Grenfell: in the words of survivors - Dorfman / NT

I went to the final preview last night and found it very effecting. It is minimal staging - in the round, on the floor (no stage) and only minimal props (inside cardboard boxes, the significance of which becomes clearer as the piece goes on). I feel the capacity of the Dorfman has been massively reduced but someone may correct me there.

The first, shorter, act is the background on the events leading up to the night itself - the missed opportunities and outright corruption that led to the disaster. This bit felt slower and at times, more of a lecture than theatre (multiple screens are placed around the theatre and used to briefly show archive footage, and for the rest of the piece to spotlight characters being questioned during the inquiry).

After the interval however, things ramp up significantly as the actors play both the survivors of the fire explaining how they escaped as well as playing multiple roles within the inquiry.

Saying any more would possibly spoil things but there is some fourth wall breaking and an ending that I haven't seen in a theatre before but massively paid off, in my opinion.

Pretty much bang on 3 hours last night, though we started late, and didn't feel it at all. This might not tell you an awful lot you don't know if you followed the inquiry. But its pulled off with such heart and care that this is a must-see for me. There was a group of young American teens / early 20s in last night who clearly didn't know about the case and were stunned and gasped in several moments - so if it can highlight the injustice to others, then its already doing its work imo.

I had seen one of the verbatim enquiry shows but this show succeded in its aims of telling the wider story about the people who lived there and what life was like for them. It certainly challenged my assumptions about them.
It is 3 hours long but I wasn't bored for a moment.

The stuff from the enquiry wasn't completely new but I still learnt new things and it serves as a powerful reminder that good regulation matters.
There is a saying from the railway industry that the rule book is written in blood which I think is relevant here.
I expect many on this board like myself will be involved in putting on theatre at some level and will have been frustrated about the tight fire safety rules in theatre. But they matter.

I caught this through Friday rush and found it very educational (know that's a weird thing to say, we all know what happened) - in terms of, I had no idea there was a blog online by upset residents and the council/tenant org just ignored them. I think it's important to keep this tragedy in the public sphere; because there are murderers who allowed this to happen. They need to be held to account. I thought it was sensitively handled and of course, very moving. All ticket sales go back to Grenfell community too. Glad I saw this. It wasn't that full when I went but I guess it's not the most enticing and quite polarising. But I don't regret booking this. 

This caused me to check my seat. I don't mean to be contrary but I bought a Pit ticket last Thursday for the Wed matinee this week. There were 5 available.

I saw this last Saturday evening. It wasn't very full and probably quite a few comps. The first half was ok and I was thinking that it didn't need 3 hours to tell this story. I was completely wrong. The second half moved me deeply (rage, sadness, even you are able to laugh a couple of times). I don't want to explain a lot because I think if you don't know much about it you will enjoy it more.

Al the actors are fantastic and I don't know how they are capable of playing these roles every night at that level of emotion. Very well directed and paced.

There is a reason why the capacity has been reduced and you'll understand when you see it.

It is not perfect (not convinced about how they end the show, a bit manipulative for my taste) but it made me think and feel and that's much more than most plays do for me. I highly recommend it and it should be full every day. A play cannot change the world but might help us to understand it better.

Think I am wrong, dave B. I thought I looked right up, but now I'm pretty sure I didn't look above the first floor, more than likely because it was dark.

I asked, was told 400 for this production (as opposed to 450 max) and assumed the difference was due to choices made at Pit level.

I saw this last night and thought it was pretty damn magnificent. Powerful political theatre at its best Wonderfully and yet unobtrusively, designed - the lighting is especially stunning and the blackness of the space is truly remarkable ( you'll know what I'm talking about when you see it.) Exquisite performances and the script itself is carefully constructed for maximum impact. This is exactly the sort of production that does our National Theatre proud. It should not be missed.

Glad to see it is sold out for most performances left.