the jokes and situations were repeated from Whodunnit 1. It was slightly late starting but the first half came in at nearly 90 minutes! The second half was more enjoyable with some funny moments but it finished at 10.30pm which was tough going for those of us standing up! It's for charity so I don't want to criticise it too much, I think if you didn't see the first Whodunnit you'll enjoy this version because all the jokes will be fresh but if you saw Whodunnit 1 I think you'll find Whodunnit 2 an inferior show. In my totally non-expert opinion they should cut it down to 90 minutes, have the celeb onstage from the beginning and not let them bring on notes they've prepared earlier for the 'improvised' bits. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood - I think standing up for 3 hours (with an aborted fire evacuation included for good measure (apparently due to the smoke machine!)) made me grumpy!!
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Post by thistimetomorrow on Feb 11, 2022 10:59:51 GMT
how was the standing room for this show? Is there something for you to lean on and is the view good?
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Post by l0islane on Feb 11, 2022 14:55:22 GMT
how was the standing room for this show? Is there something for you to lean on and is the view good? Yes standing room is good, there's basically three of you on each side of the theatre, there's plenty of room and you're at the front of the circle with a bar to lean on. The view is totally unobstructed.
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Post by thistimetomorrow on Mar 11, 2022 23:21:36 GMT
Saw this tonight with special guest Bill Paterson (if anyone has a list of who's been on which nights that would be really interesting!). I can't lie, I didn't really enjoy it. I thought the concept was great, having someone come on and get their lines fed to them, but not always acting the way they were intended (not talking to the correct character and so on) was really interesting to see. The play itself though wasn't to my taste. There were a few moments that were funny, but on the whole I didn't think it was quite as funny as the rest of the audience seemed to find it. The storyline of the murder mystery itself was also not the most coherent. The actors looked like they were having a hell of a time though and I'm glad they were able to raise big sums of money for the theatre. £800 raised from an auction at the end alone!!
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Post by sfsusan on Mar 15, 2022 0:57:05 GMT
(if anyone has a list of who's been on which nights that would be really interesting!) If anyone's taking notes, last Wednesday's matinee starred Gareth Malone, pulled in with literally 4 hours' notice. At the end, they said they'd had thousands of pounds of tickets turned in over the past couple of weeks and just that week had four guest inspectors cancel (presumably due to illness). Mr. Malone did the expected job as the hapless inspector, but seemed to do some things that were really appreciated by the cast. Especially touching was a Welsh lullaby that he sang (and that he sings to his children at night). Oh, last Tuesday's evening guest inspector was Johnny Vegas, because during the Q&A after the Wednesday show, one of the creators made a comment about him going on and on during one bit. This isn't really a play (and it's not a musical, even though they call it one during the show), it's basically a farce. Everything is played over-the-top and for laughs, and it is really fun to watch the cast having a blast with the guest star. And watching the guest star have a blast themselves. (Oh, and there seem to be plans for a Whodunnit 3, so if anyone is seated at the end of the rows [A42, etc.], that nice wooden surface next to you is where the actors enter/exit the stage, so don't pile all your belongings on it! And B42 has an unnumbered seat next to it, so you have a bit more elbow room if you book that... assuming the other seat isn't something that's sold.)
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Post by vdcni on Apr 2, 2024 5:42:31 GMT
The third run of this has started with a new mystery set on a train.
Really enjoyed it and was very impressed with the regular cast who throw themselves into the performance while also guiding the mystery guest through it.
Of course the joy is seeing how the guest copes, we had Adam Hills which my Australian husband was very happy about, and even though he'd done the previous two runs he still looked terrified.
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Post by iwanttix on Apr 6, 2024 20:06:31 GMT
I got a ticket to this at the end of the month. I have no idea what to expect but I'm dead jealous of Adam Hills!
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Post by l0islane on Apr 11, 2024 11:07:18 GMT
Saw this with a standing ticket on Tuesday evening, daily £15 tickets went in 2 mins. The guest was Gillian Anderson. Great fun as always but I think this is the weakest of the three Whoddunits for me. If I hadn't seen the previous two it would probably be funnier but they repeat the same gags and concepts to get laughs. I couldn't really follow the plot (does anyone know what the bear and the baby were about?!) but it didn't really matter! I think it's well worth going as it's a unique and funny concept regardless of the guest, I just wish they would be a bit more inventive instead of using the same 'tricks' every time.
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