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Post by basi1faw1ty on May 21, 2018 12:19:25 GMT
Did a (complimentary) NT backstage tour on Saturday. Excellent insight from the tour guide (forgot her name but she had a hint of Newcastle/South Shields in her accent and was very nice), loved the props section on Drum Road, and it was all rather fun. When we entered the Olivier the stage wasn't of the Scottish play that I was expecting but they were building the set for Translations and the tour guide had to almost shout over all the sawing and drilling from the builders down below. It all looked very impressive still. (Loved also seeing a guy in a hard hat practicing the violin as we sat in the Olivier circle.) Then we got to the Absolute Hell set and I thought we'd be actually walking on it but she only took us to a little corner at the back and we weren't allowed to step onto the stage so I was a little disappointed in that. But after the tour ended I met a man named Speedy (who is involved in the 4 minute set change that happens in AH) and after I said how much I enjoyed AH and how impressed I was by the very fast set change in the middle of Act 2, he took me through his room and onto the set itself! I actually walked across the stage, past a woman testing the mics, over the rugs, past the bar area opposite a load of labour posters, then up the stairs into the club dining room. It was surreal.
No idk what I did to deserve it either but there you are.
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Post by basi1faw1ty on May 20, 2018 20:30:52 GMT
Finally got round to seeing this this afternoon. I had tears streaming down my face, and there were points where I couldn't breathe for laughing so hard.
Mischief Theatre, you've done it again!
Also I may or may not be in love with Matt Hunt.
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Post by basi1faw1ty on May 20, 2018 6:18:32 GMT
Finally saw this Marmite show this week, and here's my review (reviews are not my strong points whatsoever so please forgive me if this is not very good):
The good:
Ok so I'm going to get this out the way first, and idc how biased it may sound I'm still going to say it: Charles Edwards was sublime. Everything he did felt just so real and believable. His babbling and incessant nattering was great. His scenes with Nigel had heart, his scenes with his mother were hilarious, it was just... ugh! Charlie, you magnificent acting treasure! Also he was the only one who didn’t have to shout to be heard (unlike some - I'm looking at you Sam Mitchum). He has this thing where no matter where he was on stage, you could still hear him even over all the racket that went on. I could go on but I shan't.
Actors who deserve honourable mentions are Joanna David, Patricia England (playing the airhead known as Julia), Jonathan Slinger's understudy (nasty piece of work is Maurice Hussey - Slinger apparently had had a nasty fall at the start of the week so a man named Simon Hepworth had to step in), Kate Fleetwood (she's no Judi Dench but her breakdown at the end was good), Prasanna as Nigel (who utterly trumps TV film Nigel, not as rigid and showing a lot more emotion) and of course Eileen Walsh as Madge.
The set was gorgeous and I had a feeling the set designer had modelled the La Vie En Rose on Black's Club, which was then confirmed when I met the man known as 'Speedy' yesterday who actually walked me onto the set and showed me round (yes it's a long story and no I am not making this up).
It was actually funny. I found myself laughing more at this than the TV show.
The not-so good:
Dingy lighting. Yes it's a dingy club, yes they add atmosphere, but I get now why everyone said to sit as close as possible to the stage, but even sitting in row H stalls on Saturday, I at points struggled with seeing actor's facial expressions (unless that was my eyes but whatever) so imagine trying to watch this show in the circle slips!
Cut dialogue. At one point I spotted that some of Christine's dialogue from a cut scene her and Hugh was supposed to have in the original script (that would've happened before the 5 minute pause) had been cut and pasted into the scene when Hugh gets dumped by Nigel. They left out this lovely moment between her and Hugh and missed off some good lines that I would've loved to have heard Charles say.
Fifi. I'm sorry to admit I am in the Fifi dislike camp. The first few times I didn't mind her but she kept coming back, circling the set and obscuring the action and I'm like GO GET A ROOM AND SHOVE OFF!
The labour typist's typewriter types too LOUD. I nearly missed some dialogue thanks to her!
My Yank friend noticed Sam Mitchum's actor slipping into his regular accent at points. Meanwhile I just found him a boring ("...but what a cup!")
...
Anyway I think that's it. Overall I enjoyed myself, and it was good fun, but there were points where I could understand (to a certain extent) why people left at the interval. I mean I didn't get a lot of walkouts. I only spotted maybe 5 leave last night? They certainly weren't leaving in droves, what utter piddle.
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Post by basi1faw1ty on May 12, 2018 18:31:56 GMT
Oh finally I can post on this thread!
Thursday: Absolute Hell (let's hope it isn't for me and my pal) Friday: Hamilton (fashionably late to the party as usual) Saturday: Absolute Hell (again because another pal is in London on Sat and wants to see it too) Sunday: Bank Robbery (as in the play of course haha... ha...)
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Post by basi1faw1ty on May 7, 2018 10:51:08 GMT
Lucky chumps. As I’m in a workplace that handles personal data, mobile phones are completely forbidden in the office, and the vast majority of internet sites are also off limits and as our computers are always being monitored we daren't risk straying onto message boards, Twitter etc. I have to wait till break time before I can retrieve my phone and post anything on here.
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Post by basi1faw1ty on May 6, 2018 21:07:53 GMT
Not the theatre but cinema. At Avengers Infinity War (don’t judge): two people behind my row decided they owned the place by placing their feet onto the seat next to me. Luckily they didn’t take their shoes off, but it was still rather off-putting. The whole row we were sat on kept shaking because they kept kicking it or doing something behind us ugh I don’t know. I thought it was my nephews being fidgety but they were too engrossed in the film.
And then they brought out the crisps. You could hear them crunching so loudly and smacking their lips together, and it was just gross.
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Post by basi1faw1ty on May 6, 2018 16:16:09 GMT
That’s a real shame, caiaphas. Sorry the revival didn’t live up to expectation, especially considering how much you love the play. Yeah, you were warned but at least you stuck to it, if only for the actors’ sake. I’ll give my verdict in just under 2 weeks time, and I won’t be afraid to point out any flaws, if there are any. It surely can’t be as boring as the last show I saw at the NT, which was Waste. Also somebody on Twitter is enjoying telling everybody to avoid this play at all costs whenever the NT decide to tweet about it, even going so far as to rant to one of the AH actors informing them of the interval leavers. Why? What did they do to deserve that? How awful for the actor. Yes OK you didn’t like it, fine. It’s a very Marmite play (at least this revival is). You hate the production to bits, fine. You have the right to vent, but you don’t need to go on and on and on and on and on CONSTANTLY. I didn't find it boring, it just wasn't right. And I did feel for the actors, yes, as they're obviously a talented bunch but they're expected to do stuff in this they must know isn't right. I can't imagine some of them haven't thought, "Why are we doing it this way...? This isn't working... This doesn't make sense..." Especially now the reviews are in. I wouldn't tell anyone to avoid it; I just can't recommend it, I'm afraid. Your 'chap' is rather good, as I said, but as others have remarked he's standing alone a bit. Will be interesting to hear your views in a couple of weeks' time... That’s totally fine. Tbh I feel like I’m going to be a bit like that at points, like “What was the director THINKING??” Hopefully I won’t be. It’s going to be a blessing and a curse to sit so close to the action but in the very cramped row B. If it’s engaging enough to make me sit in them seats for nearly 3 hours, it’s a ‘yes’ from me. Also ‘my chap’? Oh well... I... Well, he’s not bad s’pose ☺️ Like yeah, I came for Charles, no question, but want to stay for the others. I did see one person somewhere say that they thought his character was annoying, always cutting himself off and whinging and that, apparently.
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Post by basi1faw1ty on May 6, 2018 16:09:30 GMT
I must admit that I tweet a lot about things that I have seen (more concerts and exhibitions than plays in my case) but in a case like this where I haven't enjoyed something I just don't tweet about it at all. Yeah, but then I’ve had a good rant at things I didn’t enjoy before and it’s good to let it out sometimes. What’s not good is tweeting/ranting about a thing you didn’t enjoy for every day of your waking life like this plonker is doing. That would just make me depressed.
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Post by basi1faw1ty on May 6, 2018 15:03:42 GMT
That’s a real shame, caiaphas. Sorry the revival didn’t live up to expectation, especially considering how much you love the play. Yeah, you were warned but at least you stuck to it, if only for the actors’ sake. I’ll give my verdict in just under 2 weeks time, and I won’t be afraid to point out any flaws, if there are any. It surely can’t be as boring as the last show I saw at the NT, which was Waste.
Also somebody on Twitter is enjoying telling everybody to avoid this play at all costs whenever the NT decide to tweet about it, even going so far as to rant to one of the AH actors informing them of the interval leavers. Why? What did they do to deserve that? How awful for the actor.
Yes OK you didn’t like it, fine. It’s a very Marmite play (at least this revival is). You hate the production to bits, fine. You have the right to vent, but you don’t need to go on and on and on and on and on CONSTANTLY.
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Post by basi1faw1ty on May 5, 2018 17:32:46 GMT
Good to know cos I just booked a show at the Alhambra and sat my parents in row H of stalls, to the side. However they’re seeing Jersey Boys and not Miss Saigon so the set up will be much different.
It’ll be their first time at the Alhambra, and I’ve heard good things about the place, so it should be fine.
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Post by basi1faw1ty on May 4, 2018 18:43:31 GMT
I realise I'll probably be sent to the naughty step for this, but I'm really not a fan of Harry Potter. You and me both. *settles down next to you on the naughty step*
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Post by basi1faw1ty on May 3, 2018 14:27:35 GMT
Lovely letter got sent in to the office by a so called "Mr (or Mrs?) C***" residing in "None Of Your Bloody Business Avenue" with the email address "p***offyou****@live.co.uk" who told us all to "suck c**k" and something about we couldn't s*** peas? (don't ask) along with providing us a lovely drawing of a man's genitalia.
It gave us all a jolly good laugh so whatever they were trying to achieve it didn't really work.
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Post by basi1faw1ty on May 1, 2018 15:25:26 GMT
I’m shocked that this even happened at all at the BFI Southbank. That place is riddled with people who will laugh at anything and everything. Almost any screening of an old classic film is full of people whom just love to show the rest of the audience how they have understood and enjoyed any slight witty piece of dialogue. I can’t see how this woman could have been much different to their usual patrons. They’re not even that strict. I saw a screening of Goodfellas there about a year ago and there were groups of people coming in late with pints of beer, then getting up to go to the loo and coming back with more beer. The staff there didn’t mind at all. Perhaps they really do have an issue with neuro-atypical people then. I really hope not. As someone with an Asperger diagnosis, this whole fiasco has disturbed me very much. That poor woman would've been utterly traumatised by it all. I hope she gets some sort of compensation out of this.
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Post by basi1faw1ty on May 1, 2018 10:02:41 GMT
That's all true of course. Plus, if you leave after the first act, you miss Aaron Heffernan's teeny tiny nipples in the second half. Also, for anyone who saw the last run with Dame Judi, did they have the . . . {There is nothing like a dame . . . } . . gang rape suggestion at the end of the first act? Or was that an addition for this performance? Can't see Dame Judi going for that much. That's in the original script. It was cut out the TV version. Not sure about the 1995 production though.
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Post by basi1faw1ty on May 1, 2018 10:01:15 GMT
I really feel so sorry for the cast, being drafted into such a Marmite show as this, and seeing the curtain rise at act 2 to be greeted with a quarter of the audience missing. From what I've read in reviews, and the fact that I have the script and have watched the TV version and loved it, I'm only going to enjoy it even more
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Post by basi1faw1ty on Apr 30, 2018 17:08:09 GMT
A big dent to the bank account just now after purchasing two tickets for the Jersey Boys tour at my local theatre, the Alhambra. Even the woman behind the counter warned me the stalls would be pricey.
"Are they paying you back?" she said. Pffft!
"Er... no, this is an anniversary present," I reply. You know, some people do actually give other people things and don't expect anything back in return.
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Post by basi1faw1ty on Apr 27, 2018 17:17:44 GMT
YES YES AND YES. Forget King Prince Louis flipping Charles whatever of Cambridge, THIS is NEWS. Also I saw this on Twitter and burst a gut laughing:
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Post by basi1faw1ty on Apr 26, 2018 17:39:15 GMT
So to summarise:
★★★★★ theatreCat
★★★★½ The730Review ★★★★ Radio Times The Stage Financial Times Mark Shenton Time Out Boyz Magazine LastMinuteTheatreTickets British Theatre Guide (the reviewer doesn't give stars but judging by the review I'd say he'd've given it at least a 4)
★★★½ The Reviews Hub
★★★ Telegraph Independent Guardian TheArtsDesk BroadwayWorld Evening Standard LondonTheatre1
★★ WhatsOnStage TheUpcoming
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Post by basi1faw1ty on Apr 26, 2018 15:49:57 GMT
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Post by basi1faw1ty on Apr 26, 2018 5:07:57 GMT
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Post by basi1faw1ty on Apr 25, 2018 17:13:21 GMT
Nothing should be on in the Dorfman, it's an awful theatre. But yeah, Absolute Hell benefits from you being close up. Especially when Sinead Matthews is doing her thing. Good cos I'm in row B stalls (but Sinead isn't the reason I picked to be that close ). The uncomfortable armrest-less row, yes, but for £7.50, what a steal.
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Post by basi1faw1ty on Apr 25, 2018 17:06:31 GMT
I am not trying for one second to put you off, but the slightly more negative reports have said the first hour or so is good fun but then it sort of simmers down by either the second or third part.
Having said that, recent comments have been far more positive than last week's, helped I suspect by the run time being reduced very drastically since preview 1 and the fact that the cast have of course gotten a bit more accustomed to the show.
We shall see how the press will fare tomorrow morning. Eep! (I can already predict the headlines.)
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Post by basi1faw1ty on Apr 23, 2018 17:25:53 GMT
OK, so on the AH NT page, they started with the slightly daunting "3 hours 40 minutes with two 15 minute intervals" as the approximate duration. Then they adjusted it to "3 hours 20 minutes with two 15 minute intervals". Now it's a rather odd sounding "3 hours 10 minutes with 15 minute interval and 5 minute pause".
5 minute pause??
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Post by basi1faw1ty on Apr 21, 2018 16:17:57 GMT
I spent £20 buying truffles in a chocolate shop and I regret nothing. Also I went to a pub and saw this menu. There's something off about it, but I can't quite put my fish finger on it...
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Post by basi1faw1ty on Apr 20, 2018 7:44:23 GMT
David Walliams is an insufferable git who can’t act, and every time his smug stupid little face comes up on TV I want to throw my fist at it. Oh sorry, this is the “unpopular” thread
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Post by basi1faw1ty on Apr 20, 2018 7:29:11 GMT
Thanks for that review. Yeah I've seen similar comments from last night, and it was a more negative to positive ratio of reviews this time round. Same complaints that it's too long and/or there's too much going on and/or they didn't care for most of the characters. I mean I am glad its duration has had somewhat of a chop, but I’m sad it’s not going down well with people. But as we're still in previews I'd like to preserve some optimism until press night.
Also (not being biased, this is just from what I've read on social media) I'm seeing a trend that Charles' Hugh Marriner seems to be the only real stand out here. Not a lot of mentions (if at all) of the other characters, not even the lead role of Christine Foskett. True, very few people can match or even surpass Judi Dench, but I hope Kate Fleetwood has made at least a good stab at it.
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Post by basi1faw1ty on Apr 19, 2018 9:51:36 GMT
^ Thank you for that... With regard to La Vie En Rose, the play was originally called The Pink Room* (subtitled The Escapists) until it was rewritten in parts and revived in 1988 under the new title Absolute Hell. *original production financed by Terence Rattigan Pleasure Didn't know the original was financed by Rattigan! Also is it true that I read the original had no Christine, and Hugh Marriner had a wife?
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Post by basi1faw1ty on Apr 19, 2018 6:12:44 GMT
First preview reviews coming in:
Mixed to slightly leaning more on the positive side, overall.
Positives are it's funny and heartbreaking with great acting from everyone involved.
Negatives are mainly about the run time. Also there were some fluffed lines. Some people left at interval 1.
But even the not so enthusiastic commenters did like the song the ensemble sing at the beginning. A rendition of "La Vie En Rose", which is also the name of the club AH is set in for those unaware.
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Post by basi1faw1ty on Apr 17, 2018 6:14:23 GMT
This definitely won't sit well with the posters above but this is the unpopular thread so...
I can't stand coffee.
Or tea.
*waits for projectiles to be thrown*
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Post by basi1faw1ty on Apr 16, 2018 12:27:39 GMT
Very much in the Android camp here, specifically Samsung. All my friends have iPhones and all of their devices have some sort of crack down the screen. I've dropped mine a lot, on tiles, concrete, you name it, and the screen is completely unscathed. Plus it's waterproof, unlike the iPhone (iPhone X has apparently fixed this but nobody can afford one of them). One little drop of water on that and it's dead.
I do have an iPad but the constant updates really irritate me.
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