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Post by callum on Nov 19, 2018 22:45:42 GMT
Was this Dame Penny's first night?
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Post by callum on Oct 27, 2018 11:22:35 GMT
He liked a tweet that said it was the worst play of 2018... plus it's got enough prestige associated with it to be the kind of thing where, if he liked it, he would let everyone know about it
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Post by callum on Oct 26, 2018 20:02:57 GMT
Says a lot when even Baz hates it!
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Post by callum on Oct 18, 2018 22:44:39 GMT
Another think about EGC - any time someone on your row fidgets or moves in their seat, the whole block of seats that are joined together get shook around like one of those rollercoaster simulator rides. *whispers*... I’m starting to miss Odeon Leicester Sq!
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Company
Oct 2, 2018 20:18:05 GMT
via mobile
Post by callum on Oct 2, 2018 20:18:05 GMT
Managed to get a rush ticket yesterday (O24 in stalls) and thoroughly enjoyed it, if not as much to the lofty heights of Sweeney, Gypsy & Follies. Patti was sublime, and Rosalie Craig did an excellent job. I’m not particularly familiar with the book, and can genuinely say I wouldn’t have had a clue that there was a gender swap of the main role - in fact, I probably would have enjoyed it less with a male lead.
Staging is very surprising, and glad I wasn’t spoiled. Side by Side by Side a highlight. Four stars!
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Post by callum on Sept 30, 2018 8:32:30 GMT
No matter who the leads are, the audience will want them to have as few lines as possible!
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Post by callum on Sept 29, 2018 23:35:33 GMT
And yes, I agree that Shirley is becoming a total highlight. Stepping out of being ‘Len’s replacement’ last year - and even having a go at the professionals for making mistakes! Great rapport with the other judges. A very witty comment to Sean, too.
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Post by callum on Sept 29, 2018 23:33:20 GMT
I genuinely think a random person picked from the street could do that job just as well as Tess Daly. Actually, I take that back... they’d be better!
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Post by callum on Sept 23, 2018 20:35:50 GMT
Fluffier than I'd have liked and an okay watch but a couple of big problems. Firstly than Nick as a character was as stiff as a board and about as enigmatic as the puddle I stepped in on my way yo the cinema. I didn't believe that Rachel would put herself through that much just to be with... him! Good that she was the focus and not him though.
I know that the clue is in the title, but I found the film so materialistic and capitalistic - the film presented being that rich as some kind of virtue, and didn't really make as much as fun as it needed to about characters being this rich. The camera really did linger over the jewellery, the mansions, the helicopters, the parties on private boats, on top of skyscrapers etc and got far too shallow for my liking. Buying $1.2 million earrings was presented as being obviously inspirational!
Really, the film I wanted to be watching was how Michelle Yeoh's character had been corrupted by wealth! Missed her every time she was off screen
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Post by callum on Sept 23, 2018 20:00:26 GMT
Other than that though - a great opening episode. Enjoyed Dr Ranj and Kate the most. Shirley is such a great judge - excellent rapport with Bruno and not afraid to really pick the contestants up when they make mistakes. Watched back her comment about Sean's hair. Fair enough when he was doing a tango, head movement v important in that dance with quick rotations etc and his thick hair waving around made it hard for her judge. Like she said, keep it down for the latin.
Also watched back Susannah's dance thinking it wasn't as bad as a 1, but actually, there is zero technique - all she's doing is literally walking and stepping so clunkily. Then again, no worse than Ed Balls' worst and even he rarely got a 2.
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Post by callum on Sept 23, 2018 19:52:47 GMT
Anton embarrasses himself every time he opens his mouth... he doesn’t need help from the costumes.
Constantly answering back to the judges and talking over Claudia - think he forgets that he’s the one partnering the celebrity, not the other way around. Thank god we were spared him being made a judge. Would have got rid of him along with Brendan... dead wood!
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Post by callum on Sept 22, 2018 20:51:50 GMT
Am trying to shift a ticket to the sold out screening of The Bill Murray Stories doc on Weds 10th if anyone wants to do me a favour and take it off my hands.
FYI Mahershala Ali is going to be in town next month, so Green Book (the TIFF Audience Award winner) might be good shout for Surprise Film.
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Post by callum on Sept 11, 2018 20:12:11 GMT
Would contribute to previous posts that the sheer ecstasy of seeing it on Broadway was the crowd going absolutely nuts and egging on Bette, who in turn was winking back to the audience, and then we'd love her even more! The whole tongue-in-cheek 'back where she belongs' narrative is, in my opinion, not comparable to London. This show isn't Sunset Boulevard. The thin plot, gregarious humour, classic score and over-the-top character of Dolly Levi herself fits perfectly with Broadway sensibilities. The show, and Bette, really were back where they belonged.
I can't see it being being anything other than a come-down coming to London.
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Post by callum on Sept 11, 2018 19:37:14 GMT
Think the Surprise film will be Boy Erased - two Nicole Kidman performances (and more importantly two Nicole Kidman wigs) over the same weekend!
Bought a ticket for Life Itself on Thurs 18th at 20:40 for £17 thinking it would be better value than the premiere... but now realised that the premiere screening is only £24 so might as well pay the extra £7 for the red carpet and the cast and crew attendance etc. How strict are BFI at exchanges like this one? Might drop by the South Bank tomorrow?
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Post by callum on Sept 1, 2018 23:49:17 GMT
Any gossip on day seats/discounts? Have a date that a friend is coming down but £80 on any unrestricted non-upper circle seat seems a lot - have first rows been sold? Potentially being in the splash zone for Patti's martini does seem appealing...
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Post by callum on Aug 8, 2018 20:05:00 GMT
Am wondering if they’ll still dare to do the outdoors section
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Post by callum on Jul 26, 2018 15:11:18 GMT
Thought this was a hoot - obviously total rubbish but extremely enjoyable! The plot makes zero sense - we all know what happens because it's the first five minutes of the first movie! But this time with added Cher! Totally surreal but an excellent time.
I went to my local cinema at 21.10 last Saturday in an attempt to avoid kids that will have been dragged along with parents and ditto old biddies that won't have seen a film without Judi Dench since the last Mamma Mia! Very well behaved and no singing so that time of day might be a tactic that I would suggest.
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Post by callum on Jul 2, 2018 0:44:23 GMT
A similar experience happened when I went to a movie premiere a few months ago -- I was around the area and wanted to see Oprah in the flesh so went for a wristband for the A Wrinkle in Time premiere. Was very lucky to get in the pens and a decent enough position for the carpet for an autograph/selfie and made friends with other fans around me. However there was a really large group of men that fit bas1l's description with huge folders of headshots for the entire cast. Proper big burly bearded men!
Although La Winfrey did not grace our direction, the PR people at the premiere were doing lotteries for tickets to actually go in and watch the film with a lengthy cast Q&A beforehand. The autograph hunters won the lotteries and shouted 'nah we don't want it mate! we couldn't give a sh*t!' -- so they happily passed the winning chance to go in and see the film and be a few feet from Oprah over to me and the friends that I'd made!
I am extremely grateful to them for giving me the chance to have such a fabulous experience, yet I am always surprised that people can have the time and patience to do stage doors and premieres etc purely for economic reasons to sell on the signed merchandise and not out of fandom for the person they're waiting to see.
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Post by callum on Jun 25, 2018 16:32:58 GMT
Yes, ‘Mum’ the sitcom. The character is v Hyacinth Bouquet and is very proud and boastful that she works in Waitrose! Feigns ignorance that she doesn’t know what a carvery is! But what I think I meant was that the Tina audience on my night was quite snobbish Home Counties who thought of themselves as theatrically cultured when really all they’ll have seen this year is Tina and have never been to anything south of the river... And you deduced all this from merely spending an evening in the Aldwych with them?
The tutting and sighing and hostile body language from the stiffs in the audience at people enjoying themselves by tapping their feet and humming along was for more irritating than the humming itself! Or maybe I was just in the same night as parsley ...
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Post by callum on Jun 25, 2018 0:32:20 GMT
Yes, ‘Mum’ the sitcom. The character is v Hyacinth Bouquet and is very proud and boastful that she works in Waitrose! Feigns ignorance that she doesn’t know what a carvery is!
But what I think I meant was that the Tina audience on my night was quite snobbish Home Counties who thought of themselves as theatrically cultured when really all they’ll have seen this year is Tina and have never been to anything south of the river...
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Post by callum on Jun 22, 2018 0:37:24 GMT
brace yourselves...
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Post by callum on Jun 20, 2018 1:27:02 GMT
The Jeff Daniels starring To Kill A Mockingbird should be up by then. So will the new Cher musical. Will have to see if this season’s shows like Mean Girls & Spongebob will still be running by then - there is usually a cull by Labor Day. Other than that, all of the stalwarts will still be there...
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Post by callum on Jun 20, 2018 1:15:14 GMT
Just had to move to a new flat which meant emptying ‘programme drawer’ - years of tickets, programmes and wristbands from shows, concerts and Q&As that I’ve loved attending. Started out as a ‘memory box’ but now I think I need to start filing more efficiently everything that I’ve acquired.
What is your advice on how to begin to set up a filing system for all of these mementos I’ve collected? So many memories over the last few years. Perhaps a ringbiding folder with plastic wallets that are labelled and dated? Obviously would prefer to avoid damaging the items with sellotape/glue etc. I would feel very irresponsible not to start archiving my theatregoing. Appreciate all tips you might have!
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Post by callum on Jun 20, 2018 1:08:21 GMT
Wouldn’t want to take Kirsty Wark away from Newsnight and ditto would miss Eddie Mair going one on one against a politician like his legendary Boris Johnson mauling (‘you’re a nasty piece of work aren’t you?)!
I like Samira Ahmed the most. Very intelligent and astute and definitely capable enough to handle the audience. Plus she would be a nice rebuke to the red-faced heavy breathing gammons that occupy the majority of the audience nowadays - I might even start watching it again!
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Post by callum on Jun 15, 2018 19:19:45 GMT
I thought her scheduling conflict was around the time when AAE was originally scheduled to play, around March this year. I'm sure if she'd really wanted to have done it, she'd have found a way to make it work, but hey that's just speculation on my part. Perhaps. Though she might have preferred the fact that this play will presumably be playing in rep (i.e. not 8 performances a week for 12 weeks) whereas Eve wouldn't have. I know that during a month-long-gap for Network last year, Bryan Cranston was able to fly back to the U.S. and take care of his other commitments - maybe a similar structure will suit Cate's schedule better. She has a plum lead part in Richard Linklater's new film Where'd You Go Bernadette? in the autumn, so if she is lucky enough to be in awards contention then trips to LA and NYC for awards ceremonies and FYC events in Jan/Feb wouldn't be out of the question.
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Post by callum on May 14, 2018 1:20:53 GMT
A lot of podcasts can be very rambly and a bit smug, but some good nice tight podcasts that I can recommend (sadly not all theatre) are The New Yorker Radio Hour, The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter (which isn’t really about awards that much at all... it’s the interviewer doing full life story career interviews with top Oscars/Emmys/Tony’s contenders — you name them, they have an episode), and, if you like indie film, IndieWire’s Screen Talk.
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Post by callum on May 10, 2018 2:14:38 GMT
Frankly the culture section of the Guardian is a total shambles. Letting LG go is just another nail in the coffin. Who is running this car crash? Culture needs a brand new editor ASAP.
I still go to the guardian for the news but their TV/film coverage is feature after feature of sanctimonious snobbish sneering telling people that they shouldn’t like what they actually like. Weekly column of ‘when good TV goes bad’ is just one example, as well as the many articles this week about how Amy Schumer’s new film isn’t feminist enough, and the ‘problem’ with x film and y tv show. The virtue signalling and sense of entitlement and superiority is nauseous. Vulture and The Hollywood Reporter far better, with THR even doing their own West End reviews now.
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Post by callum on May 9, 2018 10:56:26 GMT
I think the issue is that Molina is a respected *character* actor — to use the same comparison, he is in a different universe to Kidman. Even Jeremy Irons. I would say he is more Lesley Manville level. Joe Bloggs on the street would probably best know him for Spider-Man 2.
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Post by callum on May 2, 2018 21:49:11 GMT
The website says further casting to be announced. Am I right in saying Snow White and The Prince are the only characters left to cast or do Qdos add other characters. I have seen a number of Snow White productions that add a Woodsman character (Henchman to the Wicked Queen) Yes I would have thought Nigel was a shoe-in for that role. Maybe it will be a part of his ‘understudy’ duties.
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Post by callum on May 2, 2018 18:11:25 GMT
Perhaps there are other bookers like me that got a last minute Dick Whittington ticket for a January performance and was so impressed that I’ve booked well in advance for a premium date for SW and am bringing all my family!
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