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Post by showgirl on May 7, 2023 3:44:20 GMT
Having seen the matinee yesterday, I agree that this was well worth seeing and as ever, I'd rather see a flawed but interesting play than something a little safer or covering more familiar ground. Whilst I'm not sure the word "enjoy" is appropriate where this subject is concerned, I was riveted throughout and all the happier for having paid only £10 for my Friday Rush ticket. On which point, ticket sales seemed to be slow as the £10 seats were available for days after the Friday and though I had the choice of plenty of front stalls seats at that price, I was concerned by the warning of the "low rake" so opted instead for one of the side stalls seats as I've sat there before, so I know they are higher than some of those in the main block. In the event the latter would have been fine as the stage is low for this production and the first row of the stalls is set well back, but I have seen the seating configured with a high stage and the nearer rows below stage level, which I dislike.
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Post by dlevi on May 7, 2023 7:35:10 GMT
I saw this last night and thought it was God-awful. So reading this thread with so many favorable comments was to say the least, interesting. I felt that this was a play that was written to satisfy the Clean Break theatre company's agenda. All of the characters were wildly inconsistent in their behavior toward one another. Alliances came and went and returned at a moments notice. Characters who were belligerent and violent offered up funny comments out of nowhere. The shock effects of the lighting were ... I dunno supposed to add a layer of tension ( The house remembers? ) and the performances ( with the notable exception of Brid Brennan) were all broad strokes and lacked any detail or nuance ( much like the design elements as well). It's well-intentioned but for me that's not enough for a production at the National.
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Post by ruperto on May 7, 2023 8:36:57 GMT
I went to the matinee of this yesterday afternoon - had to pick my way through the crowds to get to the Nash.
I thought this was excellent - it had me gripped throughout. I have to guiltily confess that I didn’t book this when it was first announced as I thought it would be very worthy and understandably not a lot of laughs. But I was wrong on both counts. I thought the way the piece was structured - as a family melodrama laced with comedy elements - was a really daring and effective way of tackling these really serious issues.
I booked a £20 seat in the front row, which was great, though I think there were a couple of seats that were only £10 in the front row. There’s an unusually large gap between the front row and the stage - to do with the height of the set, I think - so it’s a really good place to sit, as most of the action takes place downstairs. However, I maybe wouldn’t sit too far to the left (as you’re looking at the stage) as a couple of key scenes play out in an upstairs bedroom to the right (as you’re looking at the stage).
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Post by jm25 on May 11, 2023 23:09:36 GMT
I thought this was fantastic. On the one hand it's a considered, nuanced examination of trauma and misogyny, but I'm hesitant to describe it exactly like that because it makes it sound heavier than it actually was. For all the seriousness of its subject matter, this is a story told with real heart - and it's genuinely very funny too.
It's not necessarily perfect and it did veer towards the melodramatic at times, but I can forgive it those slight shortcomings because of how much I enjoyed it on the whole. I was concerned that there was going to be a lot of exposition with regard to the characters' backstories, however that wasn't the case at all. The slow revealing of the truth, layer by layer, was wonderful writing and I appreciated that the audience wasn't simply spoonfed.
Like others have said on here, a couple of the staging elements in between scenes left me slightly perplexed, but I think I'd appreciate them more on a second viewing. There are lots of bright lights at various points, for example, but as the play goes on you can see that it uses light, and the language of lightness/darkness, in interesting ways. So, again, I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt on those points.
The acting was universally excellent. Brid Brennan and Liz White were probably the two standouts, but I think Yazmin Kayani (who plays the granddaughter) has got a very bright future ahead.
Quite the eventful performance tonight too. There was a talkback after the show which was very insightful, and there was a show stop right at the very end due to a medical incident. Not sure what happened but I do hope the person is okay.
One of the conversations I heard during the show stop was quite something. Without wanting to get too much into the plot for those who haven't seen it, towards the end of the play there is a discussion about how the abuse of power must be called out at every level. Not just in the overt abuses that end up in courtrooms, but also the microaggressions we sadly see on a far more regular basis. One particular couple didn't seem to agree with that stance and bemoaned the fact that "everything has to be reported these days", even if "he didn't even do anything". ("He" in this instance being the unseen Mark Shaw character.) Not sure I've ever seen audience members miss the point quite so spectacularly before! But of course everyone is allowed their opinion... Needless to say, they didn't wait around for the play to resume!
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Post by showgirl on May 12, 2023 3:30:40 GMT
Glad this is finding an audience even if views are very varied - imo the mark of a more interesting play, though I appreciate that if you are someone who didn't enjoy it, it won't have seemed a very rewarding experience. Re the seating: please don't be deterred by comments about lhs seating as though front-facing seats obviously have a direct view of the stage and I could have sat there, I chose the lhs seats instead as I knew these were higher than some of the front stalls and provided you don't sit right at the stage end, the angle shouldn't affect you. Of course you don't know what you've missed but I could see the scenes in the upstairs bedrooms as the "walls" are made of a see-through, gauzy material and in any case, some of the action, as mentioned, takes place in subdued lighting so all you would see are shadows - but you can definitely see which characters' shadows they are; also, you see first who has gone upstairs.
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Post by Latecomer on May 12, 2023 8:18:24 GMT
I thought this was fantastic. On the one hand it's a considered, nuanced examination of trauma and misogyny, but I'm hesitant to describe it exactly like that because it makes it sound heavier than it actually was. For all the seriousness of its subject matter, this is a story told with real heart - and it's genuinely very funny too. It's not necessarily perfect and it did veer towards the melodramatic at times, but I can forgive it those slight shortcomings because of how much I enjoyed it on the whole. I was concerned that there was going to be a lot of exposition with regard to the characters' backstories, however that wasn't the case at all. The slow revealing of the truth, layer by layer, was wonderful writing and I appreciated that the audience wasn't simply spoonfed. Like others have said on here, a couple of the staging elements in between scenes left me slightly perplexed, but I think I'd appreciate them more on a second viewing. There are lots of bright lights at various points, for example, but as the play goes on you can see that it uses light, and the language of lightness/darkness, in interesting ways. So, again, I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt on those points. The acting was universally excellent. Brid Brennan and Liz White were probably the two standouts, but I think Yazmin Kayani (who plays the granddaughter) has got a very bright future ahead. Quite the eventful performance tonight too. There was a talkback after the show which was very insightful, and there was a show stop right at the very end due to a medical incident. Not sure what happened but I do hope the person is okay. One of the conversations I heard during the show stop was quite something. Without wanting to get too much into the plot for those who haven't seen it, towards the end of the play there is a discussion about how the abuse of power must be called out at every level. Not just in the overt abuses that end up in courtrooms, but also the microaggressions we sadly see on a far more regular basis. One particular couple didn't seem to agree with that stance and bemoaned the fact that "everything has to be reported these days", even if "he didn't even do anything". ("He" in this instance being the unseen Mark Shaw character.) Not sure I've ever seen audience members miss the point quite so spectacularly before! But of course everyone is allowed their opinion... Needless to say, they didn't wait around for the play to resume! I’m glad at least that the audience are challenged, even if it doesn’t change the minds of some, and fascinating to see in person the reactions to it…..my quite sensitive husband (who I usually only take to quite lightweight funny theatre) was quite upset by it and said “I apologise for being part of the white male Patriarchy”….I’m glad I saw it and, as you say, very funny and holds attention really well. |
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Post by jm25 on May 12, 2023 11:34:35 GMT
I thought this was fantastic. On the one hand it's a considered, nuanced examination of trauma and misogyny, but I'm hesitant to describe it exactly like that because it makes it sound heavier than it actually was. For all the seriousness of its subject matter, this is a story told with real heart - and it's genuinely very funny too. It's not necessarily perfect and it did veer towards the melodramatic at times, but I can forgive it those slight shortcomings because of how much I enjoyed it on the whole. I was concerned that there was going to be a lot of exposition with regard to the characters' backstories, however that wasn't the case at all. The slow revealing of the truth, layer by layer, was wonderful writing and I appreciated that the audience wasn't simply spoonfed. Like others have said on here, a couple of the staging elements in between scenes left me slightly perplexed, but I think I'd appreciate them more on a second viewing. There are lots of bright lights at various points, for example, but as the play goes on you can see that it uses light, and the language of lightness/darkness, in interesting ways. So, again, I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt on those points. The acting was universally excellent. Brid Brennan and Liz White were probably the two standouts, but I think Yazmin Kayani (who plays the granddaughter) has got a very bright future ahead. Quite the eventful performance tonight too. There was a talkback after the show which was very insightful, and there was a show stop right at the very end due to a medical incident. Not sure what happened but I do hope the person is okay. One of the conversations I heard during the show stop was quite something. Without wanting to get too much into the plot for those who haven't seen it, towards the end of the play there is a discussion about how the abuse of power must be called out at every level. Not just in the overt abuses that end up in courtrooms, but also the microaggressions we sadly see on a far more regular basis. One particular couple didn't seem to agree with that stance and bemoaned the fact that "everything has to be reported these days", even if "he didn't even do anything". ("He" in this instance being the unseen Mark Shaw character.) Not sure I've ever seen audience members miss the point quite so spectacularly before! But of course everyone is allowed their opinion... Needless to say, they didn't wait around for the play to resume! I’m glad at least that the audience are challenged, even if it doesn’t change the minds of some, and fascinating to see in person the reactions to it…..my quite sensitive husband (who I usually only take to quite lightweight funny theatre) was quite upset by it and said “I apologise for being part of the white male Patriarchy”….I’m glad I saw it and, as you say, very funny and holds attention really well. With plays/texts like this I always get the impression that the intention is not so much to point the finger but to raise awareness - so I hope he wasn’t too upset! As much as the women in the play were victims of the father/husband figure, they’re also victims of a society which is conditioned to accommodate unacceptable behaviour from those in positions of power. The only way that changes is to challenge the power structures which underpin it, and that only happens when people become aware of those structures and dynamics in the first place. So actually I think your husband’s reaction was a very sweet one! At least it shows that he’s really engaged with and acknowledged what the play was trying to say, even if it wasn’t necessarily comfortable. Whereas the couple I overheard yesterday were very dismissive of it, which I thought was a shame. |
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Post by david on May 13, 2023 16:26:59 GMT
The start of a double NT show day today with a visit to the Dorfman theatre this afternoon. Having struck lucky with the rush tickets last Friday I managed to grab a £10 front row ticket and I have to say sitting dead centre was ideal seeing both upstairs rooms without getting any neck strain and I felt I got value for my money with this show. It was certainly a slow burner of a play but an interesting and thought provoking piece of writing from Deborah Bruce that kept me engaged for the 90 minutes and allowed the audience to fill in the blanks themselves with some of the other characters particular plot threads. With the subject matter discussed, it was nice to have a bit of light relief with some bits of comedy interspersed within the writing to help lighten the mood.
A lovely house set design from Kat Heath was complimented with some nice bits of lighting and sound design from Paule Constable and Sinead Diskin made for a very atmospheric and a haunting piece. I certainly got more out if this lighting and sound design for atmosphere than was used in 2:22 A Ghost Story.
In relation to the cast, a strong cast of 6. Brid Brennan really was a great watch playing the Mother (a really complex character with long buried secrets) and Posy Sterling as Leigh and who was very much welcomed to provide a bit of light with comedy during the darker parts in the play and a complete contrasting character to the other ladies.
I got talking to two ladies sat next to me who said that for the £10 they each paid for the front they both said that it was a worthwhile afternoon for their first trips to the Dorfman.
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Post by Mark on May 17, 2023 20:42:38 GMT
Thought this was a really strong play and some really great acting. It really is a play that boils and boils before some truly damning revelations. I also thought the granddaughters story linked in really well. My only qualm is some of the “supernaturalist” transitions in the first half of the play.
Can definitely recommend. Was being filmed today, presumably for NT at Home.
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Post by mkb on Jun 4, 2023 17:47:59 GMT
Enjoyable would not be the word to describe this story of damaged souls. It's tightly written, and there are some good performances, especially from Brid Brennan, making for a worthwhile watch, but the script cannot hide its flaws.
Firstly, the unnecessary inclusion of supernatural elements is immediately alienating for more sensible minds who do not subscribe to such twaddle.
Secondly, the conflation of actual serious sexual abuse in one generation of the family with perceived abuse by the later generation that in truth may amount to no more than misread signals, or at worst ill-judged flirtation, is dangerous in my view. These are not the same thing, and to regard them as such devalues the horror of the first kind. I sensed a whiff of misandry about the piece.
Notwithstanding the above, the play has great merit in portraying the power of denial, of which we are all capable, and which defies any rational explanation. Four stars. One act: 19:31-21:02 (Seen Saturday 27 May) |
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