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Post by bellboard27 on Sept 13, 2018 11:36:09 GMT
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Post by bellboard27 on Sept 13, 2018 8:00:07 GMT
Maria Stuarda by Opera Up Close at Sutton House last night. Lovely pannelled roomin a NT property and the oldest house in east London. First act went fine but after the interval no sooner had Elizabeth launched into a sinister aria, when some imbecile currator had left the GrandFather Clock in the room on! Nine bloody chimes! Bloody modern technology. Never got this problem with a decent sundial. Where will it all end?!
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Post by bellboard27 on Sept 12, 2018 20:49:25 GMT
Went tonight. Fully echo catcat100 Brendan Coyle makes a great story teller in this intimate setting. I also picked up tickets from the site on the day so it’s good to look out for this if needing something last minute. Advertised run time is 2 hours incl 15 minute interval, but we were out by 9.20 (in case that’s useful for transport home).
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Post by bellboard27 on Sept 11, 2018 15:42:34 GMT
I found this good, but not stand out. The best of it was the music. Weakest was the dramatic structure. In the middle was the choreography, which at times was great and at other times a bit of a mess.
Musically I liked the range of styles and moods – it all added to a good exploration of the changing issues. Some have mentioned sound issues. To begin with from the dress circle I thought the sound was good, but it did have its off moments!
Dramatically, there were some aspects I liked. I liked the exploration of the division in the movement between those willing to countenance violence and those not (it would have been interesting to explore the extension of the violence beyond targeting political opponents, such as burning churches and libraries, bombs on trains, etc., as that divided opinion hugely in the movement).
I did not like how they addressed the opposing arguments. The arguments supporting women’s suffrage were set out rationally, but the opposition was presented as comic caricatures. I find that this approach diminishes the dramatic flow. The arguments may not seem rational now, but presenting them as such would show what the women faced.
Also, I was not keen on a narrator. I prefer the drama to be self-explanatory. Anyway, was there a reason that for most of it the narrator was a man? I’m sure there is an obvious explanation, but it did feel odd. It felt like “this is the story of the struggle women faced to be heard and this man is going to explain it to you”. Maybe that was the intent in some pointed statement of the role of men, but if so that was not clear to me.
Finally, I wonder what the marketing has been on this. When I went there was several groups with small children (down to 6-7 years old). Some left at the interval. Did the Old Vic promote young people’s participation, but this ended up attracting some very young audience members?!
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Post by bellboard27 on Sept 11, 2018 12:08:49 GMT
If the Kiln has decided it no longer wants to include its local community and focuses on a wider audience, then fine. However, if it does want to include the local community, then I suspect that its supposed failure to include it in its rebranding process may be a mistake. At some point it will reach out to the Kilburn community and this may then seem hollow.
This is where the "us"/"them" language arises. For the protesters, the theatre was part of "us", the community, but now it is perceived as having been separated from it by "them". For some the point may not be whether the theatre is called Tricycle, Kiln or anything else, but the fact that they were not asked.
Of course, they won't bow to the protesters. Looking at these protesters, they probably have a long experience of protesting (their twitter timelines show some are strong Corbyn-supporting Labour members). However, the protest may have some effect - not to reverse the rebranding, but to get management to think twice in future. I am sure management will organise various events to show off the facilities to the community in due course.
Incidentally, the protesters claim the local newspaper was also excluded from opening night. If so, that might prove a mistake as well.
It all sounds like a mess that could have been so easily avoided.
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Post by bellboard27 on Sept 6, 2018 5:59:11 GMT
New Victoria is great with loads of space and seating. I’m looking forward to seeing how the ROH is improved this autumn as it’s spaces were already good.
In London some of the amateur theatres have very spacious foyer areas, such as the Questors in Ealing or the Geoffrey Whitworth in Crayford.
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Post by bellboard27 on Aug 11, 2018 20:33:03 GMT
I very rarely leave at the interval, but I just did from this. I found the writing lazy and trite and the humour at the level of a student review. Many of the crowd seemed to be really enjoying it. So I’m probably in a minority. The cast are mostly pretty good, which for me was the only saving grace. I just thought there’s more to life than sitting through the rest of this.
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Post by bellboard27 on Aug 9, 2018 16:56:19 GMT
During the EU referendum campaign period I was watching some interviews with fishermen. Almost all very strongly leave, but also scathing about politicians of all colours as you might imagine. However, an interviewer asked one what he thought of Boris - "I would trust him with my life", came the reply. I nearly choked! A least trustworthy politician it is hard to select - but it shows how persuasive he can be, not just about some point he is making, but about also about his personality. As sf says, he is not to be underestimated.
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Post by bellboard27 on Aug 4, 2018 14:59:28 GMT
The details of the tour have been announced t.co/Qx6J9z2qLJ?amp=1The main leads won't be touring, which is both a blessing and a curse. Fair play to the NT to bring this out to the masses, especially for GCSE students, but I am convinced it will put a generation off theatre. No mention of the cardboard box? What do you think they use for packing while on the road?
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Post by bellboard27 on Jul 30, 2018 15:33:29 GMT
Most people fainted at seeing Aidan Turner in a tight white vest. The blood is a minor issue in this case. Depends where in the body the blood might be rushing to.
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Post by bellboard27 on Jul 27, 2018 15:20:07 GMT
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Post by bellboard27 on Jul 27, 2018 8:39:29 GMT
I thought gravy browning was beef stock, and caramel is melted sugar? Whatever you do don't confuse the two on Bake-Off!! Quite. Don't want to get the soggy bottoms confused.
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Post by bellboard27 on Jul 25, 2018 15:38:13 GMT
A more general question, I keep reading London theatre-makers lamenting the loss of cross-pollination with European theatre post-Brexit. But where is it now? Apart from a couple of revivals of Genet, a few days of Ostermeier and the endless revivals of Art, where are all these European plays and practitioners? The Young Vic, Almeida, NT etc. showcase loads of American plays (the YV rarely seems to do anything else) but I'm not aware of anything similar being brought here from the continent. Is it there, and I'm just missing it? I think we are having to work our way through all the works of Florian Zeller before we are allowed to see anything else.
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Post by bellboard27 on Jul 25, 2018 13:52:37 GMT
In the name of the Mackintosh, the Lloyd Webber and the Holy Friedman, I absolve thee. Sing three "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," and also two "The Room Where It Happens" and ring no more. Go in peace. Have you thought of setting yourself up in a booth next to the TKTS place in Leicester Square where you could hear theatre confessions?
Of course, in this case there should be no secrets of the confessional - we would want all the juicy gossip.
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Post by bellboard27 on Jul 24, 2018 8:49:39 GMT
Yes, in their Annual Accounts it states "Registered Office & Principal Place of Business: The Royal National Theatre", etc. and the auditor's report formally refers to it as the RNT. In every other communication, the NT does not use it.
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Cartoons
Jul 24, 2018 4:56:23 GMT
via mobile
Post by bellboard27 on Jul 24, 2018 4:56:23 GMT
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Post by bellboard27 on Jul 23, 2018 21:06:39 GMT
Britishtheatre.com reporting “gossip” that this is happening.
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Post by bellboard27 on Jul 23, 2018 19:04:39 GMT
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Post by bellboard27 on Jul 23, 2018 13:54:22 GMT
The seats really are not going, are they? Looking at dates this week, they seemed to have closed the Lilian Baylis Circle and vast numbers of seats are available. For tonight, all seats in stalls and dress circle are either £16 or £20, so even with some bargains for later this week, I suspect major discounts for tickets bought on the day.
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Post by bellboard27 on Jul 23, 2018 13:35:22 GMT
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Post by bellboard27 on Jul 5, 2018 6:45:19 GMT
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Post by bellboard27 on Jul 4, 2018 18:40:04 GMT
the actors were right there swishing around right in front of me, spitting in our faces and brushing us with cloaks. Sounds more like a visit to our local Wetherspoons.
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Post by bellboard27 on Jul 4, 2018 11:29:43 GMT
We were at the gala performance last night. Overall, we both thought that while it was all nicely staged, nothing really grabbed us with the show. It was nice. It was nice to have seen it. But not wow. Hugely enthusiastic audience, however, which is what you expect on these occasions.
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Post by bellboard27 on Jul 2, 2018 21:25:32 GMT
Saw this on Saturday. We both really enjoyed it. Those £10 stalls row B tickets are a bargain!
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Post by bellboard27 on Jul 2, 2018 6:03:19 GMT
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Post by bellboard27 on Jul 1, 2018 11:10:25 GMT
I think if I was an actor I would just write "f*ck orf, love Elaine Paige" on each photo and DVD cover. I wondered who you might be in the real world. That's another mystery solved.
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Post by bellboard27 on Jun 30, 2018 8:49:38 GMT
Press Night is when producers demonstrate feats of superhuman respiratory control by holding their breath for several hours.
Gala Night is when, despite contingency planning, the theatre runs out of gin because it’s the night @ryan has chosen to visit.
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Post by bellboard27 on Jun 29, 2018 13:16:01 GMT
I got an email this morning from TRSE to "Beg, steal or borrow to get a ticket to Shebeen". I'm not sure about being encouraged to take up a life of crime. But, what the hell. I might give it a go.
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Post by bellboard27 on Jun 28, 2018 10:41:23 GMT
Went to In the Locked Room and The Lighthouse double bill at RCM. Both were very well done, but I particularly was struck by The Lighthouse – the increasingly dramatic and inventive music, singing and design worked a treat.
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Post by bellboard27 on Jun 28, 2018 10:39:18 GMT
My first time seeing this opera. A very enjoyable production by the ENO - hats off in particular to the children.
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