158 posts
|
Post by bee on Dec 29, 2023 15:57:05 GMT
that one was brilliant! I am still hoping it will come back sometime It was scheduled for the chocolate factory wasnt it? They need a hit and to put some bums on those padded benches It did go ahead at the Chocolate Factory, having transferred there from Chichester. After its success there it was scheduled for a West End run in 2020.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Dec 20, 2023 19:18:56 GMT
The Hampstead production of Dumb Waiter did in fact go ahead, I saw it. Seating was still socially distanced at the time. Oh did it ? That’s odd, they gave me a credit note when it was originally postponed, I must have missed the news of its return. Yes, looking back at the reviews now it was supposed to run from early December 2020 till the end of January 2021. I'm guessing the run must have got cut short when full lockdown got reintroduced for Christmas 2020.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Dec 20, 2023 11:33:34 GMT
I guess it depends how long a view you want to take: in our lifetimes, i imagine theyll be constant revivals of Pinter. Dumb Waiter seems to get a london revivial every year or so! Ive seen 4 different homecomings in london for example in the last 12 years or so for example Yes Dumb Waiter is a good call for one with staying power - Hampstead were planning a production of it which was cancelled due to Covid but it has never reappeared. But fashion will turn against Pinter just as it did against Rattigan and Osborne and that can happen at any time. The Hampstead production of Dumb Waiter did in fact go ahead, I saw it. Seating was still socially distanced at the time.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Dec 14, 2023 21:13:01 GMT
I saw this show last month. That actually wasn't the reason I went to Bochum - I went because a German rock band I like was doing a concert there - but I figured since I was there it would be daft not to go to Starlight.
As it happened, I thought it was great. I haven't seen it before (in English or German), so have no previous production to compare it with, but it was really enjoyable, and for me at least, pretty spectacular. The theatre itself is amazing, a fantastic venue.
Regarding the travel aspects of my trip, pretty much all of the advice given earlier in this thread still applies. I flew to Dusseldorf and got the train from the airport railway station (not the S-Bahn station - you need to take the SkyTrain monorail from the terminal) to Bochum, all pretty straightforward. I stayed to the Ibis Styles Hotel right beside the main central railway station and got the bus to the theatre from the sort of mini bus station right outside. As mentioned above, you can walk to the theatre, but one word of caution, quite a lot of it is uphill. I got the bus but the previous evening I went to the football (the stadium is not far from the theatre) and walked, and I was certainly feeling it a bit by the time I got to the top of the hill!
Viserys also made the point before about public transport being poor late in the evening and I'd agree. My concert was at a venue quite far out of town. I got a bus out there no problem but after it had finished at 10:30 pm or so that line had stopped so I had a 30 minute walk through suburban Bochum to the closest U-Bahn station, which was still running.
Anyway sorry for rambling on, but when I saw this thread I figured I'd just share my experience just in case anyone else was thinking of doing this trip for the first time.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Dec 7, 2023 13:05:41 GMT
I've been to quite a few shows at The Orange Tree which are always in the round (it's more of a square I suppose). I can't say I've ever felt I was spending too much time staring at the back of the actors' heads.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Dec 1, 2023 7:42:29 GMT
I saw this last night and thought it was excellent. I'm a relative latecomer to the TV show, I've only just started Season 2, so I dare say there were references in this that went over my head, but the story stands on its own and I don't think you have to be especially knowledgeable about the TV show to follow and get involved in it.
The effects are really impressive and the cast act their socks off. It's a really great show. The audience seemed to love it, lots of people standing to applaud at the end. Thoroughly recommended.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Oct 27, 2023 17:35:34 GMT
I saw an interview with Antony Sher once where he said his acting approach was to go to the character rather than bringing the character to himself. By this he meant that he actually "acted" - changed his voice and speech patterns and appearance and movement and so on to match the character rather than amplifying things already in himself which suited the character. It is an unusual approach these days where some form of method acting based on personal experience is usually applied. The result was that Sher was quite different when he played Lear and Falstaff whereas Robert Stephens was quite similar. The criticism of that approach - which was made particularly of Olivier - is that it relies on pure technique rather than emotion. And indeed Robert Stephens was better in both of those roles for that reason. Anyway, Bertie Carvel is in this tradition - his performance as Higgins and as Dalgliesh (on TV) are not even similar, and you could name another half dozen roles he has played which are different again. Related to that observation I was wondering what Shakespeare role I'd like to see him in (I think he's only ever played Macbeth) but it is hard to decide because he is so protean. Previously to this I have seen him in Rope and Bakkhai at The Almeida, and The Hairy Ape at The Old Vic. You're right, none of those characters or performances were remotely similar.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Oct 15, 2023 12:37:53 GMT
I saw yesterday's matinee. I'd more less agree with the previous reviewers. It's good, though after having seen seen Farm Hall cover similar ground this does seem to have more characters than is necessary. The performances are generally excellent though, and as others have said, the set is amazing for a small(ish) space.
First trip to The Elephant and I thought it was great. Good leg room in the seats (I was in the upper level), spacious bar areas, and plenty of loos. I look forward to returning.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Oct 15, 2023 12:21:05 GMT
I saw this last night. I liked it on the whole. The two leads, Bertie Carvel especially, were excellent, and there was some good laugh-out-loud moments provided by the supporting cast as well. I'd agree with the general feeling about the ball scene. It was messy and didn't seem to achieve anything. In general though, a good night out.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Oct 1, 2023 13:06:38 GMT
I saw yesterday's matinee of this and would agree with the previous reviewers. It's good, well acted (I was especially impressed with Rose Quentin) and enjoyable. There is something missing though, sort of a reason why to bother telling this story, which stops it from being better than it is, which is a shame.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Oct 1, 2023 12:44:58 GMT
Birthright - Finborough. Written in 1910, this is another 'rediscovery'. Set in a kitchen in rural Ireland, it is a family falling apart. Two sons drawn in their own directions but do these fit with the birthright, with the farm passing to the eldest? Performances push this up, in particular Pádraig Lynch as the father, in the tiny space of Finborough - his absolute rage was intimidating is the best word I can come up for it. Just primal rage and the look in his eyes - oof. Four stars. Just 60 minutes straight through now (and the AC isn't bad...) Saw this last night. Would pretty much agree with the above. A short portrait of a family where all the men are seething with long-standing grievances and resentments while the mother tries to keep the peace. Intense stuff.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Sept 12, 2023 21:23:36 GMT
How many Neighbours stars had chart success ? Kylie Jason Stefan Dennis Delta Goodrem Craig McLachlan Natalie Imbruglia Dan Falzon had a band called Milk Plus Madge and Harold and the Twins both released less successful records. Plus there have been cameos from Pet Shop Boys, Denise Van Outen and Sophie Ellis Bextor. Anyone think of anymore? There was a pair of twins on the show in the 90s (Alessi Twins?), one of them ended up as Paul Robinson's wife (on the show I mean). I'm pretty sure they put out at least one single, though whether it made any sort of impression on the charts I've no idea.
|
|
158 posts
|
Disney+
Aug 21, 2023 2:26:20 GMT
via mobile
Post by bee on Aug 21, 2023 2:26:20 GMT
Well I'm glad you're enjoying your Disney+, but it's already lost 4 million subscribers in the first quarter this year. I don't really care about Disney's profit margin, I'm not a shareholder... I don't really like their business practices, especially with physical releases and don't even start me on what they have done with their dodgy Russian 3D exclusivity deals in the middle of an illegal invasion, but their streaming service offers me what I am looking for, when it stops doing so I will cancel. I'm not sure if it's true or not, but I did read somewhere that a lot of the lost subscriptions was down to them losing the rights to show IPL cricket in India.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Jul 17, 2023 16:45:37 GMT
Up until a couple of years ago it would have been 99% plays and the very occasional musical for me. Since then I have started dabbling a bit in opera, ballet and musicals, but I expect it'll still be about 90% plays for me.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Jul 16, 2023 11:58:41 GMT
This is part of Finborough's ReDiscovered season. They are staging a number of somewhat forgotten plays, including this one which was a huge hit when it was first produced in the 1930s, but apparently hasn't been put on in London for 80 years. It concerns a group of medical students in Edinburgh, focusing mainly on the romantic entanglements of the youngest, Charles Tritton, played by Joe Pitts.
This felt a bit dated to be honest - you can see why it is no longer produced any more - but it's a still a good play with interesting characters and an absorbing story. The cast do a great job and I ended up liking it a lot. Recommended. It's on till 5th August.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Jul 16, 2023 11:38:20 GMT
Musicals aren't really my thing - I've seen a few, and enjoyed them, but somehow never got bitten by the bug. But in an effort to broaden my horizons a bit I though I'd try this since the movie is so great.
Anyway, in short, I liked this. For such a small scale production they did a fine job of recreating the atmosphere of the movie and even made a decent fist of some of the iconic scenes like the Prater Wheel and especially Harry's first appearance.
Regarding the songs/music, I thought it was fine, though none of the songs really stuck in my head, and as noted by other posters, some of the rhymes were a bit clunky. The quality of the singing was good, with Natalie Dunne in particular having a great voice.
In summary, a decent night out.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Jun 29, 2023 23:20:12 GMT
This could almost be a prequel to the recent Farm Hall at Jermyn Street. Based on the plot summary provided it sounds almost the same to me even? Kind of strange to get two of these premiering within a timespan of 12 months I liked Farm Hall a lot, but I can't figure out what Operation Epsilon would add to the story ... 🤔 Steep pricing on those tickets as well by the looks of it EDIT: Couldn't resist and managed to get a £7.50 ticket for the opening day, quite chuffed actually It is pretty remarkable to have two plays based around a not especially well known aspect of WW2 coming out within a few months of one another. I also liked Farm Hall so I'll try and get to this though my schedule's already pretty full for September/October.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Jun 29, 2023 13:34:54 GMT
The Old Vic presented a good production (Jonathan Miller) of Bussy D'Ambois many years ago, which I saw on the same day as the National's excellent production of The Changeling. There are other options, many relatively unknown, for Jacobean plays. The Globe presented The Broken Heart a few years ago (2015). The one I’d like to see again is The Second Maiden’s Tragedy by Thomas Middleton - an over-the-top piece of Jacobean horror. In the early days of the SWP they did a pretty decent job of putting on Jacobean plays, but they seem to have drifted away from that mission. Having said that, even as recently as 2020 they did Middleton's Women Beware Women - if I remember rightly I saw it on the last Saturday before lockdown.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Jun 29, 2023 12:01:31 GMT
This could almost be a prequel to the recent Farm Hall at Jermyn Street.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Jun 29, 2023 7:19:58 GMT
Always pleased to see the Duchess in a lineup! I've seen three great ones: Eleanor Bron, Harriet Walter, and Eve Best. I would also like to see a few lesser-known Jacobeans. The Duchess of Malfi is a good play with good roles in addition to the lead - I remember McKellen being very good in the Eleanor Bron one - but it does get done quite often, in addition to those three I've seen four others and the Globe did it as recently as 2014 (Gemma Arterton), it must be the most produced play by one of Shakespeare's contemporaries ? The blurb on the Globe website suggests that Duchess of Malfi is being done to celebrate the SWP's 10th anniversary. The production with Gemma Arterton was the first thing they did there.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Jun 25, 2023 9:48:35 GMT
I saw The Return of Benjamin Lay yesterday. I'd probably disagree with Dave B on the quality of the play, I thought it was fine, and at only 70 minutes doesn't overstay it's welcome. However I'm in full agreement with him about Mark Povinelli, he's just marvellous, totally immerses himself in the character.
A small spoiler/warning for anyone thinking of going (it's on till July 8th). There's a small amount of audience interaction. It's nothing to get too nervous about, but you might want to choose a seat at the back if that sort of thing bothers you. You also might want to have a think about any good books you've read recently!
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on May 29, 2023 10:27:25 GMT
Somewhat mixed feelings about this. It was beautifully acted, with Alex Mugnaioni as Jim in particular giving a brilliant performance. His slow transformation from the upbeat, cheerful figure we meet at the start to the worn-out, almost broken man he becomes at the end was wonderfully done.
I did, however, often find myself thinking "jeez, get over yourself" at the Bohemian pretentiousness of the characters. This made them hard to like, and hence hard to care about, at times.
Overall though, a good production.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on May 29, 2023 9:57:39 GMT
I would agree with most of what has been already said. It's very nicely done. The veteran actors get most of the laughs, but the whole cast does a great job. A really satisfying and enjoyable evening.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on May 20, 2023 17:47:21 GMT
Saw this afternoon's matinee of this. Would agree with most of the positive reviews on here, the set is stunning, the acting is marvellous - Justine Mitchell in particular just shines - and in the end it leaves you with a feeling of sadness about lives blighted by events which don't seem especially dramatic when they happen but which have deep consequences.
Would also agree with those who were bemused by the portrayal of Jerry. Not a hint of Welshness about him.
But ultimately that's a small peeve. 4 stars from me.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Apr 25, 2023 18:32:56 GMT
Questor's Theatre in Ealing are currently doing Much Ado About Nothing. The Bridewell Theatre in London sometimes has good quality amateur productions. Agree that ArtsEd in Chiswick is often worth a look too - I saw "Two Gentlemen of Verona" there directed by Trevor Nunn. I am somewhat ashamed to admit that, though I've lived very close to Ealing for about 18 years, I only became aware of the existence of Questor's Theatre last Autumn. Since then I've been to four productions, and they have all been excellent, both in terms of acting and production values.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Mar 26, 2023 10:27:09 GMT
I didn't really like this I'm afraid. By the end of the opening scene I hated everyone in the family. Maybe that was what the writer intended, but it made it difficult for me to get involved in the play. They were all pretentious and self-absorbed, and by the end only Hugo had won me over to his side. Sofiane initially came across as a real person, but as events transpired even he just became annoying.
Like others have mentioned, the mikes were a problem in some scenes when everyone was talking at the same time. It just became a bit of a garbled mess (possibly that was intentional I guess). The sur/subtitles didn't work well, being both too high and too low. The scene changes were just a bit too long, and I'm pretty sure the spoken sections were only there to cover up the racket. They didn't add anything to the play.
Having said all that, there were some genuinely funny moments, especially during the disastrous birthday dinner. Plus,all of the actors were really giving it everything, especially Janet McTeer, who looked exhausted at the end. I should also emphasise that most of the audience seemed to love it lots of people standing to applaud during the bows.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Mar 25, 2023 17:12:02 GMT
Just come out of today's matinee. Liked it a lot. In a way it's similar to the recent Oyster Problem at the same venue, but this time it's physicists rather than writers who spend the play batting ideas back and forth. This has the additional factor of the backbiting between those who were Party Men and those who kept themselves morally pure (and the reasons why each did what they did). Thoroughly absorbing, the 90 minutes flew past. It's beautifully played by all involved. Highly recommended.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Feb 26, 2023 17:38:02 GMT
This is good. It concerns the latter years of the life of Gustave Flaubert and his attempts to stave off bankruptcy. In a sense not much happens, the story such as it is is about Flaubert's friends Zola, Sand and Turgenev trying to use their influence to get him a Government sinecure, but this is really more of an excuse for everyone to sit around and discuss the nature of art, and the extent to which an artist should compromise their integrity for the sake of earning a living. That makes it sound a bit dry and, frankly, it is, but I ended up liking it a lot and was rather moved by the end. Worth a visit for anyone with an interest in literature I think.
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Feb 26, 2023 16:37:33 GMT
This was excellent. A barnstorming performance by Sophie Okonedo ably supported by Ben Daniels. Really great stuff. This was my first trip to Sohoplace. I rather liked it. Comfortable seats with a good clear view (I was in the stalls, row B). Staff were pleasant and helpful. Does anyone know, is the current central stage configuration fixed or adjusted depending on the production?
|
|
158 posts
|
Post by bee on Feb 12, 2023 0:10:43 GMT
I thought this was dreadful. It did nothing to make you care about the characters. Actually, there were no actual characters, it was just a bunch of people on a stage saying stuff. As an earlier reviewer said, it felt like something that had been thrown together for the Edinburgh Fringe.
I genuinely think this could be the worst thing I've ever seen.
|
|