888 posts
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Post by lonlad on Mar 21, 2018 0:40:05 GMT
Libby Purves's pan: theatrecat.com/and pretty much sums it up. This production is in some ways a lot worse than the NT one and in other ways startlingly better, but neither one is very good. Cusack might be OK if she would calm down for even a nanosecond. Eccleston doesn't really get to grips with the language in any way whatsoever and just speaks it as if by rote. Oh well. Let's move on to another Sspeare play, please?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2018 0:42:55 GMT
Libby Purves's pan: theatrecat.com/and pretty much sums it up. This production is in some ways a lot worse than the NT one and in other ways startlingly better, but neither one is very good. Cusack might be OK if she would calm down for even a nanosecond. Eccleston doesn't really get to grips with the language in any way whatsoever and just speaks it as if by rote. Oh well. Let's move on to another Sspeare play, please? It’s not really a pan One star is a pan
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888 posts
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Post by lonlad on Mar 21, 2018 1:13:04 GMT
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371 posts
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Post by popcultureboy on Mar 21, 2018 8:13:32 GMT
Ann Treneman likes so little of what she sees, that I often find myself wondering why she bothers to be a theatre critic. Maybe it's Parsley's day job?
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108 posts
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Post by bob2010 on Mar 21, 2018 9:10:36 GMT
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888 posts
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Post by lonlad on Mar 21, 2018 10:25:12 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2018 11:03:32 GMT
4 stars from the ES
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394 posts
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Post by altamont on Mar 21, 2018 11:07:13 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2018 11:11:51 GMT
“Polly Findlay’s RSC version is much superior to the visually ugly one at the National, and boasts a strong cast headed by Christopher Eccleston and Niamh Cusack.”
From Billington
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108 posts
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Post by bob2010 on Mar 21, 2018 12:25:05 GMT
Quite a few seats have popped up this week... I wonder whether it's due to the mixed reviews
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2018 14:09:32 GMT
Four stars ES Four stars The Stage Three and half stars Reviews Hub Three stars FT Three stars Guardian
Three stars Independent Two stars WOS Two stars Times
Metro Time out Telegraph
Awaited
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294 posts
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Post by dani on Mar 21, 2018 16:16:27 GMT
If you're awaiting a Time Out review, you may not want to hold your breath. They don't review Stratford, or at least not the one that's upon Avon.
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108 posts
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Post by bob2010 on Mar 21, 2018 17:17:42 GMT
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2,706 posts
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Post by Cardinal Pirelli on Mar 21, 2018 18:43:04 GMT
It’s such a tricky play to make work for a contemporary audience that it makes me wonder why it’s done so much. Two elemsnts that are needed are a brutal world and a belief in the supernatural, if you make it too abstract then those are lost. Set it in Jacobean times and it risks being about them, not us. Changing time periods is rarely enough, same with locations.
The Out of Joint version was the last production I saw that had it perfectly, although Goold’s came close. Voodoo ceremonies, gun toting soldiers high on god knows what, children caught up in kidnappings and worse. it was sickening and truly dangerous in its semi immersive staging.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Mar 21, 2018 20:06:48 GMT
One of the more successful versions I saw was by Oxford Shakespeare Company with an all-male ensemble. They took it out of time - not post-apocalyptic, not period, not Scottish. The costumes were vaguely animalistic (use of skins etc) - with voodoo-like elements for the witches.
Paul Dinnen was a bald Lady M and was utterly convincing throughout. However his noble thane was not quite so settled in the role.
That seems to be the problem with the piece. You can get some elements right - but not all.
I know how I want to tackle it. It will be a promenade production starting late at night on Port Meadow here in Oxford. The audience will be lead from site to site - lit by flaming torches. The witches will be seen emerging from the earth. The whole thing will be about the elements of earth, air, water and fire. I imagine a large fire pit, shadows being cast against the trees. I want to unsettle the audience throughout. The only reason I haven't pushed ahead with it as a project is that I have not met an actor I want to work with in the title role. I have seen those who are the troubled nobleman, those who are the battle-hardened veteran, those who are tragic. I have never seen anyone live who can combine all of the necessary elements - and have real sexual energy with his Lady. A good Macbeth does not guarantee a good production. But you can never have a successful production if the central casting isn't spot on.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2018 21:08:28 GMT
“Though some elements of Findlay’s production feel derivative – the digital countdown has by now become something of a tired device – and its creepiness never translates to something genuinely unsettling, it’s still vastly more entertaining than the National Theatre’s recent dodgy dystopian staging” I am sure every review is going to reference And mock The NT version The above is from The Stage Come on now. This is getting a bit ugly - and excessive. I'm sure regular readers will all recognise you are a big Rufus Norris detractor, so going on and on about does you few favours.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2018 22:03:15 GMT
“Though some elements of Findlay’s production feel derivative – the digital countdown has by now become something of a tired device – and its creepiness never translates to something genuinely unsettling, it’s still vastly more entertaining than the National Theatre’s recent dodgy dystopian staging” I am sure every review is going to reference And mock The NT version The above is from The Stage Come on now. This is getting a bit ugly - and excessive. I'm sure regular readers will all recognise you are a big Rufus Norris detractor, so going on and on about does you few favours. The reviews of the RSC staging from The Stage And Guardian Directly mention the NT Macbeth I am only quoting
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562 posts
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 21, 2018 22:47:40 GMT
“Though some elements of Findlay’s production feel derivative – the digital countdown has by now become something of a tired device – and its creepiness never translates to something genuinely unsettling, it’s still vastly more entertaining than the National Theatre’s recent dodgy dystopian staging” I am sure every review is going to reference And mock The NT version The above is from The Stage Come on now. This is getting a bit ugly - and excessive. I'm sure regular readers will all recognise you are a big Rufus Norris detractor, so going on and on about does you few favours. Completely agree. The board can be more harsh towards Rufus Norris than other creators, which is fine, but there's more than a smidge of glee in some of the discussions about NT Macbeth's poor reviews. I wonder if some of the commenters have issues with Norris as a person, rather than his work.
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2,361 posts
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Post by zahidf on Mar 21, 2018 23:20:38 GMT
Do they have 10 pound front row for this at the barbican?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2018 23:25:31 GMT
Do they have 10 pound front row for this at the barbican? Yes
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2018 23:26:05 GMT
Come on now. This is getting a bit ugly - and excessive. I'm sure regular readers will all recognise you are a big Rufus Norris detractor, so going on and on about does you few favours. Completely agree. The board can be more harsh towards Rufus Norris than other creators, which is fine, but there's more than a smidge of glee in some of the discussions about NT Macbeth's poor reviews. I wonder if some of the commenters have issues with Norris as a person, rather than his work. What you need to ask Is Why do so many theatre professionals And critics Have an issue with him His own peers
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562 posts
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 22, 2018 0:42:39 GMT
Completely agree. The board can be more harsh towards Rufus Norris than other creators, which is fine, but there's more than a smidge of glee in some of the discussions about NT Macbeth's poor reviews. I wonder if some of the commenters have issues with Norris as a person, rather than his work. What you need to ask Is Why do so many theatre professionals And critics Have an issue with him His own peers I'm honestly not sure that I understand what you're hinting at. My feeling is that (other than in a few extreme cases), art should be judged on its own merits, rather than on the personality of the creators. Especially in such a collaborative artform like the theatre. I understand that some feel that he's not good at running the National, or that he's a poor director, but I don't really get why that would mean that anyone should be happy when his plays do poorly. If you're suggesting that he deserves to be treated differently due to his behaviour (rather than due to the quality of his work) then I'm not aware of anything.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Mar 22, 2018 2:31:00 GMT
There seems to be a growing impression that Norris is out of his depth when it comes to running the National. I suspect the reaction to his Macbeth is seen as something that might hasten the point at which he leaves.
I think it is driven by a desire to have the National as a beacon of excellence and that Norris (with a few notable exceptions) is not consistently delivering this - particularly in the light of some high profile critical flops.
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562 posts
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 22, 2018 8:07:55 GMT
There seems to be a growing impression that Norris is out of his depth when it comes to running the National. I suspect the reaction to his Macbeth is seen as something that might hasten the point at which he leaves. I think it is driven by a desire to have the National as a beacon of excellence and that Norris (with a few notable exceptions) is not consistently delivering this - particularly in the light of some high profile critical flops. I can understand thinking that Norris isn't doing well, or that he isn't good at his job. But that doesn't really explain the undercurrent of schadenfreude. After all, if people simply wanted the quality at the NT to improve (rather than having some weird problem with him as an individual), then why would it be preferable for the critical flops to continue (presumably leading to his eventual ousting), rather than for him to turn things around?
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Xanderl
Member
Not always very high value in terms of ticket yield or donations
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Post by Xanderl on Mar 22, 2018 10:04:20 GMT
Front row stalls seems to not be on sale so perhaps holding these back as day seats?
I've booked side of row AA in circle which is £10 and says "partially restricted". Will swap for a better option if one turns up!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2018 10:11:05 GMT
I've not previously had issues getting a front row £10 seat for the RSC at the Barbican on public booking day. I suspect Macbeth may prove a little trickier but I'm still going to try anyway. I'd guess they're like the NT - some are sold to members, and some are kept for public. Wouldn't want to say if day seats are in the front row or not, but at least the Barbican has a long enough front row that it's entirely possible.
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416 posts
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Post by schuttep on Mar 22, 2018 10:40:32 GMT
To be fair, previous NT directors have also taken a while to get into their stride before the tide turned, and they were suddenly the best thing since sliced bread.
That said, weren't Angels in America and Follies, two of the most recent successes, Nick Hytner's legacy? And then there's the Amadeus return. I do find myself not booking as much at the NT (only Absolute Hell booked) as previously, and I wonder about the influx of productions from elsewhere - aren't there enough theatres elsewhere in London to take these shows on?
I didn't stay for the end of Macbeth although two of my friends did, and quoted Macbeth's line as he was stabbed: "Enough, enough, enough". This is truly a terrible version from every perspective in my opinion. Even those consummate actors Kinnear and Duff couldn't make this audible or intelligible and I was in stalls row H.
I am not a Rufus Norris basher but recognise he's not yet found the going easy.
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1,093 posts
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Mar 22, 2018 11:54:20 GMT
Saw this the other night.
Solid (mostly) relatively traditional production. The few modern elements didn't work. Water cooler on stage, why? Countdown added nothing and was distracting and the cast need a lot more practise timing their performance to it. The interval was timed to start when the clock hit one hour, but was off by a few seconds. The ending was timed so Macbeth died when the clock hit zero but the actors were about 45 seconds off so we had a long pause while the actors faffed on stage while overtly sneaking glances at the clock, and you could see them thinking, "Can't die yet, can't die yet, nearly, not yet, okay five, four, three, two, one, DIE." Utterly pointless. Those poor actors. What chance does any actor have of being in the moment and in the character if they are preoccupied with monitoring a huge clock behind them to ensure their movements sync up with the timer? An obvious attempt to copy Icke's Oresteia, but without the precision. Reminded us more of the infamous Troilus and Cressida, copying movements off a monitor. Not sure about the glitter. He's being crowned King of Scotland not the winner of Ru Paul's Drag Race. Having children as the witches works well and the child actors are fantastic, except the last time I saw the RSC do Macbeth they also had children playing the witches.
The cast are uniformly excellent. Ed Bennet brilliant as always. Cusack beautifully layered. Eccleston appeared to struggle with the lines in some places but a powerful emotional simplicity in the final monologue when he spoke from the heart and lost the "OMG I'm doing Shakespeare" vibe.
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562 posts
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Post by jadnoop on Mar 22, 2018 11:55:15 GMT
I just checked with the box office. Basically, half the front row £10 seats belong to the RSC, the other half to the Barbican. The RSC's side are currently on sale to RSC members, and any remaining ones will be sold to the public (from the RSC's website only) from tomorrow. The Barbican's half have been kept for day tickets. I've not previously had issues getting a front row £10 seat for the RSC at the Barbican on public booking day. I suspect Macbeth may prove a little trickier but I'm still going to try anyway. I'd guess they're like the NT - some are sold to members, and some are kept for public. Wouldn't want to say if day seats are in the front row or not, but at least the Barbican has a long enough front row that it's entirely possible. Front row stalls seems to not be on sale so perhaps holding these back as day seats? I've booked side of row AA in circle which is £10 and says "partially restricted". Will swap for a better option if one turns up! Sorry for replying to multiple people, but I just wanted to make sure everyone sees. I just checked again on the Barbican website, and the front row £10 is on sale now.I don't know if this is a change of plans since I spoke with the box office about an hour ago, or was always intended.
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Xanderl
Member
Not always very high value in terms of ticket yield or donations
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Post by Xanderl on Mar 22, 2018 14:18:13 GMT
oh fab, thanks for that! Just called and swapped my tickets with no exchange fee - spoke to a very apologetic woman in the box office who asked if I'd called this morning as she'd told someone the front row was being held off for day seats, so I guess this is the person you spoke to As I'm in the front row I'll make sure to wear my long scarf and bring along my sonic screwdriver, he loves it when people do that
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