6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on May 7, 2023 18:26:25 GMT
I would guess venue confirmation will be on either Tuesday or Wednesday Morning. I suspect it's the Wyndham's.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on May 6, 2023 11:30:42 GMT
Wouldn't be ALW without reusing scores from failed shows.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on May 6, 2023 11:27:21 GMT
The fact James Gunn has managed to stick the landing bodes really well for his stint running DC Studios.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on May 6, 2023 10:40:39 GMT
Have to admit, I'm mostly watching for both the crowning itself and to see the people who were invited, spotted Ant and Dec and ALW already.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on May 4, 2023 18:20:03 GMT
Fwiw, it seemed to me the great problem for the sisters was their only brother was a man of the cloth. Men, brothers, would be far more inclined to leave the rural home for either an industrialed city or the New World (for manual work), but at least they would develop the means to later bring over other family members, perhaps even introducing sisters to their male workmates. This was a familiar pattern, though not one available when your brother is a priest gone native in Uganda. Of course, two sisters did leave for London and failed to establish themselves - the lowest of low pay (cleaning), one at least falling into alcoholism and destitution. From what I have seen this started to change after WW2 when it became far more acceptable for single Irish women to leave rural communities for, certainly, London. In fact, I once lived in a Guinness Trust block of 120 bedsit/studios in Brixton, built in the 1950's specifically for single Irish women who would, by then, migrate to work in offices as well as factories (new freedoms following from contributions to the war effort in wartime factories). Guinness initially built the bedsits without kitchens as the preference then was to foster communal meal times downstairs in the purpose-built hall. There was even a doctor's practice built as part of the estate. That was 20+ years after the time of this play.
The unseen hold of the Catholic church was everywhere.
See I thought Aggie and Rose's sad outcome was realistic and also that's what happen to Brian Friel's Aunts in real life.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on May 4, 2023 11:54:55 GMT
While I think the one pricing for all seats doesn't work, I do think you'd need more expensive seats to balance the cheaper seats, I'd go for a £40, 60 and £80 for Upper, Dress and Stalls which for a small venue like the Fortune would allow the show to have an extended run.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on May 4, 2023 11:25:05 GMT
Having had a good click through the run last night, if you can afford £50 - £90 I suggest you get on this now as it will sell out completely in the next few days. With this and the Brian Friel, Friday Rush will also be quite a challenge for the foreseeable. I was able to get Friday Rush for Motive but that was before the reviews came out.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on May 4, 2023 11:19:24 GMT
I heard from someone that performers in a show that has closed recently had had their contract renewed to run until October - only for the theatre to bring their closing date forwards. Obviously it depends on the specific contract but can theatre owners close a show before the contract end-date without any risk of getting into legal trouble for breaking a contract? It's a stop clause, I assume Access Entertainment were able to invoke it because of perhaps box office falling below a certain number over a number of weeks.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on May 4, 2023 11:17:10 GMT
Can we stop blaming ATG for Operation Mincemeat's pricing when Avalon is the producer.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on May 3, 2023 12:24:37 GMT
I have no doubt this will be a huge hit and get 5* reviews but it left me cold. Maybe I'm the only one since it got a rapturous standing ovation last night. I love Hamlet very much, have performed in Hamlet (but not as Hamlet), and I've watched the Burton Hamlet recording. I was excited for this. But there's just no there, there. It just felt incredibly artificial and the writing is superficial and shallow. Apart from one scene where Gielgud is alone, there was not one moment that felt like genuine emotion. Didn't see the point of having Elizabeth Taylor pop up every now and then to be sexy and to editorialise on celebrity and acting but have zero character development or even anything to do. Tuppence Middleton is a good actor but you could have replaced her with the Madame Tussauds waxwork of Elizabeth Taylor and not noticed any difference, and for God's sake is there not a single American actress in London who could have played that role? It's entertaining and has some funny sitcom-style lines. But basically a gossipy Lifetime movie. 3* from me. Trivia: John Heffernan was in an early workshop of this play. Now there's an actor who brings real emotional truth to every role he plays. Who was Heffernan playing in the workshop, I assume he was playing Gielgud rather than Burton.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on May 3, 2023 12:21:39 GMT
Unsure the validity of this but I heard the Haymarket’s owners want to focus on plays now Only Fools and Horses has closed. But that might be hot air idk. Makes sense, it's a theatre that is more suitable for plays than musicals. I would imagine there are a few plays they'll try and get like The Motive and The Cue if that is planning a transfer in the future.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on May 3, 2023 11:59:45 GMT
Must have missed that one!
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on May 3, 2023 11:49:41 GMT
The Guardian was the only non 4 or 5 star review but I get the impression they don't like much theatre.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on May 3, 2023 11:11:02 GMT
I find it amusing that people want this to be filmed and released, the chances of it happening are zilch.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on May 3, 2023 10:14:22 GMT
I do think it's a bit harsh to say Alison shouldn't be allowed back in a theatre.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on May 2, 2023 12:37:03 GMT
They've marked down both performances on the 5th July as filmed performances so I'm guessing it'll be for NT Live or NT at Home at a later date. Doesn't necessarily mean this - the NT record everything for archive purposes. It feels like a possible NT at Home future release but i'd be shocked to see it go out on NT Live Didn't The Lehman Trilogy get a NT Live? That was also co-produced by Neal Street although that didn't broadcast until near the end of the Piccadilly run.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on May 1, 2023 23:52:02 GMT
They've marked down both performances on the 5th July as filmed performances so I'm guessing it'll be for NT Live or NT at Home at a later date.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on May 1, 2023 16:23:01 GMT
It's unusual for a show to take a hiatus but I wonder if it's end being cheaper to have everyone go on holiday at the same time.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on Apr 30, 2023 15:23:04 GMT
It's interesting how the change in direction to make it has split opinions. I personally thought it worked but I was going in cold.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on Apr 30, 2023 15:17:39 GMT
Thank you lou105. Can you elaborate? I will probably heed your advice and hope this is filmed for NTLive, and catch up with it in the future. I'm probably on the conservative side about things I would take a child/young teen to watch, so I wouldn't presume to judge for anyone else. As another poster said, the more adult content is discussed or implied rather than graphically portrayed. Are you happy to let a number of f***s (sometimes just as swear words, sometimes used as a verb), and a couple of c***s go over their heads? Would it bother you that they heard a sex worker list what they were willing to offer? As I mentioned, I really enjoyed the play, and I dont think any of it is gratuitous, in fact it's part of the poignant emotional tone of the piece. But for me, anyone under 14 or so is unlikely to engage with either the artistic or the personal struggles, and would at best be politely bored. I agree, it's a great play but it's not for kids.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on Apr 29, 2023 22:44:38 GMT
Saw this tonight and it's a real treat for those who love theatre with many in jokes but also witnessing in the rehearsal room despite tempers flaring and egos clashing that magic can happen once it all clicks into place.
Johnny Flynn as Richard Burton is very good and you can see despite being of an arse at times, why Burton was one of the greatest actors of his generation but I think Mark Gatiss as John Gielgud pips him slightly but the two of them together are dynamic. Tuppence Middleton is good as Elizabeth Taylor as well.
Judging by how busy it was, I think it will have a further life beyond the National. Maybe it could go into the Gielgud after Old Friends or perhaps the Haymarket?
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on Apr 29, 2023 11:12:30 GMT
James Norton and Kit Harrington in the original staging of Posh I guess ( I didn’t particularly like the play, did recall JN when I saw him years later in Bugs but can’t remember Kit Harrington at all!). Didn't realise that James Norton was in Posh. Kit Harrington I have seen pictures from that original production. It is fun seeing actors go onto bigger things not just from watching theatre but also TV shows. I remember when Chris Hemsworth did the 2009 Star Trek film, I was the only person in my group who recognised him because he was in Home and Away a few years prior and likewise Margot Robbie when she did The Wolf of Wall Street.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on Apr 28, 2023 21:17:24 GMT
It's slightly cheating but the original cast of The History Boys is my ultimate before they hit the big time experience.
Does Matilda count for Bertie Carvel?
In regards to Patsy Ferran, I've not seen her do much screen work aside from a small role in the recent Tom & Jerry film. My first experiences of her on stage was Blithe Spirit and Treasure Island.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on Apr 28, 2023 20:56:50 GMT
I just remembered that I saw Luke Evans in Avenue Q, he was the understudy for Jon Robyns.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on Apr 28, 2023 20:24:06 GMT
Many actors who are now very famous obviously had to start somewhere and was looking through some of my old programmes and realised how many of them I've seen in my time before they became super famous. I'm not going to name all of them but a few I can think were Hannah Waddingham who I saw in Spamalot, Jonathan Bailey in American Psycho and Olly Alexander in Peter and Alice.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on Apr 28, 2023 12:10:17 GMT
I had a double Stephen Mangan day when I went - a Portrait Artist of the Year recording in the early afternoon in Battersea, with this in the evening. There had been a morning session which started at 10. None of my business and I haven't seen him since A Christmas Carol, but I did wonder if he had a weight on his shoulders atm. Fwiw, they were recording several of these over a two-week period so this doubling-up was not an abnormal day for him. Mangan is also promoting his new book as well so he's keeping busy. I'm assuming the filming of POATY is done in a way so it doesn't clash with Private Lives,
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on Apr 27, 2023 13:27:36 GMT
I can't work out what the code word is!
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on Apr 27, 2023 10:23:26 GMT
This is the play version, not the musical version...
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on Apr 27, 2023 1:14:56 GMT
Oklahoma! and The Wizard of Oz share Michael Harrison as a producer so it's not too surprising that Georgina is returning as Dorothy.
|
|
6,349 posts
Member is Online
|
Post by Jon on Apr 25, 2023 21:50:18 GMT
Looks like a West End transfer is coming. Where and When?
|
|