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Post by frosty on Apr 16, 2020 10:56:48 GMT
Just had an email saying that it has been cancelled and refunds will be issued automatically - I guess with the uncertainty over when theatres will reopen they didn't want to risk another date and have it be postponed again. Also some musicals may not reopen, so the whole industry is in flux. What a shame. Here's to 2021... Just got my e mail too. Was fully expecting it and they said refund in 14 days which is nice. The 2021 one will, I'm sure, be bigger and better. Yeah me too, just gonna have to recreate this at home instead (got plenty of tin foil and comedy wigs) and look forward to 2021, or hopefully West End Drag perhaps in August.
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Post by frosty on Apr 15, 2020 10:10:40 GMT
....Besides, I’ve got the reshowing of the Grey Gardens TV prog I recorded off Sky yesterday instead... Ooh what programme was this and what channel? Love all things Grey Gardens so would be interested to see if i can watch on catch up. Thanks.
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Post by frosty on Apr 14, 2020 14:50:33 GMT
Thanks for that - Looks like it's going to be available on the broadway.com you tube channel, so I've set a reminder. I had tickets for the Above the Stag production of this last month, so glad I will get to see it in some form as it looks like great fun.
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Post by frosty on Apr 7, 2020 8:02:01 GMT
The blurb says it was originally an archive recording, never intended for broadcast, so it will be interesting to see how that differs from an NT Live-type recording with multiple cameras etc. I wonder if there was even an audience there at the time? But I loved this, so not sure what to watch first on Thursday, this or Jane Eyre. How lovely to be spoilt for choice!
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Post by frosty on Feb 9, 2020 9:19:36 GMT
Absolutely hated this...incomprehensible nonsense, would have left if it didn’t mean disturbing people. I can’t understand why anyone who manages to get that incredible cast in one building would give them this stinker. Definitely not for me.... I try to look for something good in everything, but couldn’t find it here. If youngsters were drawn here because of Daniel Radcliffe, I think they would be put off theatre for life! Thankfully we saw The Visit afterwards, which was amazing.
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Post by frosty on Jan 31, 2020 13:58:39 GMT
Tickets now on sale for Bath dates. Thanks for that, got mine...gonna make a weekend of it, I've never been to Bath before, so looking forward to it
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Post by frosty on Jan 24, 2020 10:06:27 GMT
Yay! Got my tickets! Plenty available at the moment.
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Post by frosty on Dec 5, 2019 9:21:34 GMT
I saw this as an event cinema production at my local arts centre last night. The centre was packed, although a handful of people left during the interval. I heard quite a few people saying that it was much better than the fairly recent Chichester production with Rufus Hound as the lead. I didn't see that but to me the key point is that Garry should be played by a charismatic actor and the audience should believe that everyone wants to sleep with Garry. Andrew Scott = yes. Rufus Hound = no. Plus, I agree with justfran about Sophie Thompson's dodgy accent. I was there too (assuming you mean The Spring), it's a shame they had the volume so loud in the first half, it was really grating. I think that's why some people left, I heard grumbling about it. The 2nd half was much better. I really enjoyed it, agree Andrew Scott was a better casting choice than Rufus Hound, but I did enjoy Tracy Ann Oberman as Monica in the CFT production. I absolutely hated the set, it was like a 1980s night club, nods to art deco here and there but the colours were hideous. I thought the gender swap worked well, and it would make sense that both men and women in those theatre circles would find him attractive, but I think the Joe/Garry scene would have been far more effective (and surprising) if there hadn't been the conversations about Garry's previous conquests with men, and the discussion about Morris being in love with Joe. Given the time it was set in, I would expect it to have been a bit more subtle.
Not sure if it has been mentioned here, but someone said on Twitter that Andrew Scott manages to look like both Ant and Dec at the same time! Once you see it, it can't be unseen!!
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Post by frosty on Nov 25, 2019 10:00:21 GMT
Sounds like a wonderful evening, thanks for telling us all about it
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Post by frosty on Nov 21, 2019 8:59:56 GMT
I saw this last week, and I found it rather magical. I've not seen a production of this before, so had nothing to compare it to. I thought the staging, puppetry and lighting were very clever and the kids sat around me seemed mesmerised by the whole thing, I've never seen such quiet, focused children in the theatre. Loved the beavers and the squirrel, and adorable Mr Tumnus, agree the weakest performance was from the actor playing the professor, he was great as Aslan though. The Pevensie children's accents did vary a bit, but on the whole, I thought they were a believable set of siblings. It was also my first visit to the Bridge Theatre, which I thought was great, really spacious, light public areas, comfy seats, nice staff. Not sure about the £1 deposit for plastic cups though, I can see the need to reduce single use plastic, but who is going to queue at the end to get a £1 refund on their cups? From the comments above, it's clear not everyone enjoyed it, but thats what's great about this board, we can share opinions and get other peoples perspectives on things!
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Post by frosty on Nov 19, 2019 17:47:30 GMT
Not according to the FAQ’s www.overyondr.com/faqSo for the numpty who doesn’t switch to silent, the phone could be ringing in the pouch with no way of switching it off without leaving the auditorium. Hmmm...odd, still if they watch you put it in airplane mode that shouldn't happen. But an alarm set on a phone will still go off, even if you are in airplane mode
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Post by frosty on Nov 15, 2019 12:45:13 GMT
I think this has been an excellent season, even the judges seem to be having a lot more fun than the last few US seasons, it's been a breath of fresh air. I was surprised the BBC has commissioned it for another season, given how popular it has been, I would have thought it would have been snapped up by a commercial broadcaster and filled with product placement and big cash prizes. I'm glad it's staying with the beeb, makes it feel a bit more British.
I did laugh last night when the mothers/sisters were brought on:
US drag race: (through tears and hand waving): "oh my God mother, you are just so awesome, you gave me life and you are an inspiration to me and I love you so much" UK drag race: "I hope you've shaved your minge mother!"
Love it!
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Post by frosty on Nov 15, 2019 10:22:16 GMT
I was at the 'end of season' event at CFT on Monday where Daniel and Kathy gave details of the highs and lows of the season (Oklahoma and This is My Family were both very well received by critics and audiences, the 3 female led plays - Hedda Tesman, Plenty and The Deep Blue Sea were a bit of a trio of misery and needed some light to go with the shade...and Macbeth was very marmite). However, they were giving nothing away about 2020...not a scrap. But I still have my hopes pinned on Hedwig and The Angry Inch, that would be great in the Minerva, and I suspect the traditional revival of an older musical in the main house, I reckon 'A Little Night Music' is a good shout. If I hear any rumours, I'll be sure to share.
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Post by frosty on Nov 8, 2019 12:16:32 GMT
Just had an email from Charing Cross Theatre with this discount offer when booking direct with them:
"A limited special offer is now available: use promo code FIFTEENMINUTES online, by phone or in person to get £10.00 off top price tickets*! Discount offer is valid on all performances until Saturday 16th November, so don't leave it too late!"
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Post by frosty on Oct 30, 2019 8:10:49 GMT
I know this goes against the general view, but I personally didn't really like it. I found the characters very dull and self-centered, and by the end, I didn't care about them enough to be concerned about what happens to them. Also, I didn't get what was going on with the accents. They are both clearly very well spoken, but Matt seemed to be slipping into Ali G at points, and sometimes Claire sounded like Tony Blair, trying to be a bit more 'common'. When I spend a lot of money to see something, it would be nice to have a bit of scenery, or at least some props (and an interval!). I just felt a bit short-changed, and if it wasn't for Claire and Matt, I don't think the play would stand up on it's own merit. Only my view, of course, and it seems like most people really enjoyed it (overheard lots of positive comments on the way out), so perhaps I am just missing something...
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Post by frosty on Oct 28, 2019 19:03:50 GMT
It's had rave reviews; it'd be great to see it move on elsewhere. Could the National bring the tent over this summer? Surely it must transfer, hopefully still in a tent, or something similar, I think that’s what made it so special
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Post by frosty on Oct 28, 2019 10:15:33 GMT
Anyone else been to see this? Chichester Festival Theater have installed a pop up Spiegeltent which has been transformed into a pub for 'Sing yer heart out for the lads', Roy Williams's play which explores racism in Britain, using the England vs Germany world cup qualifying match as a backdrop to the events in the pub, some funny, some harrowing and very disturbing. I saw it last week and thought it was amazing. The venue was perfect, it really felt like you were sat in a pub, they even sold drinks from the bar during the interval. It's very hard hitting with extremely strong language, but that made it feel even more real, I have sat in pubs with the football on the telly and heard very similar conversations. I think the run is pretty much sold out, but there are day seats available for £15, which are stools sat at the bar.
The night I went, they had a drag show cabaret after the play, which was a lovely contrast and a nice bit of light relief. There are lots of cabaret and comedy nights coming up in the Speilgeltent in the next few weeks, well done CFT for trying something different, hopefully it will be a great success and become an annual event.
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Post by frosty on Aug 19, 2019 14:52:32 GMT
Cancelled after 1000 stars. Oh what a shame, sorry to hear you didn't get to see it. We didn't chance it, went to Peter Gynt instead. Popped outside in the intervals and thought 'it doesn't look that bad, I bet it's going ahead', so was surprised to hear it was cancelled. We're going to try again in Sept sometime...hopefully the weather will pick up.
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Post by frosty on Aug 16, 2019 8:38:56 GMT
Look on the bright side if it goes ahead you will not only see a great show but have an anecdote about how you survived a typhoon of biblical proportions when discussing the show. We always remember more of the shows that are out of the ordinary and the one upmanship is always a bonus when discussing with other people who were unfortunate to see it in the dry. I still warmly remember Deep Purple at Knebworth milenia ago as it poured down all day. The only caveat is be prepared and wear more than the shorts and T-Shirt initially planned. From one who is hoping to see a whole days play at Lords. Very true - I wouldn't mind sitting in the rain and watching it, wearing the appropriate clothing of course, I even bought some emergency ponchos just in case. But they are likely to abandon the show because of the rain (quite rightly) for the safety of the performers. They can't be kick ball changing all over the shop like Bambi on ice!! And if you're already there when they cancel it, it's too late to do something else. So I think I am going to take the pragmatic view that the show won't go ahead, and dayseat something else instead. From what I understand, if the show is abandoned, they will let you rebook for a different day. Shame, I was really looking forward to it.
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Post by frosty on Aug 16, 2019 7:23:01 GMT
100% chance of heavy rain for the entire performance tonight according to the forecast. Pah!
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Post by frosty on Aug 15, 2019 10:46:04 GMT
I'm seeing this tomorrow night, have been looked forward to it for ages, however the BBC Weather site says there is a 96% chance of heavy rain at 8pm. I think I am going to be very disappointed :-(
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Post by frosty on Aug 7, 2019 15:57:19 GMT
At 8 Hotels in the Minerva on Monday...towards the end during an intense scene, some really strange incidental music started. I thought what an odd choice to be using Miley Cyrus’s ‘The Climb’ in a play set in the 1950s. Then realised it was someone’s phone ringtone! Lordy.... this when on for about a minute while the woman in the front row rummaged in her bag to turn it off. The poor actors just ploughed on, but it must have been a hideous distraction, especially given how small the Minerva is, they were about 2 feet away from the offender.
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Post by frosty on Jul 15, 2019 9:28:46 GMT
<abbr>....</abbr> really hope nobody will have to leave before the end. Annoyingly, the late finish on Saturday, and the slow slow shuffle as everyone leaves the theatre, meant that we missed our fast train home by 2 minutes, so it was another 30 min wait and the slow train for us. Hopefully they will shave some time off the running. I was thinking it would be really difficult to leave early if you had to, you would basically have to walk along the stage. Just out of interest, why do the shows there start at 8?
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Post by frosty on Jul 15, 2019 7:48:02 GMT
I was there Saturday too, I've not read the book or seen the film, so only knew the sketchiest of details, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, beautiful story. There were a few glitches, but nothing show stopping. I thought Jenna was wonderful and has a lovely voice. The set is basically wooden slats which have various projections on them, and 2 small revolves for the furniture etc. I can't imagine any of the views are restricted, seating is L shaped across 2 sides and the set is across the other two sides, it was all totally open. The biggest issue for me was the sardine bench seating and the heat. Lordy it was hot, and you certainly get to know your neighbour very well. I was almost looking forward to the end just to get out and get some air! It really would make me think twice about going back there. Perhaps I was unlucky and there were just some larger than average people in my row.
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Post by frosty on May 16, 2019 7:20:01 GMT
Not sure about the pricing? My local independent cinema £12 At theatre in local Uni £13 Curzon £18.75 Odeon £20.25 Cineworld £20.70 😱 Wow I didn't realise there were such big differences, I thought it was the same everywhere. It's good to see that the independent place is the cheapest.
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Post by frosty on May 15, 2019 12:24:49 GMT
I saw it last night at a local arts centre that has just started doing live screening. Hi Emsworthian - were you at The Spring? If so, we were there too [waves!]. I really enjoyed it, it was definitely the sort of play that works will in a screening, all the close ups and reactions were caught fantastically. It's a shame that a local Arts Centre has to charge the same as a mulitplex cinema for NTLive screenings, but I understand the prices are set by NTLive and aren't allowed to be changed. Looking forward to Small Island!
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Post by frosty on May 2, 2019 12:10:54 GMT
Got mine - very happy, DMT+ sale was from 1pm.
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Post by frosty on Apr 26, 2019 12:09:42 GMT
I saw it earlier this week and enjoyed immensely. The cast are fantastic, but a special mention for Kirsty MacLaren, who plays the daughter Nicky, she is a star. I'm sure everyone will identify with characters from their own family or circle of friends which makes it all the more enjoyable. A good start to the Chichester season for me.
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Post by frosty on Feb 25, 2019 14:54:05 GMT
In my experience, there are always a few returns a couple of days after the initial 'sold out' rush. But given the limited number of seats available in the Minerva and the big name draw of Sheila Hancock and James Nesbitt, this one was always going to be a popular one. I think they keep some tickets back for the Prologue young people seats, which go on sale on 2nd March, then they get released to the general public if they don't sell. But it is an interesting question, do they release all the available seats for members to buy in advance, leaving none for the general sale? Maybe it is a way of encourage people to get membership, but if everyone has it, it would be like easyjet selling speedy boarding to everyone on the plane!
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Post by frosty on Feb 10, 2019 9:03:02 GMT
I was at Company last Wednesday (loved it, and luckily got to see it the night before the cancelled show) and the American lady next to me said she had been to see All About Eve the day before. I told her we were seeing it Saturday and what did she think of it? She absolutely hated it! Not a single good word to say about it, but I went in with an open mind, one mans meat etc... But I could see what she meant. Some of the directorial choices were bizarre. We were in the centre of row D in the stalls, so had a great view of the stage and the screen above and the kitchen and bathroom in the wings...but I'd imagine anyone further back would struggle to see the whole thing. I didn't get the point of the birthday party scene where all the action in the kitchen was on screen, for no apparent reason, and also the restaurant scene where characters were sat with their backs to the audience, but a camera spinning around them. I couldn't quite work out the era it supposed to be set in either, the clothing didn't seem right for the 40s, especially the men with their very tight trousered suits and a close up of a tube of cocktail sticks in the kitchen with a very visible bar code on it. And the constant incidental music was a constant distraction....
I agree with previous posters, the standout performance was Monica Dolan as Karen, but I got zero chemistry between her and Lloyd. I thought Gillian Anderson needed to turn up the sassyness and attitude, I expected a bit more Karen Walker. Such a shame, I had been really looking forward to this, such great material and a great cast, but it all looked like it was trying to be too gimmicky for me.
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