3,072 posts
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Post by Rory on Mar 20, 2024 12:50:55 GMT
Extending from 4th May until 1st June.
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Post by sherbetlemon on Mar 20, 2024 18:27:22 GMT
Yes, I've snapped up a couple of those £15 front row tickets for a return visit. Can't wait!
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960 posts
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Post by alicechallice on Mar 21, 2024 10:33:05 GMT
New Diorama to Royal Court and then two full on West End runs and this thread doesn't exceed a single page...
Puts me in mind of the incredibly short thread length of the Bob Marley musical at the Lyric, considering how long it ran... We may have a slight diversity issue on this board.
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1,187 posts
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Post by theatrelover123 on Mar 21, 2024 11:02:34 GMT
New Diorama to Royal Court and then two full on West End runs and this thread doesn't exceed a single page...
Puts me in mind of the incredibly short thread length of the Bob Marley musical at the Lyric, considering how long it ran... We may have a slight diversity issue on this board. May we? Or maybe people just didn’t fancy seeing it and/or commenting on it, irrespective of ethnicity, age, sexuality or gender?
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Post by punxsutawney on Mar 21, 2024 11:22:18 GMT
Puts me in mind of the incredibly short thread length of the Bob Marley musical at the Lyric, considering how long it ran... We may have a slight diversity issue on this board. May we? Or maybe people just didn’t fancy seeing it and/or commenting on it, irrespective of ethnicity, age, sexuality or gender? It's had three sold out runs before now, two of which are at significant theatres including a West End run, and is currently on a second successful West End run. People are seeing it, the point is that those people are evidently not on this board for whatever reason. Given the premise of the play, it's an obvious conclusion to reach that this is a rather undiverse space!
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960 posts
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Post by alicechallice on Mar 21, 2024 11:32:22 GMT
Puts me in mind of the incredibly short thread length of the Bob Marley musical at the Lyric, considering how long it ran... We may have a slight diversity issue on this board. May we? Or maybe people just didn’t fancy seeing it and/or commenting on it, irrespective of ethnicity, age, sexuality or gender? Too many to mention now (though I'd be happy to do the research), I have noted for a long time that productions with primarily black casts don't get as much discussion on here as their counterparts. I'm not using it as a stick to bash anyone with, I'm in the same boat as everyone else but it is noticeable.
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Post by gcbf on Mar 22, 2024 1:01:13 GMT
I think the response on here to Slave Play's initiative was enough to show there isn't a huge amount of diversity on the forum lol.
I was at this tonight, it was fantastic even from the back of the stalls. A super talented cast that works well together, lots of laughter and appreciation from the audience.
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131 posts
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Post by dillan on Mar 24, 2024 21:26:49 GMT
Extending from 4th May until 1st June. Thanks a lot for the heads up - have booked a £20 front row seat!
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Post by Libby on Mar 28, 2024 20:43:52 GMT
I have heard such good things about this show, I really hope I can get a chance to see it! I will only be able to go if I can get £15 tickets. Is TodayTix the best place for those?
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1,343 posts
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Post by Dave B on Mar 28, 2024 21:51:44 GMT
I have heard such good things about this show, I really hope I can get a chance to see it! I will only be able to go if I can get £15 tickets. Is TodayTix the best place for those? I don't know about the £15 but the £20 front row are straight from Nimax with a good few available through the extension - nimaxtheatres.com/shows/for-black-boys-garrick/
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261 posts
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Post by kyvai on Mar 29, 2024 15:24:02 GMT
I went to the matinee yesterday. 3* from me - solid performances, especially from the 3 covers who were so all superb - and a few very well written moments - but I found it a confused piece of theatre overall.
I’m not sure what to think to be honest, it’s not really a play is it? Are they supposed to be specific characters in a therapy group - that’s what I’d thought before hand - or are they more just various archetypes presenting unconnected scenes with the common theme of black identity/black experience? I was expecting more exploration of themes around suicide, but that topic is only ever obliquely hinted at and not really ever squarely addressed. I thought it was going to be a lot harder hiring than it is.
The characters can’t really ever be developed that well because it’s unclear if they are the same individuals each time an actor presents a scene, especially with the change of set in the second act. According to the posters outside the theatre each character is named (each name means “black” - jet, onyx, sable etc). But the names were never actually used at any point. There isn’t a clear narrative, and as such little opportunity to build suspense or subvert expectations - there are no expectations because everything is so disjointed - so no clear message is communicated. At least nothing groundbreaking or shocking in any way, for me, it all seems somewhat forced, with very little nuance.
That said the house was full on a weekday matinee and the reception was very warm, although the strongest audience reactions were to the various jokes at black stereotypes, musical references or at one point to an actor bearing his abs. I think I was just expecting something different, something more substantial or with something more concrete to say? I don’t know. It was brilliant to see a much more diverse audience than usual. Not just in terms of a MUCH higher proportion of black audience members than usual but the audience also skewed younger and more male than I usually notice.
My conclusion is that this just isn’t for me, in the sense that I’m not who the piece is being performed for, rather than it’s not my cup of tea. I hope it’s a commercial success.
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261 posts
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Post by kyvai on Mar 29, 2024 15:25:15 GMT
*harder hitting, not harder hiring!
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Post by Libby on Mar 30, 2024 10:53:32 GMT
I have heard such good things about this show, I really hope I can get a chance to see it! I will only be able to go if I can get £15 tickets. Is TodayTix the best place for those? I don't know about the £15 but the £20 front row are straight from Nimax with a good few available through the extension - nimaxtheatres.com/shows/for-black-boys-garrick/Amazing, thank you so much! £20 sounds worth it for this one!
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3,059 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on Apr 13, 2024 21:28:17 GMT
I missed the previous runs of this, but saw Albert Magashi listed in the new cast, so that was reason alone to book. It's very good that this has picked up an audience as I remember deals being regularly available before it found a West End home. I saw this Thursday evening. It was so nice to see a full audience, the most diverse audience I've seen in the West End for a while, and I must say the politest as I've never known so many people say thank you as they took their seat.
I got an excellent rush ticket on Thursday evening, a few rows back in the Stalls. The show started about 15 minutes late. One woman did leave before the show started and then there was a bit of a challenge to retrieve belongings from her seat. Frankly. the pre-show music volume was overpowering, but I have no idea if the leaving was related to this.
This is a very good play, with the cast playing a range of different characters almost documentary style with a minimal set, with some interaction between the actors. There are some funny moments, but ultimately there's a very serious message. There were people staying for quiet reflection afterwards. I wasn't as moved as many, which surprised me as so many of the themes resonate. A black friend of mine lost his battle with mental health during the pandemic at the age of just 31, so I have some experience of the struggles that people go through. This is an important play, very much of its time, and it deserves all of the attention.
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174 posts
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Post by eatbigsea on Apr 18, 2024 16:30:32 GMT
I really enjoyed this, an excellent cast and beautifully put together. There were some school groups in (Thursday matinee) and they were generally very well behaved (a few gasps at the more explicit bits). They clearly loved it and the cast I think really enjoyed having them in.
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