2,452 posts
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Post by theatremadness on Jul 27, 2018 17:20:47 GMT
As tongue-in-cheek as that is, technically, they're not wrong! I guess it's something to do with paying for their SOLT membership?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2018 20:27:43 GMT
The National and The Old Vic are technically not West End. But they pay SOLT so they are considered West End and are therefore eligible for awards and such. The Arts is the same, hence Victoria Hamilton-Barritt getting nominated for Murder Ballad. So I suppose the venue is West End.
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2,452 posts
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Post by theatremadness on Jul 27, 2018 20:44:46 GMT
The National and The Old Vic are technically not West End. But they pay SOLT so they are considered West End and are therefore eligible for awards and such. The Arts is the same, hence Victoria Hamilton-Barritt getting nominated for Murder Ballad. So I suppose the venue is West End. I guess so! I know it's not the font of all wisdom, but there's a list of West End theatres on the West End theatre wikipedia page which lists the Arts Theatre but not the Old Vic or any theatre at the National. Then again I noticed it doesn't mention the London Coliseum but does list practically every other West End theatre so who knows!
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Post by danb on Jul 27, 2018 23:12:20 GMT
It’s a street away from Leicester Square, of course it’s West End!!!
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1,115 posts
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Post by Stephen on Jul 28, 2018 0:39:50 GMT
It's an odd one isn't it...because of the location. I have to say I've seen a few productions at the Arts that I've enjoyed immensely with great casts. However, they have all been produced on a lower budget and echo more the kind of shows that you would see at the Menier.
Don't get me wrong I love the Menier, and I love the Arts, but I wouldn't say the Arts is a "West End" theatre.
Maybe if they fix the seats which are ready to fall apart!
Unfortunately this musical doesn't really appeal to my taste.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2018 14:16:16 GMT
The Donmar isn't even considered West End by alot of people. I read an interview with Alfred Molina for Red saying they went straight from the Donmar to Broadway, but never did the West End first time around, so this is full circle for them.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2018 2:33:18 GMT
It’s so annoying this is like one of the prime location for a theatre or production but it’s so small and has a restaurant in it!
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Post by dontdreamit on Jul 30, 2018 8:20:56 GMT
TodayTix have a flash sale- all seats for this show for £15 for the next 24 hours. I’ve just booked myself a stalls ticket for this Friday.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2018 8:20:04 GMT
Well. If the thought of 'Bat Out of Hell' meeting 'Spamalot' gets you all a-quiver then you will LOVE this. It's H.I.Larious! I can't remember the last time I laughed at a show so much. That it's all played straight makes it even better.
The cast are fantastic, one, because they are genuinely vocally fantastic and two, because they fully commit to it. No matter what they have to do. Never has the statement that "the cast rose (see what I did there?) above the material" been more appropriate. If you've ever seen the Mel Brooks film, 'Robin Hood: Men In Tights' then you've seen the choreography for this show. Just with added sword play.
The script is peppered with lots of 'thee' and 'thouest' with the odd rhyming couplet like they were hosting the 2001 Eurovision Song Contest and liberal theft from all of the greats; Shakespeare, Chaucer, Enid Blyton . . . BUT, oh the segue ways. The lead in to 'Holding Out For A Hero', 'Don't Speak' and (especially) 'Hero' are really quite inspired. I couldn't hear the first few lines of the song for laughing so much. And when 'Everybody Hurts' starts I didn't think my toes could curl anymore but my little tootsies didn't let me down. Where else in London's glitzy West End do you get a show that includes everything from Muse to The Byrds? Stephen Who? Andrew Lloyd What?
On the plus side, you get a LOT of hair, some leftovers bits (literally) from a 'War Horse' sale, a set that wobbles like it's straight out of 'Acorn Antiques' and a routine which appears to have been inspired by 'Friday The 13th', accompanied by Chris Cowley and his lovely perm giving it a bit of wellie on an electric guitar. There's also the best "I'm so distraught and I'm crying while I'm belting" acting I've seen for a long time while Rebekah Lowings has a bash at 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' and a bit of unexpected rock falsetto from Oliver Savile that comes from nowhere and lightens up proceedings a bit more. And at the end of all this hilarity you get a jig that even the choreographer at The Globe would have dismissed as too complicated.
I do wonder what the cast did with the extra sleeves from all of the outfits that they didn't use though. I do hope they used them to tie up the writer in a darkened room somewhere as punishment?
I had a ball. I do hope the cast did too. And that they manage to work again after this.
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1,093 posts
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Jul 31, 2018 16:15:31 GMT
Is there some kind of curse on this production, why do the cast keep dropping like flies? It might be a bad show but it's a steady paycheque. The night I went the lead actress had obviously not rehearsed some of the dance routines, she spent the entire time looking at the other actors' feet! If you did that at a primary school talent show you'd get yelled at by your teacher.
Good fun though. I can't decide what I enjoyed more, the over-literal choreography ("strong" make muscle, "flight" mime running, "fight" fake sword fight); the inexplicable rainbow lighting that turned an otherwise impressive battle scene into a Pride video; or the ghost/zombie (why the blue makeup??) of a dead man appearing to serenade his lost love to "Turn Around, Bright Eyes."
To be fair the actor playing Horatio is fantastic and the French song properly, intentionally funny.
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923 posts
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Post by Snciole on Jul 31, 2018 17:07:31 GMT
I am genuinely amazed it is still awful. I don't think it is cast illness at all but various people not caring whether they perform in this tonight or never again. They must be counting down the days. Are people still laughing at the show audibly rather than with it?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2018 17:15:02 GMT
I am genuinely amazed it is still awful. I don't think it is cast illness at all but various people not caring whether they perform in this tonight or never again. They must be counting down the days. Are people still laughing at the show audibly rather than with it? Oh yes! When Jimmy Savile started speaking the lines from 'Hero' before launching into the number the audience were tittering rather loudly. It was marvellous. It could have done with a wind machine though. On stage, not in the audience. That was cold enough as it was thank you very much. It was like living in downtown Trondheim for the first half.
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923 posts
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Post by Snciole on Jul 31, 2018 17:40:07 GMT
It needed more fire as well, that awful battle camp scene gave us a glimpse into the glorious pyrotechnics we should have got, soundtracked to Rock You Like a Hurricane or something
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1,445 posts
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Post by steve10086 on Aug 1, 2018 22:30:34 GMT
How does a show like this happen? How does it get as far as a “West End” stage without someone saying WTF?!?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2018 7:32:05 GMT
How does a show like this happen? How does it get as far as a “West End” stage without someone saying WTF?!? No idea but long may it continue! London's glitzy West End needs clunkers like this every now and again. I still fondly remember Darius struggling to master walking and talking at the same time during 'Gone With The Wind'. Gone too soon.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2018 7:54:29 GMT
If you have a question about theatre, usually but not exclusively one that begins with "why", first try answering it yourself with "money". 99 times out of 100, that's the answer. Not so much the money from paying punters in this case, but from an ambitious producer who possibly forgot that although you can run a show with money as the sole driving force, it's often useful to have a decent show too.
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2,585 posts
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Post by viserys on Aug 2, 2018 11:41:04 GMT
And this kind of thing CAN work... "Return to the Forbidden Planet" was a mad mix of Shakespeare's Tempest, Science Fiction and Rock'n'Roll Jukebox Music, but it was successful and even won an Olivier.
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4,631 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Aug 4, 2018 23:10:55 GMT
Took advantage of Ttix flash sale.
So Saw this last night and have to say it it is so bad it is pretty awful. Loved the song list though and one actress in the company had tremendous vocal ability, she is wasted in this.
2 Stars
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4,361 posts
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Post by shady23 on Aug 5, 2018 16:40:08 GMT
A one off sing-a-long performance has been announced
I'm sure you will all be rushing to book your tickets..
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2018 17:33:35 GMT
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1,115 posts
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Post by Stephen on Aug 5, 2018 18:03:49 GMT
I walk past the poster for this every day on the way out of Oxford Circus Tube reading the review "Is this the best rock musical ever?" I think they've edited out the "No" at the end.
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923 posts
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Post by Snciole on Aug 9, 2018 15:00:38 GMT
Chaos! As the press release suggested Jennifer Cauldwell had joined the cast I assumed this big announcement a la 42nd Street to say she had replaced the often sick cast member. No, she's just the swing because they have realised with less than 3 weeks to go that the cast need a lot more back up then scheduled/paid for. I know I shouldn't care but there has clearly been a casting issue as the original understudy now seems to be playing a role of some sort all the time. I really don't think announcing this is worthy of press announcement, let alone invite to interview her.
I wonder if she is still being paid her FOH wage for it too.
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197 posts
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Post by Rozzi Rainbow on Aug 19, 2018 18:24:55 GMT
I went to see this yesterday afternoon and think I must have seen a different show to most of the posters on here as I enjoyed it. As soon as the show was announced I wanted to see it as I thought the music sounded great (I really think there should be a Bon Jovi musical) and then the cast announcement confirmed it for me. After reading these posts I did begin to wonder if it was worth me making the 2 1/2 hour trip down just to see this, so I went with zero expectations other than planning to enjoy the music and seeing what else it brought.
I thought it was a little strange at first but by a couple of scenes in I was enjoying it - and a lot of new shows takes a while for me to get into. I loved all the music, I thought there was a good range all within the same genre. I didn't know all the songs, but as they were all a similar(ish) style I found I liked them all. I thought the opening to act 2 with the male a capella number was brilliant.
Yes it was a bit cheesy at times, and I didn't always understand all the Shakespearean-inspired dialogue, but I followed the storyline easy enough - a good mix of love and drama - and enjoyed dancing and singing (silently of course!) along. I'm very pleased I made the effort to go as I got an excellent seat from TKTS at a great price, and had a fun day overall. I'd consider going to see this again if I lived closer (and it went on a few weeks longer).
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