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Post by Stephen on Apr 5, 2018 23:45:46 GMT
Interesting point @n1david
I got the vibe tonight from Graham that he was more interested in the responses from the audience to parts of the play than he was with what was happening onstage. I suppose that is natural as a writer during a preview period as after all he isn’t the director. .
I do wonder just how involved he was in rehearsals. I’d imagine very.
I am beginning to feel as though maybe I missed the point a bit here though. Most of the brief reviews thus far on twitter are glowing!
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Post by Stephen on Apr 5, 2018 23:29:35 GMT
I was there tonight too. James Graham was in the stalls looking jolly and chatting away with the audience. Seats B27+28 (£15) are a great bargain especially in this production and very very little is left out of view.
Well, after being all hyped up, this fell a bit flat for me in the end. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by Mr Graham’s other work.
The performances were good I thought. Sarah Woodward and Gavin Spokes were the standouts for me. I thought that Spokes played the part of husband and military man well with his switching mannerisms and stance in different situations. I felt he also shone when the cameras were close on him. Woodward stole the spotlight with some interesting writing in the latter act.
I think that Graham writes comedy well, especially with regards to politics but in Quiz I felt many jokes failed to amuse. I’m not too sure if the warm up act is supposed to be a bit of a gimmick, I found it cheesy and unfunny. Perhaps I was expecting something with more than just a handful of really serious moments?
In the end I think that the fast pace, musical interludes, flashing lights and use of audience participation try to mask what, for me, is Graham’s weakest play to date. This play mainly served me an education into the events and maybe that’s not what I was looking for.
I don’t want to put anyone off seeing the play with my thoughts here. It’s still in previews in front of a West End audience and some things are likely to change. It is fast paced and something a bit different at least. Go and see for yourself and cast your vote!
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Post by Stephen on Apr 5, 2018 11:52:48 GMT
Managed to grab a £15 ticket st the back of the Royal Circke for tonight’s show. Hopefully there is no coughing from audience members. Last time it caused a lot of trouble for one guy. I’ll be there tonight also. I don’t cough when I’m drinking gin so I’ll be fine.
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Post by Stephen on Apr 5, 2018 11:43:17 GMT
Seeing as I'd seen the show before I was expecting the effect at the end, but really have no idea how they do it. If anyone has any idea how they get the {Spoiler - click to view} bats to fly from the tunnel to the box I'd love to hear it! I was sat right by the box where the bats end up, and couldn't see any type of string at all for the bats to fly along leading from the tunnel to the box - I am sure if there was a string there it would have been in my view for the whole show but I didn't notice it. Are they some kind of homing drones? Did they have a guide string at the Coliseum? When I saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory I remember being very impressed with the paper aeroplane that Charlie threw towards the Balcony. I couldn’t see the wire at all and the illusion worked beautifully. Is this the same as that...?
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Post by Stephen on Apr 5, 2018 4:08:54 GMT
The time has come for me to unfollow and forget about Carrie.
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Post by Stephen on Apr 4, 2018 17:40:58 GMT
Looking forward to seeing fellow Scot Brian in IFCA next week. I've never visited the Royal Court before which I can't really believe. I'm also really chuffed with my £15 seat in the dress circle.
They sell playtexts instead of programmes and they're £3!? What a wonderful thing to do. I'm chuffed.
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Post by Stephen on Apr 4, 2018 17:35:55 GMT
I hope i'm not included in that comment david ! ...I'm the one you'll find hogging the mic at the Phoenix afterwards dueting 'It's All Coming Back to Me Now' with myself...
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Post by Stephen on Apr 4, 2018 17:27:53 GMT
I went yesterday and had previously seen it at the Coliseum. I was quite taken with this when I first saw it, but less so this time. There are some great performances and I like the music. So, not sure what was missing for me. One issue might be sound. It certainly sounded a lot less clear than at the Coliseum. Obviously this is start of previews and the Dominion should be able to get this right. It certainly attracts its fans. I saw someone I spoke to when I went to the Coliseum who seems to have gone to it endless times. Some were dressed up, some very excited and some seemingly engaged in a quasi spiritual experience. It makes me nervous to hear about sound issues. I've experienced this too much recently at musicals (even some long running shows, in parts) and it's something which really sticks out to me. Hopefully if I hold off a few weeks before booking this will be sorted during the preview period.
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Post by Stephen on Apr 4, 2018 17:23:57 GMT
Was finally drawn into this today with a £20 student Day Seat. U18 in the stalls is "restricted view behind a pillar" and almost at the back of the stalls but I have to admit I was happily surprised! The pillar only blocked a tiny part of stage right and due to the Garrick's size I felt perfectly close to the stage.
While many of the audience were howling at the jokes, I found myself only chuckling occasionally. This surprised me as I love the Producers. I just didn't think this was as funny. The dated sexist humour doesn't thrill me at all. The performances were excellent and the entire cast was really on top of the material. I didn't realise until now how strong a voice Hadley Fraser has. Cory English got most of my laughs as Igor. You could really tell that the entire cast was having a ball. I expected the production to be a bit clunky given the Vaudevillian vibe of the set but was happily surprised and thought that the fairly simple staging was effective.
Unlike Wicked a few weeks ago, this sound design felt well balanced with the small orchestra and crisp clear vocals.
Although there were a few bangs I didn't find it all that distressing! Cool pyrotechnics!
So, I feel this is a silly afternoon with a few laughs but is redeemed by the brilliant cast and production values.
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Post by Stephen on Apr 3, 2018 8:56:27 GMT
Looks like this is the equivalent of the hard flat that they're using on the newest US tour... link
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Post by Stephen on Apr 2, 2018 10:03:29 GMT
It also looks like, from pictures that I’ve seen, the fairly realistic flat of the outside of the factory is just a projection on tour? Am I correct?
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Post by Stephen on Mar 31, 2018 1:25:21 GMT
Booked for next Thursday evening! Excited now! Quite a few different pairs of good value £15 seats on offer. Decided on the very side of Row B in the Dress Circle which I think gives the best value for money if the back centre row of the dress is sold out. What does @theatremonkey.com think? I chose these seats over the Stalls boxes.
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Post by Stephen on Mar 30, 2018 2:35:53 GMT
I just want to see Nigel get his hands on a bigger part this year. Perhaps he'll get Julian's...
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Post by Stephen on Mar 29, 2018 2:50:52 GMT
Very excited to see this! Thinking about booking onstage seating. Did anyone do this in chichester if it was an option?
Looks like it would be fun to be immersed! Wonder what the view would be like...
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Post by Stephen on Mar 29, 2018 2:49:21 GMT
Although I don’t share your views on this production @parsley I do find them interesting. I think you’d find things a bit more intense in the pit.
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Post by Stephen on Mar 28, 2018 21:06:36 GMT
I think you need to experience this one from the pit Parsley. Interesting you should comment on the sound design re guns and such as this could sound less effective when seated? In the pit I found it nervously realistic!
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Post by Stephen on Mar 27, 2018 23:21:17 GMT
I thought that the show was in great shape last night and the audience loved it. Really like this Charlie too. The theatre was mostly full. Also can say, as someone that doesn't like heights, the Adelphi has a rather nice upper circle (at least in the front section which has newer seats)
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Post by Stephen on Mar 27, 2018 23:16:32 GMT
I don't mind a 7.30 start too much although i'm usually halfway through a delicious dessert when I have to get to the theatre. The occasional 8pm start wouldn't bother me!
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Post by Stephen on Mar 26, 2018 3:00:01 GMT
Lulu on This Morning referring to her fellow colleagues in the ensemble as "talented kids" and trying to sing a line before ruining it. She seemed very fake and patronising to me.
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Post by Stephen on Mar 24, 2018 2:07:21 GMT
Working a few front of house shifts at Drury Lane next week so will be able to report back on Lulu! I don’t think so Steve! In my head you are a more theatrical version of Alan Partridge coming live from Hospital Radio Daventry or similar, not esconced in actual theatreland! Devastated. 😢 (I have characters for you all!) x I'm not following? Should I be following...
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Post by Stephen on Mar 23, 2018 23:33:07 GMT
Could Bertie Carvel be good in the role of the dad?
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Post by Stephen on Mar 23, 2018 23:05:26 GMT
Working a few front of house shifts at Drury Lane next week so will be able to report back on Lulu!
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Post by Stephen on Mar 23, 2018 23:03:18 GMT
I agree with you Duncan. There are plays where the plot is as drab as I found this one which I love because of the development of the characters and how interesting they become. With this piece, I felt that I never really got to know anyone or have time to care about them.
I did like the Weir though. Love a ghost story.
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Post by Stephen on Mar 22, 2018 4:27:15 GMT
It would be great if it was. A terrific tool to use in schools too. I didn't see this Hamlet but having listened to quite a few interesting interviews with Mr Scott it seems he spoke the text as we would speak today, which is how I think it should be.
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Post by Stephen on Mar 22, 2018 2:04:59 GMT
Does this mean it will also be on iplayer afterwards?
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Post by Stephen on Mar 20, 2018 23:45:52 GMT
Revisited Wicked in town tonight with some friends on the Today Tix Spring Ticket offer. £25 for stalls seats not right at the back which I felt was good value for money.
I have to say that although I 'enjoyed' the show I was left disappointed in parts. The sound design struck me as a bit odd. I've seen the show in London before and on tour and know not to expect the orchestra to sound as brilliant as the soundtrack but tonight most of the score felt very underplayed. The opening chords weren't loud at all! This was redeemed in parts but never reached the heights I remember. Aside from that the ensemble felt a bit lacking in vocal skills and sounded undersung a lot of the time. If I didn't know the show so well I would have missed quite a lot of the text.
The leads were good but rather than saying that the actresses playing Glinda and Elphaba were the standout performances I thought that the supporting characters gave better performances. The sound of Glinda's mic made her come across very dry and shrill.
I'm unsure if it has always been this way? Maybe the acoustic of the Apollo Victoria (being an old cinema) made it very difficult to get the sound design right for this show?
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Post by Stephen on Mar 19, 2018 5:02:16 GMT
Watched the pilot this evening and really enjoyed it. It's more Scooby Doo than Sherlock but redeemed itself in the last ten minutes. I'm looking forward to the next episode. As a big Alan Cumming fan, I couldn't miss this.
Anybody else watch it?
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Post by Stephen on Mar 17, 2018 7:21:02 GMT
When Maureen Nolan plays Mrs Johnstone she gets into such an emotional state that she seems to extend her vocal range and hit the particularly high note (for her) at the end of “Tell Me it’s not True”!
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Post by Stephen on Mar 16, 2018 2:05:19 GMT
I like the more traditional theatre names personally and always think a nice idea for a renaming could come from inside an existing theatre collection. Such as renaming one of the National Theatres spaces “The Bennett Auditorium” or have a “Lloyd Webber Studio” somewhere. Perhaps rename Studio 2 at Trafalgar Studios after a new playwright.
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Post by Stephen on Mar 13, 2018 1:23:05 GMT
I have a collection of everything i've seen for many years and my mum has a collection dating back a long way with some really special shows. I'd never throw any of it out!
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