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Post by theatrefan77 on Jul 27, 2018 21:58:06 GMT
I saw the play on Monday and didn't care much for it. Don't think it's a bad play, it's well acted and compelling up to a point but it didn't engage me enough. Maybe the problem for me was that a few days earlier I had seen The Lieutenant of Inishmore -another play with a psychotic main character- which I enjoy much more and had me engaged from the beginning.
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Post by Tibidabo on Jul 29, 2018 10:59:40 GMT
Saw this yesterday after a friend raved about it and am now thinking of changing my user name to Tibidaborage - guess what we did at the interval that makes me an honorary herb?
Killer Joe. I'd never heard of it. Tracy Letts the writer. I'd never heard of her. (Yes, yes, I know now.) Orlando Bloom. Yes, I'd definitely heard of him, though couldn't think of anything I'd actually seen him in; plus he'd always been floating around my periphery as one of those who'd wafted in on the back of his wonderful mother's reputation.
Well, he hadn't. He was great. Commanding stage presence and what a fantastic theatre voice. It was refreshing to see a show without the actors using mike packs, even though some of it was difficult to catch. I understand actors who have spent many years practising their 46 facial expressions in front of green screens for films such as The Hobbit, and leaving the hard work to those behind the scenes post production, have a yearn to get back into theatre now and then. I get it, I really do. Quite why Orlando chose this particular pile of horses' excrement to do so is something of a mystery. (With apologies to horses' excrements everywhere.)
Firstly, that argument at the very beginning where they are all shouting over each other. I know they are trying to show they are trailer trash, but it went on too long and there was no build-up. It needed a complete re-write in order to hook us in.
Secondly, Adam Gillen played everything on one note. Obviously a good actor, he needed some sharp direction.
And then, well, nothing really happened. Some people (mainly those clutching wine glasses) were laughing occasionally but it really wasn't funny and we put this down to awkward, embarrassed laughter. Also, as many regular readers know, being somewhat vertically challenged I usually go for the front row. Well, I thank the Lord Webber I was too late in booking for that. Be warned girlfriends. The first 2 rows are actually ON the stage. The people sitting there are lit for the rest of us to see. One poor lady, who was right by the 'path' to the front door, had her legs curled uncomfortably under her seat as she was obviously terrified of tripping up the actors. There are some very intense moments and I would have hated it so close up. I hope they give a warning when they sell those tickets. (There might be something up-thread but, like others on here, I avoid threads of shows I am going to see as they often give away too much.)
Anyway. We stood there at the interval and decided that Orlando was very good. Then we decided that nothing was happening and that we would have forgotten the whole thing by today. And we didn't care about that nothing happening. So instead of walking back in we turned around and walked off down Whitehall. I think I have only ever done that before in plays originally written in Russian.
Let's just hope the Lieutenant of Poldark is better as I have tickets for that. Front row too. Am a teeny bit scared...
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Post by kathryn on Jul 29, 2018 19:16:27 GMT
I think you must be confusing Orlando Bloom/his mother with someone else - she is not an actress. Her name is Sonia. I’m sure she does have a wonderful reputation, but not for acting!
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Post by Rory on Jul 29, 2018 21:55:05 GMT
Thinking of Claire Bloom perhaps?
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Post by kathryn on Jul 30, 2018 8:40:33 GMT
Ah, probably.
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Post by justafan on Aug 2, 2018 18:05:33 GMT
Looks like the full plan and ability to select seats is now available About time! Yes, can see it now, and it does look like "The Philanthropist" layout. Those who have CC have a bargain, I think. Having been at today’s matinee - I can confirm row CC was a bargain at £15 - brava
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Post by eatbigsea on Aug 2, 2018 20:58:45 GMT
Well acted, well directed. I just didn’t care if any of them lived or died.
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Post by zephyrus on Aug 7, 2018 22:07:43 GMT
Saw this tonight. Having never seen the play before (or indeed the film) I found that I didn't much care for it as a piece of theatre.
Adam Gillen was giving probably the most restrained performance I've ever seen of his, which is to say that his acting was only about 3 times bigger than everyone else's - ie, he'd really dialled it down for once.
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Post by theatrefan77 on Aug 9, 2018 15:07:25 GMT
Free understudy rehearsal tomorrow. Posted on Trafalgar Studios Twitter account:
"It will start at 3.30pm and tickets will be available from 2.30pm on a FIRST COME FIRST SERVE basis! Do come along to support the work of our wonderful Understudies'
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Post by couldileaveyou on Aug 9, 2018 18:15:13 GMT
Free understudy rehearsal tomorrow. Posted on Trafalgar Studios Twitter account: "It will start at 3.30pm and tickets will be available from 2.30pm on a FIRST COME FIRST SERVE basis! Do come along to support the work of our wonderful Understudies' That's fantastic! I wish more theatres did something like that
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Post by mallardo on Aug 9, 2018 19:26:34 GMT
They only have three understudies so they can't do the whole play - just selected scenes. I think I can guess which scenes they won't select.
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Post by mrbluesky on Aug 9, 2018 19:30:10 GMT
Quick question for anyone who’s seen this. A few friends went to see it, purely because of Mr. Bloom, and mentioned nudity. Could anyone give some context to the nudity? Is it needed?
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Post by couldileaveyou on Aug 9, 2018 20:09:17 GMT
To be fair, I still have to see a play where nudity is really needed
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2018 20:29:35 GMT
Quick question for anyone who’s seen this. A few friends went to see it, purely because of Mr. Bloom, and mentioned nudity. Could anyone give some context to the nudity? Is it needed? You have Orlando in a play, you get his top off at least. At the VERY least! @ryan knows.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2018 22:05:48 GMT
Quick question for anyone who’s seen this. A few friends went to see it, purely because of Mr. Bloom, and mentioned nudity. Could anyone give some context to the nudity? Is it needed? There are buns on show. No icing or cherries on top but they're delicious just the same. Mary Berry would sink her teeth into them without question.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2018 22:06:06 GMT
To be fair, I still have to see a play where nudity is really needed Get out.
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Post by popcultureboy on Aug 10, 2018 6:58:44 GMT
They only have three understudies so they can't do the whole play - just selected scenes. I think I can guess which scenes they won't select. The three understudies will go on. The rest of the company, bar the three roles being understudied, will perform and they'll run the whole play.
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Post by mallardo on Aug 10, 2018 13:53:39 GMT
They only have three understudies so they can't do the whole play - just selected scenes. I think I can guess which scenes they won't select. The three understudies will go on. The rest of the company, bar the three roles being understudied, will perform and they'll run the whole play.
You may be right but their twitter page says it's a 75 minute "excerpt".
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Post by popcultureboy on Aug 11, 2018 6:51:12 GMT
You may be right but their twitter page says it's a 75 minute "excerpt". Well that's silly. I've never known an understudy run to do that before.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2018 14:29:51 GMT
It's good so far. Didn't expect the subject matter of this, at all!
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Post by popcultureboy on Aug 16, 2018 7:00:57 GMT
Finally managed to see this last night, right before it closes, and I was.......not impressed. Not a single performance had any variation whatsoever. Gillen in particular was ruinously terrible, shouting his way through what could and should have been a quieter, more pathetic and frankly funnier turn. All the sharp edges of the script had been completely blunted and a key scene at the start of the second half was so poorly paced and acted that there was exactly zero tension. Such a shame.
Entire audience rose to their feet and whooped and cheered of course. *shrug*
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Post by kathryn on Aug 18, 2018 12:55:02 GMT
Finally seeing this today. Just having a bracing cup of tea first!
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Post by kathryn on Aug 18, 2018 16:20:02 GMT
Well, having lowered my expectations I really enjoyed this!
No, there’s no nuance here - but is there meant to be? Surely the black comedy of it relies on them being caricatures?
Or maybe it’s just that Orlando swaggering around the stage successfully set my fangirl heart a-flutter...
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Post by kathryn on Aug 18, 2018 16:45:06 GMT
Also, it was lovely to chat to david in the interval and after the show. We were both having one of those ‘not quite sure whether to say something, I think you’re from the board?’ moments in the interval at first but we figured it out eventually...
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Post by david on Aug 18, 2018 17:03:54 GMT
Having seen this at today’s matinee ( it was nice to meet and chat to you kathryn) I actually enjoyed this. Some really great dark comedy at times ( who would of thought a KFC drumstick could be made so sexual?) and Adam Gillen’s performance as Chris really was something to watch. I don’t think he let up for the entire 2hrs. I’m surprised if he has any voice left after a show with all that screaming and shouting. I am glad I didn’t sit in the front rows as I think I would have been deaf by the end of the show. I thought Orlando Bloom was terrific as Joe. He really gave a great acting lesson in how to mean and moody. Also, who would have thought that he could pull of the white vest / pink bathrobe look so well. Though I was tempted at the scene in Act 2 where he comes out naked to shout out “Where’s the canoe?” but I don’t think this would have been appreciated somehow. I think the ending was a bit strange. You had a few minutes of violence then Orlando shouts out a line to the girlfriend then the play suddenly ends. Though overall, a nice afternoon at the theatre and I certainly got value for my money.
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