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Post by Deal J on Dec 23, 2022 12:29:07 GMT
TV highlight of the year, for me! There’s an American version being filmed in a Scottish castle (possibly the same one, I’m not sure) with Alan Cumming presenting, hopefully that will be broadcast in the UK at some point.
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Post by Deal J on Nov 13, 2022 16:47:48 GMT
Ooh this looks rather nice… I wasn’t planning on going but I might do now!
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Post by Deal J on Nov 11, 2022 15:01:51 GMT
First The Scone, Clotted Cream and Blueberries Before anyone asks, it's pronounced "scone" - not "scone"
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Post by Deal J on Nov 1, 2022 8:40:30 GMT
I've been enjoying Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities on Netflix, usually these sort of anthology shows are a mixed bag but the ones I've seen so far have been fun.
My favourite horror movies are Rosemary's Baby, The Thing, and The Omen. Hallowe'en is another excuse for me to sit and watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show for the umpteenth time!
It's funny to think not so long ago The Exorcist was a banned movie, and yet now you can find it by idly channel-hopping through terrestrial television!
Exorcist III is an exceptionally good film for a sequel. Some amazing cinematography in there... highly recommended if you haven't seen it already.
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Post by Deal J on Nov 1, 2022 8:30:56 GMT
Wouldn't being a theater ghost be a fabulous way to spend the afterlife? Wonderful performances, backstage shenanigans, sending cold chills down the spine of those who misbehave... Gossip from beyond the grave! Is there some sort of Ouija-interface that BurlyBear could install to help them join the board!?
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Post by Deal J on Oct 31, 2022 15:42:32 GMT
Love the little Hallowe'en invaders on the forum! Happy Hallowe'en everyone!
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Post by Deal J on Oct 19, 2022 13:56:02 GMT
Two memories that always make me smile:
Following a performance of Sweeney Todd when it opened in Chichester, I overheard a lady saying she was upset that she hadn't been able to see Michael Ball as Sweeney (when in fact she had).
Again in Chichester, following a performance of Gypsy I overheard a lady saying she thought it was hilarious that "the stripper with the trumpet" (Mazeppa) had been played by a drag queen (when in fact she had seen Louise Gold in the role).
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Post by Deal J on Sept 29, 2022 2:07:58 GMT
My personal interpretation of her public tweets is that she speaks actively for one minority, and actively against another. I don’t agree that she speaks out on both, I feel she speaks for one and against another - even though in my opinion they don’t need to be mutually exclusive.
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Post by Deal J on Sept 26, 2022 16:53:46 GMT
Take a look at her Twitter account and I’m sure you’ll get the gist. I used to love her too but her public comments have caused me to block her as I find them very uncomfortable reading.
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Post by Deal J on Sept 26, 2022 14:40:37 GMT
I tell you, it’s all done by Oompa Loompas, they’re very good at hiding!
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Post by Deal J on Sept 25, 2022 0:18:02 GMT
Ted Lasso is globally massive and Hannah has won big awards for it. Her profile has definitely massively grown in the last couple of years. She just has the added benefit of that MT experience now. Im sure I am the only one but… who? I’ve never heard of this globally massive person. She went quiet for a while due to family commitments, but in terms of MT you might remember her as Desiree in the Menier production of A Little Night Music, and the Witch in the Regents Park Open Air Into the Woods, and the Witch in ALW’s Wizard of Oz. She’s fabulous - if you’re not already familiar with her work I’d highly recommend it!
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Post by Deal J on Sept 21, 2022 9:32:03 GMT
Honestly, I've said it before, but I believe had the little girl been humming the bean theme/Rapunzels aria motif during that prologue, it really would have added so much depth to the framing. Agreed! I think they shoud get rid of the "Are yooooou ready?" bit too, she only needs to ask the old man.
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Post by Deal J on Sept 8, 2022 7:37:34 GMT
In this production Milky White is present during the first song 'Happy Ever After' - thanks to Jack's pilfering she's got a lovely new gold nose ring and gold adornments on her feet!
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Post by Deal J on Sept 6, 2022 14:02:35 GMT
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Post by Deal J on Sept 4, 2022 15:07:40 GMT
Other tricks and flights of fancy: {HUGE Spoilers - click to view}For the Witch’s first entrance she appears at the Bakery door window, which the Baker closes the blind on, then almost immediately she’s at their first floor window, then back again.
The Witch has her usual spell flashes that zap at the groins of the Baker and his Wife.
The ghost of Cinderella’s mother is heard through an oversized pink flower in a stem vase. The head of the flower raises and gestures as it sings, dropping her petals to Cinderella’s feet. When she appears later on her ball gown looks like it’s been made using the petals.
As the Wolf attempts to lure Red away from the path, he sings “You’re missing all the flowers…”, and as he points a number of roses fly down from the sky landing bolt upright on the stage. Much more impressive than it sounds.
Mysterious Man frequently appears from behind trees without any hint that he’d been hiding there.
The giant pocket watch is originally used as the first beanstalk which Jack climbs down and sits atop to sing “Giants in the Sky”. It’s then used several times throughout the rest of the show, swinging in like a pendulum for each midnight gone (accompanied by the cuckoo clock atop the fake proscenium arch) and finally to dispose of the Witch.
The faux theatre boxes at the sides are opened as a window into the Royal Castle, and during the Prince’s shoe fitting as the Stepmother attempts to bring her daughters’ feet down to size, blood drips down the wall below.
Red Riding Hood’s rescue from the Wolf’s stomach is particularly gruesome. The Wolf is in Granny’s four poster bed, and as the Baker cuts his belly open, Red emerges dripping in blood and covered in entrails, closely followed by a vengeful Granny equally drenched. Both have strong Glaswegian accents, and they really play up their violent intentions.
I didn’t mind the backdrop, I thought it added a bit of extra depth in the darker scenes. It was also used to show (in silhouette) the banishment of Rapunzel’s Prince and his fall into the thicket of thorns. Similarly as the Royal Family attempt to escape to a far-off Kingdom, they exit the “theatre” only to be captured by the Giant’s Wife (“No you don’t - that’s cheating!”) who grabs them all (again in silhouette) lifting them to their doom.
The Giant’s Wife is voiced by the little girl, her doll’s feet are HUGE and stomp around the stage controlled by people underneath. The soles are hollow, so she can step on the other characters and have them disappear underneath. She’s supposed to be a large doll that doesn’t “fit” in the toy theatre properly, so it works well within the framework of this production. Her huge “plastic” arm sweeps down out of the wings to grab the Narrator, and when the survivors eventually slay her, her huge broken head lands on the stage (looking a little like the poster of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?).
My descriptions don’t do the real thing justice at all, everything is just so BIG and imaginative. There are plenty of other delights I’ve not mentioned here too, but hopefully this at least gives a flavour for those who won’t be able to see the show. I turned around during the bows and it looked like the entire house were on their feet - quite right, too!
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Post by Deal J on Sept 4, 2022 13:16:53 GMT
Can someone tell us in spoiler tags about the effect mentioned above please, and details of any other interesting theatrical tricks or magic in this show please? The effect requiring the front centre seats to be vacant: During “So Happy”, the Baker is centre stage as they all sing “Then fortune smiled, so hap-…” - then there’s a big creaking sound and the tall scenery piece of the Baker’s House falls forward quickly, crashing over the Baker’s head (much like the Buster Keaton Steamboat Bill Jr effect). The apex of the roof reaches the front of the stage, so it creates a huge gust of wind and bits of paper leaves blow forward. We felt it in the 2nd row, so I imagine it would be too much for the 1st row.
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Post by Deal J on Sept 4, 2022 12:01:46 GMT
I’m in seat D5 this evening, it sounds like I might be in for a fright! Enjoy the show! 👍🏻 Thank you - I certainly did! They kept those front centre seats free again, it must be because of the stage effect because the ushers kept checking beforehand that the people on the sides weren’t moving further in. I was in the second row, one from the centre, and… {Slight Spoiler - click to view}…I felt a blast of wind from the effect. The gentleman next to me was right in the centre and he was certainly startled, and ended up with a few “leaves” on his lap. What an incredible production, I loved it. Everything seemed to be working as it should - including the cuckoo clock and vased flower. I notice on Twitter that members of the Sondheim Society were back for a repeat visit and remarked on how much tighter and funnier it has become since their first trip. Milky White was an absolute treat, what a performance! Very funny and I even shed a tear when she and Jack said goodbye to each other… that’s never happened to me before! Alex Young is incredible, her comic timing and delivery really shone. But every performance was spot on, just delightful from beginning to end. The changed Mysterious Man character works really well, I think. It made the second half even more dark than usual. It took me a beat to work out why he would have found the Baker’s father’s note, but then when it clicked it hit hard. The only thing (I think) was missing was the cameo from Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, I don’t remember them appearing but that’s an exceptionally minor quibble. I do agree that The Witch’s transformation outfit could be a lot more glamorous, but in my head-canon I think this might be the little girl imagining her as a “scary” grown up lady, someone relatively “normal” from the real world but who has upset or frightened her in her real life. Given the relationship between the Witch and Rapunzel, perhaps the girl has even modelled her after her own mother. I wish (sigh) I’d been able to get seats slightly further back to take everything in, but maybe being so close is why I didn’t have any trouble with the masks used by the Witch and the Wolf. In conclusion, in my best Prince voice, I long to go back to “the Whooooods”!
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Post by Deal J on Sept 3, 2022 14:00:05 GMT
Five seats in the centre of the front row (C) of the stalls and one dead centre in the second row were unoccupied in what otherwise appeared to be a near full house. I think that may be because of the one of the stage effects. I was middle of the third row which is E for this production and it made me jump. I’m in seat D5 this evening, it sounds like I might be in for a fright!
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Post by Deal J on Sept 1, 2022 7:19:01 GMT
[...] Hope they manage to get a new venue, although that may necessitate a new name! The Menier Great Glass Elevator, perhaps?
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Post by Deal J on Aug 17, 2022 16:43:36 GMT
I have a vague feeling there was a low-key revival [of Billy] at the Union a few years back. I have no idea why I didn't go and see it, because I really love the score and I was always at the Union around that time. So that would be another show I never got to see and really should have done. There was, in 2013. It was a smashing production, with Keith Ramsay in the lead. I’ve never seen the original, and at the time I hadn’t even heard any of the score, but I found Keith mesmerising, and the show was full of energy. It inspired me to track down the original cast recording. Lovely stuff. Another vote for Kiss of the Spider Woman from me, it’s the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread title!
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Post by Deal J on Aug 11, 2022 14:59:46 GMT
Excellent, thank you. What a pretty auditorium it is!
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Post by Deal J on Aug 11, 2022 12:26:11 GMT
I'm contemplating travelling to see this for my birthday, so that seating plan is very useful, as is the rest of the advice in the thread - thanks.
It looks like a lovely relatively small theatre, I'm thinking rear stalls might be better than any of the circles/balcony which look like they might feel far away given there doesn't appear to be an overhang?
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Post by Deal J on Jul 25, 2022 11:21:49 GMT
Might have been more fun to name it after Judi Dench or someone alive and kicking who could bring in the punters. What’s the first show, then? Anyone know? The main theatre at the Questors in Ealing is called the Judi Dench Playhouse, but agreed there are plenty of other luminaries who could have been honoured. @supollardplace
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Post by Deal J on Jul 21, 2022 7:27:46 GMT
Anyone have any leads for the rest of the cast? Is it true that Hannah Waddingham is going to be Madame Morrible?? Wow that would be amazing!! How about Isaac Cole Powell for Fiyero?
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Post by Deal J on Jun 20, 2022 11:44:50 GMT
That’s the trouble with shoplifting - you can't try anything on!
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Post by Deal J on Jun 17, 2022 12:31:37 GMT
Only Connect is my favourite, it's the only one I record to make sure I don't miss an episode!
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Post by Deal J on Jun 17, 2022 11:47:30 GMT
Don't have the gateau..I've just seen her scratch her armpit with the cake slice Can i get past, I'm not having a sweet. Very wise with those hips. You’ve a look of Eva Braun, did you know?
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Post by Deal J on Jun 17, 2022 7:28:40 GMT
We think we've got hens... in the skirting boards!
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Post by Deal J on Jun 3, 2022 11:38:15 GMT
Last minute trip to Liverpool to see Derren Brown’s “Showman” tour
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Post by Deal J on May 12, 2022 15:24:53 GMT
Yes I agree, it's not good optics. £460 is 1.2% of the average annual salary in the UK, so if people are getting the impression that's a typical cost for theatre tickets, it's definitely going to put some off completely.
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