18,808 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Nov 15, 2023 17:20:34 GMT
I mean, I know it’s “event” theatre but I’ve been put off the idea of Ian McKellen in Shakespeare, actually in anything, ever since hearing Germaine Greer many years ago say in an interview that his performance in Trevor Nunn’s King Lear was the reason she gave herself permission to stop seeing Shakespeare performed on stage.
She described her reaction at seeing him fully disrobe, which she found entirely unnecessary for the purposes of the play.
She was promoting her own bio of Anne Hathaway at the time so maybe there was a bit of hyperbole going on but it’s always stuck with me. She did a review of the play for the Guardian which you can Google. It is not complimentary!
I’m sure he’ll be fabulous in this and props to him for doing it but at 4 hours… BB out.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 15, 2023 17:26:26 GMT
That is a weak reason for stopping seeing live Shakespeare.
I saw that production twice and the rending of the garments was not an obtrusive part of the staging.
It felt like a natural way for the distracted Lear to behave.
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851 posts
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Post by bordeaux on Nov 15, 2023 18:06:15 GMT
Four hours of Shakespeare with Ian McKellen directed by Robert Icke?! Sounds like heaven to me. I can't understand the complaints. Especially as it's a play or plays that most of us will have seen a lot less often than Hamlet or Lear or Much Ado, for example.
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Post by marob on Nov 15, 2023 18:52:11 GMT
Trying to think, but possibly the only ones I’ve seen in Elizabethan dress would be some of Terry Hands’ productions at Theatr Clwyd, and those would be about 10 years back.
But anyway… Booked front row for the matinee in Manchester. Icke’s Hamlet with Andrew Scott was great, so looking forward to seeing what he does with McKellen.
Did I read somewhere that McKellen’s himself wasn’t entirely happy with that production of King Lear, hence doing it again a few years ago?
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6,317 posts
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Post by Jon on Nov 15, 2023 19:01:56 GMT
Plays rarely sell well at Wimbledon but I think this will be the exception. I was surprised when McKellen did his one man show that he did Richmond and the Rose in Kingston but not Wimbledon.
I get ATG's pre West End strategy for certain shows but I do wonder if they should maybe give other venues a chance to host shows, Richmond got A Little Life, Vanya and The Enfield Haunting for example, why not give a new show to say Woking?
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382 posts
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Post by stevemar on Nov 15, 2023 23:19:40 GMT
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2,529 posts
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Post by n1david on Nov 15, 2023 23:22:16 GMT
So maybe it just starts at 6.30pm because Sir Ian wants an early night?
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748 posts
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Post by rumbledoll on Nov 16, 2023 6:44:03 GMT
Anyone with membership (who already can access the booking as I understand) could comment on the price bands please?
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343 posts
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Post by Jonnyboy on Nov 16, 2023 7:17:52 GMT
4 hours is stated on the Mcr booking page, and those Saturday times are not on the same Saturday. One Saturday is a matinee and one an evening performance.
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343 posts
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Post by Jonnyboy on Nov 16, 2023 7:18:38 GMT
Anyone with membership (who already can access the booking as I understand) could comment on the price bands please? Screengrabs posted earlier in thread with prices
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Post by Jan on Nov 16, 2023 7:19:09 GMT
Anyone with membership (who already can access the booking as I understand) could comment on the price bands please? They are posted earlier in the thread ?
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Post by Jan on Nov 16, 2023 7:33:15 GMT
I mean, I know it’s “event” theatre but I’ve been put off the idea of Ian McKellen in Shakespeare, actually in anything, ever since hearing Germaine Greer many years ago say in an interview that his performance in Trevor Nunn’s King Lear was the reason she gave herself permission to stop seeing Shakespeare performed on stage. Greer takes the view that "King Lear is the greatest poem in the language" so dislikes any production that has any sort of directorial intervention that means the actors aren't just standing there chanting the lines in the sing-song way that was popular 100 years ago. It is absurd, because King Lear isn't a poem. McKellen though was quite affected by that review. When I saw an early performance he had a small hand tremor at all times indicating Lear's frailty but when I saw it later he'd eliminated that because Greer had moaned about it. In any event that production was beset by behind the scenes problems and clashes between the actors so wasn't one of the best. That meant he played the role again later. Here's what Greer said about the audience for that production in Stratford: "The 1,000-strong audience is composed of a minority of geriatrics who haven't got out of the theatre-going habit, and a majority of teenaged school-trippers bussed in from various grim hostelries in the environs of Stratford. Most of the members of the audience don't have English as their first language." OAM, McKellen once said he'd never play Falstaff because Roger Allam had been perfect in the role. McKellen is the greatest Shakespearean actor I've ever seen on stage but the last really great performance I saw from him was in 1990 and many of his great roles were more than 50 years ago so it is impossible for most of us to judge him.
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748 posts
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Post by rumbledoll on Nov 16, 2023 9:51:28 GMT
Anyone with membership (who already can access the booking as I understand) could comment on the price bands please? Screengrabs posted earlier in thread with prices Thank you so much for noting that (and to david for the screen). Sorry I double posted..
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343 posts
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Post by Jonnyboy on Nov 16, 2023 13:24:56 GMT
Tickets aren't exactly flying out. I wonder if they can fill Manchester's Opera House before the run starts? Sir Ian is a huge name, but 4 hours of Shakespeare at an atypical start time might be too much of an ask. We shall see!
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382 posts
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Post by stevemar on Nov 16, 2023 13:57:26 GMT
4 hours is stated on the Mcr booking page, and those Saturday times are not on the same Saturday. One Saturday is a matinee and one an evening performance. Thanks for clarifying Jonnyboy. Booked front row at Wimbledon..guess neck ache and massages in order!
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Post by Jan on Nov 16, 2023 15:21:21 GMT
Tickets aren't exactly flying out. I wonder if they can fill Manchester's Opera House before the run starts? Sir Ian is a huge name, but 4 hours of Shakespeare at an atypical start time might be too much of an ask. We shall see! Same at Wimbledon. 1700 seats are maybe hard to fill with a less popular Shakespeare play (which also isn’t a set book) and challenging ticket prices. It should do well in London though.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Nov 16, 2023 15:26:09 GMT
If the rumours about a Heartstopper related bit of casting are true then ticket sales will see a massive uplift
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644 posts
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Post by theatremiss on Nov 16, 2023 21:57:11 GMT
Anyone know when the London tickets go on sale? It seems to be the only venue that aren’t selling yet
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Post by kate8 on Nov 16, 2023 22:37:31 GMT
Anyone know when the London tickets go on sale? It seems to be the only venue that aren’t selling yet I think it says from 20 November (presumably members, then those signed up for presale) on the promotional website.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2023 22:42:31 GMT
Falstaff is historically seen as a stout man and has often been played by actors in a fat suit/padding. David Troughton wore padding when he played it at the RSC a few years back and he is a larger build than Sir Ian from memory. If someone was described as being Falstaff like I'd think of them as a larger person who was probably good company and enjoyed a drink.
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13 posts
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Post by robwilton on Nov 17, 2023 12:23:36 GMT
from HENRY IV Parts I & II:
"The virtue of this jest will be, the incomprehensible lies that this same fat rogue will tell us when we meet at supper" (Poins)
"if I hang, I'll make a fat pair of gallows; for if I hang, old Sir John hangs with me, and thou knowest he is no starveling." (Gadshill)
"There live not three good men unhanged in England; and one of them is fat and grows old" (Falstaff)
"Zounds, ye fat paunch..." (Poins to Falstaff)
"there is a devil haunts thee in the likeness of an old fat man; a tun of man is thy companion." (Hal to Falstaff)
"banish not him thy Harry's company: banish plump Jack, and banish all the world." (Falstaff to Hal)
"A hue and cry hath follow'd certain men unto this house... One of them is well known, my gracious lord, a gross fat man... As fat as butter." (Sheriff and Carrier to Hal) "We must all to the wars... I'll procure this fat rogue a charge of foot" (Hal)
"What, old acquaintance! could not all this flesh keep in a little life? ... Death hath not struck so fat a deer to-day..." (Hal to Falstaff, believing him dead)
"Did you not tell me this fat man was dead?" (Lancaster to Hal)
"He hath eaten me out of house and home ... he hath put all my substance into that fat belly of his" (Mistress Quickly to Lord Chief-Justice)
"And the boy that I gave Falstaff... and look, if the fat villain have not transformed him ape." (Hal to Bardolph)
"How, you fat fool! I scorn you." (Doll Tearsheet to Falstaff)
"If you be not too much cloyed with fat meat, our humble author will continue the story, with Sir John in it" (Epilogue to the audience)
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2,529 posts
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Post by n1david on Nov 17, 2023 16:51:04 GMT
I guess it's purely coincidence that Ian McKellen (star) and Sean Mathias (director) co-own a pub with Evgeny Lebedev (proprietor, Evening Standard)
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1,338 posts
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Post by Dave B on Nov 17, 2023 17:31:50 GMT
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258 posts
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Post by jm25 on Nov 20, 2023 13:09:36 GMT
Got the priority link earlier and, bar a short wait, it was a very straightforward booking process. Had some leftover credit on an old Theatre Token so, combined with the generous U30 offer, picked up a great dress circle seat for less than £20. Pleased with that! Studied Henry IV Part I at A Level so am hoping that’s prepared me well!
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351 posts
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Post by sam22 on Nov 20, 2023 18:04:10 GMT
Good availability for the Manchester dates for anyone wanting to go to it there!
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1,338 posts
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Post by Dave B on Nov 21, 2023 10:09:10 GMT
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43 posts
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Post by emmy on Nov 21, 2023 11:07:19 GMT
Thanks for this, managed to get some very decent seats for under 30s, great deal.
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1,098 posts
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Post by theatrefan62 on Nov 21, 2023 11:38:15 GMT
There was about a 12 minute queue yesterday when presale first started, but even that was less than I expected
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351 posts
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Post by sam22 on Nov 21, 2023 18:37:28 GMT
Been at work all day and expected to sign on and see lots of activity here but v little!
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269 posts
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Post by ilovewemusicals on Dec 7, 2023 16:03:46 GMT
Following the announcement that Joe Locke will appear in Sweeney Todd on Broadway; is someone from Heartstopper still likely to appear in this?
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