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Post by rowm on Sept 17, 2023 21:56:22 GMT
This is odd. I saw the show again today and was told press night is indeed happening tomorrow, after being told yesterday it was moved to next week. I sat near an older man with a notepad today and had a feeling he was a critic. He slept a lot during act one and during the interval he was not only rolling his eyes about how he “had to watch an understudy” but was audibly saying how much he hated it. I don’t know his name or where he was reviewing for (wouldn’t tell me) but for a man his age - he ABSOLUTELY should know better than that. Even if it’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen, you sit there politely watching WITH YOUR EYES OPEN and then go do your review. Watching again later this week so I will see if I notice anything has changed. Yes press night tomorrow I believe. I agree that even if a show is not your cup of tea, which everyone is entitled to their own opinion, you should still watch and be respectful of the show and others in the audience. I've not seen this show, read the book or watched the film prior to this adaptation. I believe that every adaptation of a show should be taken for what it is as what suits one theatre goer doesn't suit another. I loved the way this show did the fire scene and felt it was such a subtle way to bring it into the theatre but so effective and almost immersive. oh and I really enjoyed the seagulls, thought that was a humorous touch. |
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Post by partytentdown on Sept 18, 2023 11:16:44 GMT
Press is definitely tonight.
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Post by mattnyc on Sept 18, 2023 14:16:05 GMT
If anyone attends tonight, I’m dying to know if Lauren Jones is back.
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Post by toomasj on Sept 18, 2023 20:54:35 GMT
Anybody go tonight? I am on tenterhooks
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Post by erik24601 on Sept 18, 2023 21:27:52 GMT
Anybody go tonight? I am on tenterhooks Same! |
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Post by anthony on Sept 18, 2023 21:51:07 GMT
If anyone attends tonight, I’m dying to know if Lauren Jones is back. Lauren Jones was back. Pictures of the bows on Twitter show that the 2nd Mrs de Winter has a new costume for the final scene compared to the earlier previews. |
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Post by mattnyc on Sept 18, 2023 22:09:01 GMT
Thank you!!
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Post by anthony on Sept 18, 2023 22:18:06 GMT
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Post by c4ndyc4ne on Sept 18, 2023 22:39:53 GMT
no, i expect the guardian were allowed to go in early |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Sept 18, 2023 22:55:58 GMT
surprised it makes no mention of the set design No mention ? It praises it!! |
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Post by Oobi on Sept 18, 2023 23:03:17 GMT
Surely there must've been changes? It's hard for me to imagine terms less suited to the set I saw than "beautiful" and "quickly re-forming". |
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Post by capybara on Sept 19, 2023 0:15:04 GMT
I’ve not read any detailed reviews on here but it felt like a show of two halves for me. A frustrating first act was hindered by clunky storytelling and peculiar direction choices.
The set design leaves a lot to be desired (I do know that’s been mentioned a lot on here!). What was most frustrating was hearing crashing and banging going on behind that bloody white curtain.
However, I really enjoyed the second act. Lauren Jones was brilliant and her character’s journey showcased her abilities as an actor as well as a vocalist. I loved how I developed into the lady of the house.
Kara Lane’s Mrs Danvers really grew on me as she became more fraught and desperate and Richard Carson made an excellent Maxim as his life begins to unravel. The second act made for genuinely compelling musical theatre. The ensemble injected energy into the piece also.
I’d be fascinated to see this on a grander stage, with new set designs and overall artistic direction. The shoots of what has made Rebecca such a global hit is seemingly there but it just takes far too long to grow into something good.
Three stars. But I’m not holding it up against any other production of Rebecca, nor have I ever read the novel (but I might now).
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Post by Oobi on Sept 19, 2023 11:20:29 GMT
Thankfully, the Guardian appears to be alone in praising the set design. WhatsOnStage, 2 stars: www.whatsonstage.com/news/rebecca-musical-has-its-uk-premiere-review_1527984/Levay’s tunes are nice enough, in a Eurovision power ballad-y sort of way, but Christopher Hampton and Kunze’s lyrics range from the pedestrian to the risibly banal, and Hampton’s adaptation of Kunze’s original script is only serviceable. The songs tend to stop the show in its tracks rather than advance the plot or illuminate the inner lives of the protagonists (...) Bonatto and his design team have created an uninspired compendium of folding flats and billowing curtains in a muted colour scheme that have the unfortunate effect of making the allegedly luxurious Manderlay look like a wartime Village Hall.The Stage, 2 stars: www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/rebecca-review-at-charing-cross-theatre-london-from-daphne-du-maurierBonatto directs with a peculiar lack of imagination, struggling to find the right tone. Proceedings are irrevocably hindered by Nicky Shaw’s unwieldy set design, with ill-conceived decor and props. David Seldes’ colourless lighting design doesn’t help: much of the time, the hard-working cast can barely be seen through the abundance of haze. The blaze that destroys Manderley is reduced to a crimson wash and a chorus passing empty buckets. It’s a production that monumentally fails to do justice to its source material.BroadwayWorld, 2 stars: www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/Review-REBECCA-Charing-Cross-Theatre-20230919A lonely bed with polyester-looking sheets lies underneath a skeletal wisteria, near a window that’s only ever opened to let in the foggy breaths of an undersized mist machine. The surroundings relentlessly look like they’re made of cardboard à la big-budget am-dram. Smoke and dry ice try to heighten the mood and play with the tension, but the atmosphere never truly hits the mark. In essence, the production, unfortunately, lacks sophistication in its mise en scène. (...) The rendition of the lyrics is rather simple and repetitive in its wording, while the book remains nothing special throughout. |
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Post by interval99 on Sept 19, 2023 11:49:12 GMT
But I’m not holding it up against any other production of Rebecca, nor have I ever read the novel (but I might now). Yes definitely read the wonderful book or just as good get an audio versions its just made to be listened to. Then watch the 1940 Alfred Hitchcock Oscar winning film. Cast never bettered with Joan Fontaine, Lawrence Oliver, Judith Anderson, Nigel Bruce, Florence Bates the film and whole cast are perfection even 83 years on. The bbc tv production 1979 with Jeremy Brett and Joanna David is the best of recent versions. Testament to Daphne du Maurier classic storytelling powers that it's plotline and twists still enthrall to this day. |
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Post by toomasj on Sept 19, 2023 15:57:13 GMT
With mostly 2 and 3 star reviews, I am pretty sure this has exceeded most people’s expectations, especially those of people involved with the show.
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Post by anthony on Sept 19, 2023 16:51:29 GMT
With mostly 2 and 3 star reviews, I am pretty sure this has exceeded most people’s expectations, especially those of people involved with the show. They should be ecstatic with the 3 stars. I was expecting 1 and 2s. |
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Post by mattnyc on Sept 20, 2023 17:22:06 GMT
Well, Lauren Jones is out again. :-(
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Post by cheri78 on Sept 20, 2023 17:48:13 GMT
What a waste of my money. Was at today's matinée and yes, of course I know why they had bumped up the seat prices but I expect, even on the fringe, better acting than I got from the leads (except Mrs Danvers but the repetition of the title song even meant she had nowhere else to go). We had Ms App on as Lauren's understudy and her singing was fine but the acting left much to be desired. I really was looking forward to see Lauren's arc throughout, which others here have said is good. As for the lead man, yes, fine voice but so wooden. Is this the best they could get? Sorry to be negative but it wasn't acceptable, and this just added insult to injury making us endure that cheap set and abysmal lighting design. Totally agree with WOS review saying it was hard to see which way a singer was even facing through the copious fog/dry ice. We had a lyric about a chandelier....this Mandalay hadn't got any internal lighting! A gem of a line on a moonlight night and the new Mrs Dewinter breezes in singing Good afternoon to the odd character Ben? Or did I hear wrong..maybe so as a) the sound level was ear wax melting b) I'd given up caring. Heads up to a class of teenage boys from Berkhampstead who were so attentive in what was, bizzarly, a full house. 1* from me.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Sept 20, 2023 18:04:40 GMT
Seeing this tonight.. cannot wait!
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Post by anthony on Sept 20, 2023 19:37:16 GMT
First bootlegs doing the rounds.
It really is so disappointing... what it could have been.
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Post by rowm on Sept 20, 2023 23:23:47 GMT
What a waste of my money. Was at today's matinée and yes, of course I know why they had bumped up the seat prices but I expect, even on the fringe, better acting than I got from the leads (except Mrs Danvers but the repetition of the title song even meant she had nowhere else to go). We had Ms App on as Lauren's understudy and her singing was fine but the acting left much to be desired. I really was looking forward to see Lauren's arc throughout, which others here have said is good. As for the lead man, yes, fine voice but so wooden. Is this the best they could get? Sorry to be negative but it wasn't acceptable, and this just added insult to injury making us endure that cheap set and abysmal lighting design. Totally agree with WOS review saying it was hard to see which way a singer was even facing through the copious fog/dry ice. We had a lyric about a chandelier....this Mandalay hadn't got any internal lighting! A gem of a line on a moonlight night and the new Mrs Dewinter breezes in singing Good afternoon to the odd character Ben? Or did I hear wrong..maybe so as a) the sound level was ear wax melting b) I'd given up caring. Heads up to a class of teenage boys from Berkhampstead who were so attentive in what was, bizzarly, a full house. 1* from me. I was at the matinee today and it was brilliant. Emily did really well as I and gave a different feel to the character than Lauren, which is how it should be as each actor puts their own stamp on a role. I had goosebumps when they sang help me face the night as a duet. I was sat next to a super fan from Germany who said they absolutely loved the Charing cross production and had seen it twice already. They loved the intimate feel of the show and said it felt that we really were seeing I memories come to life. Personally I loved the whole show, it's now much slicker than the first week and flowed so well. The stand outs for me were the ensemble who were energetic, talented and just brought a fabulous energy to the show. One was just so so expressive facially. Where were the seagulls? I loved that last time. The fire scene again was immersive and had a real urgency about it. The only negative I feel was the smoke haze was a little heavy in the bay scene and couldn't see the actors when they were on the floor. My favourite scene was flotsam and jetsam, wow the ensemble worked so great in that. It was a full house and a partial standing ovation. Oh and I loved the orchestra being shown on the curtains at the end of the bows. I can't wait to see the show again. |
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Post by erik24601 on Sept 21, 2023 0:50:46 GMT
An interesting video from Wait in the Wings about the London production.
I see Mr Levy is still BS’ing his way to try and convince everyone this was a good idea.
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Post by toomasj on Sept 21, 2023 8:09:06 GMT
Seeing this tonight.. cannot wait! Go on…? Better than expected? |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Sept 21, 2023 8:28:33 GMT
Well this was an absolute turd of a show and did not disappoint.
Never in London, have I seen a show that looks so cheap and amateurish. The BROWN set is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen.
The staircase- laughable.
Not even a chandelier or picture frame to be seen anywhere.
If I was Rebecca, I’d have flung myself out the window if I had to live there.
I particularly enjoyed all of the banging and movement of the white curtain whenever I was doing a little solo on the downstage steps.
Maxim was played by a piece of wood, but with rather a good voice.
The cover for I was fine.
Mrs Danvers was camp as Christmas and I enjoyed her performance. And also the fact that every time she turned up she started belting “Rebeccccaaaa Rebeccccaaaa…”. Hysterically funny.
The lighting was the worst I’ve ever seen, everything so dimly lit.
And if some here find the flashing red lights on the audience as being ‘immersive’ for the fire - then let’s just all give up now.
The music had a few bright spots, but the lyrics (the one so could make out) are absolutely woeful , and at times laugh out loud funny in their banality.
Pity the hard working chorus- they all deserve Oliviers for their commitment.
Knowing how spectacular the Vienna production is, this just felt like a very sad evening in the theatre.
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