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Post by mistressjojo on Jan 27, 2018 9:00:00 GMT
I enjoy an organised tour group - especially when I’m travelling alone, as I will be in NZ. It takes the stress out of the experience and you do meet some interesting people. I’ll be doing a couple of group tours in NZ, before flying over to Sydney for 5 days before heading back to London. I’ve got some theatre booked in Sydney - Opera at the Opera house because it just had to be done, and a Sydney Theatre Co production of Black is the New White White. Black is the New White is very,very funny. You will enjoy that! I've been to countries on every continent except South America and the polar regions. When I was younger I tended to do group tours, mainly because this was pre-internet days and it was just a lot easier & cheaper to let someone else organise things. But I still do small group tours where places are less easy to get to, or safety or language is an issue. Trips to the UK and NY tend to be based around theatre, although I also travel interstate and overseas for Comic-con type events ( big Doctor Who fan right here folks!) It's hard to pick a favorite place, there's so many wonderful things in the world, all special in their own ways. Big Cities - Can't go past London, NYC, Zurich and my home town of Sydney. Wildlife & Nature - Etosha National Park in Namibia, the Western Highlands of Scotland, Komodo Island in Indonesia History - Granada in Spain, Rome - the whole place is a museum , Petra in Jordan
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Post by mistressjojo on Jan 26, 2018 7:03:13 GMT
Extra Macbeth performances go live for non-members this morning, but I was able to get tickets early using my Amex . Lots of £15 seats in the circle still available for the days I checked
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Post by mistressjojo on Jan 6, 2018 9:58:26 GMT
I too went last year, and apart from the queuing up outside on a rather chilly evening I had a wonderful time. As Baemax says, the costumes seem to appear as the event goes on, so at first it was a bit disconcerting when a random woman in civvies approached me in the nave and started reciting Shakespeare as if conversing with a friend! Some chapels do get bottlenecked, so try not to get stuck behind tombs if you can help it, or you may have to sit pat through the same thing a few times as I did. For me, the most memorable part was Mark Rylance reciting the dungeon scene from Richard II , perched on that same king's tomb. And as will all great Shakespeare, the evening ended with a song & a jig. Rather than a programme, we were given a map of the Abbey, with a beautiful coloured overlay illustrated with the verses and characters.
I would go again if I could.
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Post by mistressjojo on Dec 20, 2017 10:12:46 GMT
How is the set and costumes Bright green stage floor and revolve with neon blue box wings on stage. The pros arch is BRIGHT pink strange coral looking spikes featuring 15-20 different looking iPads of various sizes. I have a photo but I don’t know how to attach it! The pros arch is actually covered in giant pink frangipani blossoms (plumeria for the Americans )
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Post by mistressjojo on Dec 13, 2017 6:17:20 GMT
I'm not sure how well it will translate for non-Australian audiences, they may need to have subtitles explaining! , And I still don’t know if the fleeting reference to a wedding shop in Chatswood got a laugh because Chatswood itself is amusing in some way or if it was just the comedy Swedish pronunciation of it It was just the pronunciation - Chats -voooood. ☺
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Post by mistressjojo on Dec 12, 2017 11:46:58 GMT
I saw this last night. It's a lot of fun! Loud, brash, extremely colourful and very Australian. Maggie McKenna ( Muriel) has a huge voice and is so comfortable in the part you would never know it was her professional debut. She is very much like her mother ( Gina Riley) in both voice and looks. Bringing the story into the present day works wonderfully well, with plenty of clever jabs at social media & celebrity worked into the original songs written by Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall. Anyone familiar with Miller-Heidke's previous works will recognise her quirky turn of phrase and catchy melodies. It's pretty much sold out it's run in Sydney, and the only other place the STC plan on taking it is Toronto,Canada. I'm not sure how well it will translate for non-Australian audiences, they may need to have subtitles explaining! Except of course the ABBA scenes. Everyone understands ABBA. As they say, ABBA are forever!
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Post by mistressjojo on Dec 4, 2017 8:20:38 GMT
I love Davey Tennant, but uh, no. Now if there had been a Best Prancing About in Underwear category, he'd have it in the bag.
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Post by mistressjojo on Nov 28, 2017 9:44:21 GMT
I can recommend the Mercure Shakespeare & the Falcon - I lucked out both times and got cheap deals and ended up in the old sections of both hotels. Also just for the convenience, the Premier Inn Central is a flat easy walk to the theatres and I found the staff very friendly.
I also recommend Hobsons Patisseries in Henley street, for the biggest cream filled scones and a good selection of cakes.
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Post by mistressjojo on Nov 10, 2017 8:14:33 GMT
Well I like it. It's quirky, it has nods to previous incarnations, the colours are good and it will be quite simple for the cosplayers to reproduce. Plus I think the shapes work well for Jodie's frame.
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Post by mistressjojo on Nov 4, 2017 8:26:35 GMT
I was meant to see MW this week, but had to reschedule to next month. At least it should be well & truly settled in by then.
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Post by mistressjojo on Sept 26, 2017 8:56:09 GMT
Thanks for the info - I am going to be in Sydney for a few days in early march next year so hoping to see some theatre that we wouldn't get in London. Are there any other Sydney-based theatre companies you would recommend? There are a few independant theatre companies that do good work. The Belvoir and Griffin theatres tend towards the modern new works, quite often with a political leaning.Good choice for plays you won't see in London. BelvoirGriffinThe Ensemble Theatre is in a beautiful harbourside location and has a great restaurant attached. In March they are staging a premiere of a new David Williamson play. EnsembleBell Shakespeare stages Shakespeare and classics with a contemporary Australian slant. In March they are performing Antony and Cleopatra at the Sydney Opera House. Bell ShakespeareAnd if you are looking for a very Australian play, the STC have two new plays running till early March. Black is the New WhiteLethal IndifferenceI would recommend booking directly with the theatres in advance if possible. We don't have discount ticket agencies, day seats or Today Tix, although sometimes things do show up on Last Tix. Hope this helps!
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Post by mistressjojo on Sept 25, 2017 8:59:53 GMT
I can only comment on Sydney Theatre Company productions. I've been a season ticket holder for the past 5 years and think I've really only had maybe 3 duds in all that time. And that was mainly down to the play not appealing to me rather than the performances, which are usually excellent. Their season will usually include a mix of classics, established playwrights and commission works by new writers, and sometimes touring UK companies ( We had the Almeida King Charles III last year ). Prices are not cheap, but fairly standard for Sydney. New writer's shows are usually cheaper , and they do a $20 online sale every Thursday morning for shows for the coming week. Highlights for me have been a colour/age/sex blind cast staging of Macbeth, where the stage and seating were reversed. Cyrano de Bergerac with the marvellous Richard Roxburgh throwing himself about the stage a la Errol Flynn. And a very simply staged Death and the Maiden.
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Post by mistressjojo on Sept 17, 2017 7:44:36 GMT
The Capitol is such a gorgeous venue. I was looking around at the architecture during the interval and it's truly unique. Always fun to catch a show on my infrequent nights in Sydney (and elsewhere!) One of my earliest theatre memories is seeing Jesus Christ Superstar at the Capitol, and spending most of the time fascinated by the starry sky ceiling. I was convinced we were really outdoors!
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Post by mistressjojo on Sept 10, 2017 6:33:38 GMT
These days she's more known here as a children's performer and Playschool presenter, although she does the occasional adult acting job too. I last saw her two years ago in Children of the Sun. How was she? She was fine. Even though I'm really not a fan of the moaning Russian plays. The presenters of Australian Play School have include many well respected actors - you mentioned Philip Quast, but also Simon Burke, John Waters, Georgie Parker, Jay Laga'aia , Ruth Cracknell and Colin Friels amongst others.
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Post by mistressjojo on Aug 26, 2017 8:29:38 GMT
Rather nice that they haven't re-named it "You Beauty" or just "Beaut" for Australia. Nah, we would've gone with 'Bonza." And added a dog, and a ute.
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Post by mistressjojo on Aug 25, 2017 3:51:18 GMT
Not happy with this at all. Why would I have paid the extra and spent hours downloading both the software and the film if 'unlimited access' doesn't actually mean that?
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Post by mistressjojo on Aug 24, 2017 11:20:54 GMT
Beautiful opens at the Lyric on the 17th Sept, if that fits your timing.
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Post by mistressjojo on Aug 24, 2017 3:31:25 GMT
Is this worth seeing? I'm in Sydney next month and it's having a return engagement. It got mostly 3* reviews first time round. And now it's at the Capitol which is much better suited for musicals than SOH. Plus with Robyn Nevin and Reg Livermore in the cast it can't be too bad. Unfortunately I can't find any discounts for you atm.
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Post by mistressjojo on Aug 19, 2017 4:07:21 GMT
Not theatre but the cinema. I went to an anniversary screening of Withnail and I last weekend, and it was the rowdiest crowd I've ever seen in a cinema. To the point that about 10 minutes in, the film stops, lights go up and security appear to eject people! Never seen anyone ejected from a cinema before!
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Post by mistressjojo on Aug 16, 2017 2:44:06 GMT
I think what we need is an on-screen embodiment of Martin Crieff from Cabin Pressure and all will be well in my Cumber-World again. Can you imagine it? Cumbers up a tree with a stuffed sheep? I would hope for an appearance by ze polar bearz expert. ☺
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Post by mistressjojo on Jul 24, 2017 9:58:11 GMT
Well okay yes, actors do re=appear as different characters. Which can work as long as it's explained ( Freema played Martha's cousin Adeola originally. Eve Myles played Gwen's 19th century ancestor before she became Gwen Cooper)
I was talking about Jonathan returning as his original character.
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Post by mistressjojo on Jul 24, 2017 9:38:42 GMT
I think it would be clever if Chris Chibnall manages to squeeze in a guest star from 'Broadchurch' into each episode every week. Like Johnny Bailey. And Johnny Bailey. And Johnny Bailey. And Johnny Bailey. Oh and perhaps Johnny Bailey Jonathan Bailey was already a guest in a 2014 episode. So you'll have to hope for a Steven Moffat written episode for his character to return. Unless he wears a monster outfit, but that would defeat the purpose for Ryan . Wouldn't it?
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Post by mistressjojo on Jul 18, 2017 10:57:17 GMT
Twitter has been sharing some gifs of Troughton in his youth, rather dashing he was too! He's fully clothed. Luckily or unluckily depending on your inclinations I guess. Which has to be preferable to gifs of the Ten-inch.
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Post by mistressjojo on Jul 18, 2017 7:50:57 GMT
Jodie is 35 - so not that young.About the same age as David Tennant when he started. And she's said the outfit in the teaser isn't her costume.
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Post by mistressjojo on Jul 17, 2017 8:37:51 GMT
Honestly, the only thing that bothers me about Jodie (or, at least, from the promo they ran yesterday) is that the new Doctor's form somehow includes very obviously dyed blonde hair! I didn't know that was a possibility in a regeneration!!! After all, if the doctor can dye his form's natural hair colour during a regeneration, why has he not been ginger every time?!! Well Eleven did shave it all off, and Ten and Twelve had obvious restyles throughout their tenures, so I can't imagine why Thirteen can't colour it? A fun game for the viewers at home, watch David Tennant's magical hair disappear and reappear throughout some of his episodes!
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Post by mistressjojo on Jul 13, 2017 9:23:04 GMT
David Suchet has done "inside stage door signings" at his last couple of West End shows. Numbers haven't been huge but apparently he preferred this to being stood on street doing it. . David Suchet did this in Sydney a few years ago. There wasn't a huge crowd, but we had to wait outside and then we invited inside individually to a small vestibule for a photo/auto or just a chat. He was very charming and didn't rush us at all, actually taking an interest in our conversation.
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Post by mistressjojo on Jul 9, 2017 2:09:53 GMT
Yes, this has been a thing for a long time. It's usually the final matinee of a show, but I guess with never ending musicals they have extended that to cast changes. It's never (in my experience anyway) anything too disruptive. Usually just small pranks with props or costumes. I remember in one play (but I can't remember which one) a character had to open a bottle of fizz, and they had obviously shaken it up backstage so it went everywhere. Silly little things like that.
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Post by mistressjojo on Jul 3, 2017 2:32:17 GMT
At the local production of the Robert Icke '1984' last week. I was fine but I think the ladies next to me would have scarpered if they had a chance! That was probably why there wasn't an interval.
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Post by mistressjojo on Jun 30, 2017 3:00:38 GMT
I would have thought their main issue would be with play itself rather than staging. It didn't seem to me to be something that would translate well to American audiences.
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Post by mistressjojo on Jun 29, 2017 10:52:40 GMT
This seems to have been coming forever. I saw Hugh Jackman on stage in 2015 and he did few songs from this then - although I thought it was going to be a stage musical at that stage? Maybe I got it wrong.
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