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Post by Jon on Jun 7, 2023 15:40:47 GMT
Guessing Gielgud or Noel Coward.
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Post by Jon on Jun 7, 2023 13:10:26 GMT
He may well programme the 24 season (which we already know includes the roald dahl crocodile show) so might do one more for posterity. The 2024 season will be Sheader's last, he doesn't start at the Donmar until March and they usually announce the season in November.
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Post by Jon on Jun 6, 2023 13:29:19 GMT
It's a seven week run which makes me wonder going in after it finishes. I'm guessing the Noel Coward is being refurbished between Patriots closing and this opening.
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Post by Jon on Jun 5, 2023 20:00:37 GMT
Also, she did used to use public transport but she was mugged during the run of Flare Path so I’m not surprised she’s decided to have a car to and from the show.
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Post by Jon on Jun 4, 2023 20:21:12 GMT
The show has been completely sold out which means it's been a profitable endeavour for all involved.
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Post by Jon on Jun 4, 2023 17:20:25 GMT
I think Sheridan will be back in the West End sooner than we think. I bet the likes of the National or the Almeida would love to have her do a show as she's a proven draw.
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Post by Jon on Jun 3, 2023 14:08:53 GMT
I notice Trafalgar Entertainment and The Dodgers are associate producers of Camelot which makes me think that we'll probably see a transfer in 2025 which is when Trafalgar's Olympia Theatre is opening.
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Post by Jon on Jun 3, 2023 14:01:52 GMT
The 6th June performance of this has been cancelled ( with tickets offered at a 3 July performance at the Savoy instead). Not sure why. I'm guessing someone in the cast has filming commitments or something else they can't get out of.
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Post by Jon on Jun 3, 2023 12:24:32 GMT
Pretty much an open secret that's what the press conference is for (and there are only two names under consideration for the new AD). Indhu Rubasingham and Clint Dyer? Either could potentially do a good job, although Indhu has more experience. She seems perfect for the job - successful stint as AD of a smaller theatre, a few West End transfers, interesting commissions and critical success, and she’s directed several times at the NT, plus it would be nice to have both a woman and POC. Dyer seems set up as successor, but so did Erica Whyman at the RSC, and there will be a selection process. There are quite a few AD jobs vacant (Hampstead, Chichester), soon to be vacant (Royal Court, Donmar, Kiln, NT) or new appointees not yet in post (RSC). Are there others? It will be interesting to see how the theatre landscape looks over the next 5 years or so with all of these places under new leadership. Chichester's AD position has been filled, it's Justin Audibert.
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Post by Jon on Jun 2, 2023 20:47:39 GMT
I've only seen Linda, the play Penelope Skinner did at the Royal Court. Seems very ballsy for Sonia Friedman and Ian Rickson to debut a new play in the West End.
I'm surprised The Village Bike hasn't been revived yet.
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Post by Jon on Jun 1, 2023 21:51:47 GMT
Talking of urination has reminded me of one night at A Little Night Music at the Menier. A drunk man went to go to the toilet but instead of heading to the toilets he went behind a curtain at the side of the stage and peed there much to the shock of the cast. I've heard of missing the bowl but missing the toilets entirely takes the whole tin of biscuits!
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Post by Jon on May 30, 2023 21:57:58 GMT
Re the ticket price comment further up this thread - I think it's worth bearing in mind (as a wider point) that west end casts and crew just secured a 16.5% pay rise and that money is going to have to come from somewhere, and I can assure you the only place it will come from is the ticket prices They might soon be getting very large pay cuts if the amount of productions start being reduced. We're not going to see dark theatres. It's hard enough for producers to secure these venues.
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Post by Jon on May 30, 2023 21:56:39 GMT
Saw it tonight and while it's not better than the original film, it's still enjoyable. The stars of the films are Halley Bailey, Melissa McCarthy and Daveed Diggs who bring so much when they are on screen, the sequences underwater were good but the scenes on land were surprisingly better because the Kingdom felt like a real living place and not CGI.
The only real weaknesses were Flounder and Triton which I don't blame the performer for but Flounder is restricted by being a fish so can't do much once they get to the land scenes and Triton came across as fairly cold as a character.
Overall I think this is one of the better Disney live action remakes, I do want to see Snow White next year and interested what they plan to do with it.
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Post by Jon on May 29, 2023 21:02:17 GMT
If they managed to condense Henry IV into one part at the Donmar then King Lear shouldn't be an issue.
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Post by Jon on May 28, 2023 15:14:30 GMT
It was only eight (shortish) songs total so don’t know if it’d be that long! Incredible performances though. I felt for her every time she was asked to redo! 8 songs with a bit of chat is probably going to be at least an hour on TV with editing. The Adele special on ITV was 90 minutes with ads.
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Post by Jon on May 28, 2023 13:59:51 GMT
It's completely sold out both runs. It's got a high profile cast and creative team. It's based on a well known book. I would say Broadway is inevitable. The mixed reviews haven't stopped this being a box office smash in London and I dare say wouldn't in New York either Broadway will happen but I'd let the cast have a nice long holiday before they start up again.
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Post by Jon on May 28, 2023 11:18:02 GMT
We’ve been asked not to reveal the guests but there were expected and unexpected ones! It was actually pretty smooth - I turned up around 12:30 and got my allocated ticket without any wait. Then went to the cinema for a couple of films until returning at 7pm, then there was a bit of a queue to get in while they took your phone and locked it in a pouch. Got seated about 7:30, it kicked off at 8. They had to redo most of the eight songs as well as some of the talking bits so it was very stop-start, such is the nature of TV recording! Left around 10:35 after getting my phone freed from the pouch on the way out! 2 and a half hours for a recording is not bad considering it'll be 1 hour to 90 minutes on TV. I've done TV recordings which have been nearer to 3 hours.
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Post by Jon on May 27, 2023 23:41:41 GMT
Saw the play tonight and found it fascinating. I admit I know nothing about recent Russian history and so was going in cold. It's a good insight into how the Oligarchs were able to put Putin in power but also how easy it was for a kingmaker like Boris Berezovsky to fall from grace.
Tom Hollander was excellent was Berezovsky as is Will Keen as Putin who transform from bumbling deputy mayor to the most powerful man in Russia, Luke Thallon as Roman Abramovich was good as well.
The front row seats are great value at £20, you only miss a scene or two which is played to the back of the set but everything else is play front and centre.
Very mixed audience tonight, quite a few Russians and the normal well heeled crowd.
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Post by Jon on May 26, 2023 17:43:06 GMT
I'm more and more excited with each drip of pictures, clips and reports... I so wish they could film it and release it to the public! I know it's not very likely, to say the least, but one can wish! It's a shame, really, that hardly any recent production of ALW's shows got a video release after they closed; in my opinion, they all should have, even for the sake of being preserved for posterity. Stephen Ward, The Woman in White revival at the Charing Cross Theatre, the Glenn Close Revival of Sunset Boulevard, of course... Sunset Boulevard in Concert at the RAH with Mazz Murray... West End's Cinderella or Broadway's Bad Cinderella... They all should have gotten a video release after they closed! Please make it happen at least this time with this revival of Aspects of Love, whoever's responsible for such decisions! To quote Aerosmith: 'Dream On'
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Post by Jon on May 26, 2023 10:05:02 GMT
From a crassly commercial perspective, I'm intrigued to see if Turner's death prolongs the life of this show, in the same way that Thriller Live thrived when Michael Jackson died. I don't think it's a like for like comparison. Thriller was on the verge of closing when Michael Jackson died which caused ticket sales to increase.
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Post by Jon on May 25, 2023 20:09:49 GMT
I don't see Norris stepping down until 2025.
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Post by Jon on May 25, 2023 17:27:44 GMT
Has anyone seen Leopoldstadt on Broadway? Its grosses at Longacre Theatre are quite low and they never sold out, but it’s been running since late last year. It sold quite well originally but clearly not enough of an audience to justify the extension.
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Post by Jon on May 24, 2023 13:46:24 GMT
The Almeida has quickly become the theatre I know I’ll need to have a backup plan for, when I book for a show. I think that's a little unfair, it doesn't happen with all of their shows. Musicals seem to be an issue compared to plays.
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Post by Jon on May 23, 2023 16:33:49 GMT
Wicked Friday night - I've seen my fair share of terrible behaviour at the AV but this one is my new favourite: lady next to me gets her legs up on the empty seat in front of her (which is bad enough by itself and not the first time I've had this) and proceeds to slather them in body lotion through act 2. People really do seem to think they can behave as if they're in their own living room. Unfortunately my best frosty glares had no effect. My idea would be for ushers to have permission to use a stick to make people put their feet or legs firmly on the floor.
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Post by Jon on May 23, 2023 16:31:06 GMT
I'm torn on it - I'm not sure I approve of Nicole, but she does have a beautiful voice and will probably do well enough on the back of that to be worth a ticket, even if she can't act it (and hey, maybe she can). I doubt she'll have anyone leaving at the interval! I just wish she was ten years older. I think for me I need to see what the overall production is like. I'm one of the few who actually liked the actor/musician one from a while back (and you won't normally hear me say I liked one of those!) but this time I think I just want SUNSET BOULEVARD. Big, shiny, massive sets, ornate costumes. A car on stage. Maybe not a real monkey corpse, though. Sunset Boulevard in its original form is never going to happen again, it lost a lot of money for ALW.
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Post by Jon on May 22, 2023 21:49:25 GMT
Alice Orr-Ewing mentioned on Twitter she took over with just one rehearsal so I'm guessing there wasn't any cancelled performances, there wasn't an alternate Sybil before so I'm guessing she took over in the last week or so.
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Post by Jon on May 22, 2023 12:45:06 GMT
It'll be interesting to see how Nicole approaches Norma because I think while it's fun seeing the kooky, OTT Norma, I've seen bits of Betty Buckley who plays it more straight and actually her final descent at the end is more tragic because of it.
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Post by Jon on May 21, 2023 19:40:17 GMT
I get that Ruth didn't rehearse with any of the 100 men but I wonder if the creative team had any output in what the men were going to say so that you didn't potentially have back to back identical scenes.
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Post by Jon on May 19, 2023 23:52:26 GMT
I would interested to know how many of the men play it for laughs or who want to do it more seriously. If it were me, I would lean towards doing it straight as you probably get more out of Ruth Wilson than trying to disarm her with jokes and silliness.
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Post by Jon on May 19, 2023 22:22:12 GMT
It would be interesting to see how Ruth is towards the end when she's tired and a little ratty, I think that makes a more interesting performance than at the beginning.
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