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Post by David J on Apr 2, 2016 19:45:33 GMT
I'm liking this
This is presented as a 'let us tell you a story' way. Phil Sealey (who apart from the deep voice reminds me of Brian Blessed) starts proceedings with a bang with Bring on the 1820
Like clockmakers daughter this does have an over the top villain but here it works
I'd like to see more of the characters conflicts rather than being told them
Otherwise it is a fun musical and nikita Johan is great as the mysterious princess
There's the usual enthusiastic whooping and loud laughs from friends of certain cast members
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Post by David J on Apr 2, 2016 15:25:06 GMT
Jesus!
I won't say I'm an Ayckbourn fan but he has definetly written better than this
Neanderthals can tell that Tamsin outhwaite and Jason merrels are in a bad marriage from the get go, and yes it turns into soap opera by the interval
The acting is all over the place, especially sea groves ultra mannered performance and Gillian Wright mugging all the time
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Post by David J on Apr 1, 2016 15:30:53 GMT
Thanks for the heads up people! Unusually in London on a Monday so nabbed myself some! I've nabbed one for the 2nd as well. Perhaps there should be a forum meet-up
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Post by David J on Mar 30, 2016 21:58:25 GMT
I liked it, and I wish I could like it more if I wasn't sat so far away
I have complained about this with Raineys bottom and Les Blancs because I got £15.00 Friday tickets up in the circle, when I could have got cheap tickets at the front if I booked early
That's my problem
What isn't my problem is that with these £100 seats, I am priced out of a reasonable seat at the Old Vic. I was sitting in row s, which was better than sitting right at the back of the stalls. But I could tell that this is a detailed and nuanced play that I struggled to engage with in such a huge place as the Old Vic
What about these day seats Jason mentioned. Is that true
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Post by David J on Mar 30, 2016 21:23:51 GMT
Now 2 hours 53 minutes
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Post by David J on Mar 30, 2016 20:39:56 GMT
Loved Daniel Mays lobotomisation monologue and the role/power swapping
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Post by David J on Mar 30, 2016 19:31:39 GMT
Well he seems to have learnt his lines so far, unless he's covering it up with so much growling and raspy breathing filling in the pauses
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Post by David J on Mar 30, 2016 18:27:40 GMT
Am liking the rain pattering down on a sloped tiled roof
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Post by David J on Mar 28, 2016 22:32:48 GMT
Tim McMullan has to be one of the most underrated actors to date. He doesn't have to put too much into his performance to win you over. It is both the gravity and lightness in his delivery and the subtle signs of expression and body language
And its great to have him perform alongside another favourite of mine, Pippa Nixon. I think Sandy Grierson from the David Farr production remains the best Ariel for me, but Pippa still portrays the relationship with Prospero beautifully.
This production only grew on me as it went on. Despite the magic this strangely felt understated. Unlike Domdroogle's previous productions it doesn't work hard to entertain the audience. The comedy from Stephano and Trinculo felt drier than the usual foolering around you get from those two. Dominic Rowan rather reminded me of John Cleese than Rowan Atkinson (his delivery of the lines sounded similar)
But as we neared the ending, Tim McMullan's performance was moving me to tears, and even the man across the aisle from me was sniffling
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Post by David J on Mar 26, 2016 17:41:02 GMT
I should really listen to common sense and know why plays like this have taken ages to finally premiere
It's not bad. Well acted with a nice set.
The play is just so average and predictablr. It's trying to be Casablanca, which I'm sure the elderly audience would have enjoyed, but the characters are predictable types
Most of the time I was the Petra maid who kept rolling her eyes at the blonde exclaiming her love for the guy
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Post by David J on Mar 26, 2016 16:27:11 GMT
This is okay so far
Things pick up in small moments when the realities of war seap through. Otherwise there are longeurs that don't advance the plot
You've got the usual characters. The roguish hero and the dumb blonde with a fake wig
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Post by David J on Mar 24, 2016 21:09:19 GMT
Don't worry Lynette the use of the revolve here isn't going to set the world alight
It's just turning this section of a house
And yeah, if anyone liked the few minutes of watching tituba walk round in circles chanting in Faber's Crucible, there's plenty of that here on the Olivier stage
Loving the distant thrumming of drums. Very ominous
Can't deny the superb acting and writing (seeing the tour of the Sheffield Theatres Raisin in the sun I'm not surprised) but I must try and avoid the circle. Like ma Rainey there's some intimate scenes that don't belong in a big space
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Post by David J on Mar 23, 2016 16:41:09 GMT
I'll be barding in Stratford though I am partial to interesting venues. On the 23rd? I'm there too from the 20th! Meet up during the day, Lynette?
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Post by David J on Mar 20, 2016 18:33:37 GMT
Finally seeing this play tomorrow. It's the Brian Friel version though I gather from the Old Vic reviews he did simplify the play a touch
Nice to see Damian Humbley is in this. Kirsty Bushell? Eh, I'll wait and see what she does in the role
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Post by David J on Mar 17, 2016 17:15:44 GMT
I'm a Shakespeare fan and I am sure there is an anti-war play somewhere in Henry V, but you have to wade through all the patriotism to find that
I find Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet are put on too many times for my liking. Sure they are great introductions to the bard, but I've only just seen the two again this year after Gregory Doran's 2008 MND and Ruper Gould's 2009-10(?) R&J.
As others have said productions can kindle an interest in plays that you've never seen the point in. I don't want to see any old production of MND or R&J that I could easily see my local school do. Doran's spectacular MND and Gould's hellish R&J are examples where adding an extra sparkle to these OVER-familiar plays goes a long way
To quote Gypsy "you've gotta have a gimmick"
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Post by David J on Mar 12, 2016 21:46:00 GMT
Well, I admit I had a whale of a time
Okay maybe after The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary and I am Thomas' attempts at 'comedy', I would have been glad something at least chuckle-worthy, and I was on the edge of tears at one point.
I cringed at the fact that Sean Foley was directing, but apart from the occasional milking of the physical comedy, it was a tight 1 hour and 30 minute show in comparison to A Mad World My Masters and I Can't Sing
The fight choreography could do with some serious improvements. I could clearly see Branagh and the black guy's fists swing by each other by miles
Kenneth Branagh is great as the straight man, and Rob Brydon does what he knows best as a comedic actor.
Oh and I tested out the seats at the back. Geez, its like looking at a far away stage through a letter box, and I could imagine what it would be like if someone tall sat infront of me.
I've got tickets for Romeo and The Entertainer back there but since I am 6 foot 1, I think I'll try getting lottery tickets or see the broadcasts out of consideration of the poor souls who have seats behind me.
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Post by David J on Mar 12, 2016 16:06:09 GMT
So this started 20 minutes late
I confer with most that this is a zany enjoyable musical with a cast that putting everything into it
The story just lacks focus
The sheep song I could tell was going to be pointless every time the farmer tries to interject with the bad news
Did Catherine Tate's manequinn song go anywhere?
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Post by David J on Mar 12, 2016 14:49:33 GMT
Well when I say about to start...
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Post by David J on Mar 12, 2016 14:42:35 GMT
Finally about to start
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Post by David J on Mar 12, 2016 14:26:14 GMT
Still in the lobby waiting to go in
Some unknown technical error apparently
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Post by David J on Mar 11, 2016 13:07:40 GMT
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Carrie for me
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Post by David J on Mar 11, 2016 13:04:48 GMT
I've gone ahead and booked a matinee ticket in Brighton on the 27th August
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Post by David J on Mar 11, 2016 10:35:48 GMT
looks like A isn't on sale and may be £20 Day seats?
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Post by David J on Mar 10, 2016 21:42:58 GMT
My god Told by an Idiot, if you want to connect Thomas Aikenhead to Charlie Hebdo, at least give the role to one cast member ONLY for us to connect to
AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!!
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Post by David J on Mar 10, 2016 20:57:28 GMT
Oh goodness me
Between this and Madame Bovary I'm seem to be finding productions who have their heads stuck up their own perceived cleverness
The house is barely full which is not helping
But it's hard not to notice the sketch like quality this show is going at.
The set is very static
The tv references are unfunny
It just stops and starts with long longeurs filling in this 2 hour play. It's clear the creatives are trying desperately to make something out of a historical event that might have been mentioned in a few records and nothing else. The songs aren't anything special
What the heck is up with the end of the first act where the cast seem to pretending to be birds, whilst singing something about a prehistoric heaven. Some of them are wearing a t shirt showing someone behind bars with the words 'problems' and 'no future'
An audience member summed it up very well. No dramatic impetus
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Post by David J on Mar 10, 2016 19:22:43 GMT
A brutal comedy about Thomas Aikenhead, the last man to be executed in Britain for blasphemy, in 1697 Edinburgh
Includes songs with lyrics written by Simon Armitage
Looking forward to this
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Post by David J on Mar 10, 2016 12:33:19 GMT
Okay I thought if we are going to start the overrated musical thread, I'll balance things out.
Wonderful Town - Seeing the 2012 tour I was amazed at how the musical could devote time such an array of interesting characters, and I enjoyed the song 'Ohio'. And it had the craziest moment I've ever seen, when everyone drops everything and ends the first act with a Conga through the auditorium. Only the ending let it down.
The Beautiful Game - Okay, not the best ALW scores of all time, but I thought it addressed how conflict affects innocent bystanders with sincerity, and the Union Theatre production was nicely intimate.
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Post by David J on Mar 10, 2016 12:17:25 GMT
Mamma Mia - Hated the film and whilst the stage version the musical is so paint by numbers artificial
The Lion King - as people have said on the broadway world boards The Circle of Life is outstanding but the rest is just boring. Julie Taymour may be a visual storyteller, but it's just the film copied and pasted onto the stage with African masks. Sure there's a few deviations and some African dancing, but who remembers the most? That or the Elton John and Tim Rice songs. The film is better in my opinion.
Wicked - come and learn how the witches of oz became friends, where we'll throw in some important issues like racism and there's more to people than looks. But first let's take you to the Halls of Clicheville, full of every character type from American high school/college films
There was once a time when I was bowled over by Wicked when I saw the original London cast. Used to listen to the music but now the cast recording doesn't even appear on my iPhone.
I do think the music is flawed though I can't put my finger on why. I thought I read somewhere that Schwartz relies on two chord themes (? - I'm not good at music terminologies). I certainly think the musical goes between loud and dark (elphabas theme) and light and ditzy (Glindas)
Anyone like to give a (REASONABLE) explanation why the music and lyrics are perfect/flawed. I'm genuinely intetested.
Miss Saigon - I don't think this is massively overrated (I don't think it condoles the sexist/racist attitudes, it was just the way things were). I love that it has a story that spans years and includes many characters like Les Mis. I just find that it starts strongly as a romance and then the 3 year jump is such a disconnect that I loose all emotional investment until the nightmare fills in what happened. Dramatic licence sure but I never found it the emotional roller coaster people see it as
Billy Elliot - Saw the broadcast and never got why it received all the praise. Having people get into large huge dresses and trance around in 'expressing yourself'. Seriously?
Cats - As others said, not much to it. Hard to even sympathise with the cats (or at least the elders) when they dislike Grizabella for vague reasons
Spamalot tour - not a scratch on the original
South Pacific - I'm not a r&h fan but all this is is a bunch of soldiers and natives hanging around on an island
Book of Mormon - Liked it. Don't need to see it again.
Phantom - AGAIN I don't think it is overtly overrated. I saw it last January for the third time, because if there's ever a reason to see it again it would be JOJ. But I am in no hurry to see it again (unless Earl Carpenter comes back).
Unlike Wicked I keep listening to some of the songs. Mainly the overture and moments with the phantom theme music, the title song, music of the night, stranger than you dreampt it, all I ask of you (reprise), wishing you were somehow here again, past the point of no return, down once more and the final lair.
See any connection between those songs I've listed? They mainly involve Christine and the Phantom (when he's not up in the rafters). Those are the only moments I find fascinating. The rest of the musical I just find boring. Like in a horror film the rest of the characters are types for the Phantom to ruin their day.
And just to round off, if I could give theatres a few million pounds to avoid doing these over-revived musicals they would be
Oliver Sound of Music Joseph
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Post by David J on Mar 7, 2016 10:44:59 GMT
Okay Regents Park, I don't really care for the play but you've now got my interest
If theres ever a female Henry I want to see it would be Michelle
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Post by David J on Mar 6, 2016 18:23:54 GMT
John Light is very good as Leontes. Like Kenneth Branagh he does divulge in sudden bursts of anger (he almost skewers baby Perdita's face with a sword at one point), and I would have I liked to seen more development in his growing jealousy. But unlike Branagh he doesn't overact it.
The first act belongs to the women. Rachel Stirling's performance as Hermione in the trial is so harrowing. And I have to admit that I liked Niamh Cusack as much as Judi Dench. Whilst Dench beautifully portrayed a Paulina who has seen many a year, Niamh Cusack works the emotion from the character at the important moments. After Rachel Stirling's big moment in the trial, Cusack only has to come on and wrack her grief at what has befallen.
It was only last summer that I saw James Garnon perform for the first time, and he's already become one of my favourite Shakespearean actors. First Jacques and Pericles, and here he steals the second act as Autolycus. Only occasionally does he play for laughs. It's all down to his comic delivery of the text and deadpan wit
The bear scene is just freaky as hell. The best I've seen since the David Farr production
{Spoiler - click to view} Like Malfi the lights are blown out till its only Antigonus with his lantern, from which we briefly see the dark looming figure behind him. Blink and you'll miss it, and I should imagine its better close up. Then you're just left in darkness for a minute hearing these howling sounds around you. Was it wind or something else?!?!?
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