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Post by mrnutz on Feb 9, 2024 9:06:55 GMT
Good
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Post by chameleon1 on Feb 9, 2024 10:21:09 GMT
'Another new play venue in a very very crowded market'
Seriously?
There is virtually nowhere for playwrights to get new plays read and produced, these days. Even playwrights with strings of previous successes are giving up and writing for TV instead.
Everywhere is on the edge of financial failure, no-one is prepared to take risks. And so most of what does get produced feels quite conservative, and often a bit dull..
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Post by aspieandy on Feb 9, 2024 10:32:42 GMT
There is virtually nowhere for playwrights to get new plays read and produced, these days. Even playwrights with strings of previous successes are giving up and writing for TV instead.
That's a bit like me giving up with my girlfriend and going off with Mini Driver instead. Streaming has been a gold rush. And that's just for development funding.
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Post by mrnutz on Feb 9, 2024 11:04:28 GMT
No surprise this professional contrarian is saying the opposite of what everyone else is thinking.
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1,503 posts
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Post by foxa on Feb 9, 2024 11:22:04 GMT
I always thought of the Young Vic as doing a mix of new writing, revivals and classics, regardless of what it's founding mission was. During (I think) Lan's regime there were very good classic productions like The Glass Menagerie and Faustus, with a mix of American plays and new writing. He was apparently particularly proud of bringing more dance, opera and music to the programming. During the recent leadership there were successful reworked classics like Twelfth Night, Death of a Salesman and the American transferred Oklahoma. I am not sure a theatre could run solely on the brief of classics to young audiences - also something that other theatres like the NT and Orange Tree do as part of their remit.
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7,176 posts
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Post by Jon on Feb 9, 2024 11:39:33 GMT
I always thought of the Young Vic as doing a mix of new writing, revivals and classics, regardless of what it's founding mission was. During (I think) Lan's regime there were very good classic productions like The Glass Menagerie and Faustus, with a mix of American plays and new writing. He was apparently particularly proud of bringing more dance, opera and music to the programming. During the recent leadership there were successful reworked classics like Twelfth Night, Death of a Salesman and the American transferred Oklahoma. I am not sure a theatre could run solely on the brief of classics to young audiences - also something that other theatres like the NT and Orange Tree do as part of their remit. The Roundabout Theatre Company in New York mainly does revivals but has branched out into new plays. I do think a theatre company that only does revivals would be very limiting.
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Post by Jan on Feb 9, 2024 11:55:32 GMT
No surprise this professional contrarian is saying the opposite of what everyone else is thinking. "Everyone else". Ha ha.
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Post by Jan on Feb 9, 2024 11:56:46 GMT
I always thought of the Young Vic as doing a mix of new writing, revivals and classics, regardless of what it's founding mission was. During (I think) Lan's regime there were very good classic productions like The Glass Menagerie and Faustus, with a mix of American plays and new writing. He was apparently particularly proud of bringing more dance, opera and music to the programming. During the recent leadership there were successful reworked classics like Twelfth Night, Death of a Salesman and the American transferred Oklahoma. I am not sure a theatre could run solely on the brief of classics to young audiences - also something that other theatres like the NT and Orange Tree do as part of their remit. The Roundabout Theatre Company in New York mainly does revivals but has branched out into new plays. I do think a theatre company that only does revivals would be very limiting. I wonder if it has ever been tried in UK within living memory ? The RSC under Adrian Noble came close.
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Post by aspieandy on Feb 9, 2024 12:14:45 GMT
No surprise this professional contrarian is saying the opposite of what everyone else is thinking. She's not contrarian. Akbar is adhering to the very particular socio-cultural narratives her employer requires.
If you don't conform, you go the way of Suzanne Moore, Hadley Freeman and many others.
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Post by Jan on Feb 9, 2024 12:35:27 GMT
Apart from Oklahoma! What was the biggest hit they had under KK ? Death of a Salesman ? I wonder if that was initiated by the YV or if Marianne Elliot just offered it to them because she needed a venue prior to the West End.
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Post by Dave B on Feb 9, 2024 12:36:42 GMT
Apart from Oklahoma! What was the biggest hit they had under KK ? Death of a Salesman ? I wonder if that was initiated by the YV or if Marianne Elliot just offered it to them because she needed a venue prior to the West End. Best of Enemies & The Collaboration must be up there.
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Post by aspieandy on Feb 9, 2024 12:43:37 GMT
Death of a Salesman eventually - covid-delayed - went to Broadway. Was always the plan, imo. Miller Estate heavily involved from the outset (daughter Rebecca and her whatshis face husband ..).
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Post by foxa on Feb 9, 2024 13:03:12 GMT
I suppose it depends on how you define success. I don't think transfers (and they had some of those) are the only way to define it. A play like The Convert, a flawed but interesting play by a writer new to me at least, got mainly 4 and 5 star reviews, had a great cast and I was glad I saw it. My daughter and I both thought Jesus Hopped the A Train was a theatre-going highlight of that year - beautifully directed and performed, with a richness of language you don't always see on the stage. I thought both of those were more interesting plays than Best of Enemies, which did transfer.
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Post by Jon on Feb 9, 2024 13:06:01 GMT
I suppose it depends on how you define success. I don't think transfers (and they had some of those) are the only way to define it. A play like The Convert, a flawed but interesting play by a writer new to me at least, got mainly 4 and 5 star reviews, had a great cast and I was glad I saw it. My daughter and I both thought Jesus Hopped the A Train was a theatre-going highlight of that year - beautifully directed and performed, with a richness of language you don't always see on the stage. I thought both of those were more interesting plays than Best of Enemies, which did transfer. I always think defining success by the number of transfers is flawed because a show might not transfer for a number of reasons.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Feb 9, 2024 14:38:36 GMT
Oklahoma, Best of enemies and Salesman - I'm sure would of all hit the West End without the young vics intervention. Just look at the names attached? Looking at some of the dregs currently playing in the westend is a transfer a sign of quality ? Not really but it's good for the coffers
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Post by zahidf on May 21, 2024 12:02:19 GMT
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Post by Jon on May 21, 2024 12:22:41 GMT
Nadia Fall seems like a solid choice, will be interesting who replaces her at Stratford East.
I find it interesting that recent AD appointments are also chief executives of the theatres themselves. I would have thought it would be better to have those roles separate.
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Post by zahidf on May 21, 2024 12:28:02 GMT
Nadia Fall seems like a solid choice, will be interesting who replaces her at Stratford East. I find it interesting that recent AD appointments are also chief executives of the theatres themselves. I would have thought it would be better to have those roles separate. Costs cutting?
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Post by parsley1 on May 21, 2024 12:39:30 GMT
Nadia Fall seems like a solid choice, will be interesting who replaces her at Stratford East. I find it interesting that recent AD appointments are also chief executives of the theatres themselves. I would have thought it would be better to have those roles separate. She isn’t David Lan I hope she does a better job than her time at Stratford
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Post by jek on May 21, 2024 12:51:54 GMT
It does seem like yesterday that Nadia Fall arrived in Stratford (where I live). Hopefully her production of Abigail's Party (September/October) will see her leaving with a big success on her hands.
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Post by n1david on May 21, 2024 13:53:45 GMT
I'm not sure how successful her time at Stratford was. She went there with a stated goal to change it from being a theatre focused primarily on the local community to one with a broader eye to becoming East London's equivalent of the Almeida or the Bush. It had been in financial difficulty and it needed a bit of a turnaround so she did change its artistic direction, smarten it up and increase its prices. It hasn't been on my radar much in the last few years. Good interview from The Stage when she was appointed at TRSE talking about her goals for the theatre, others can judge how successful she was (paywall): www.thestage.co.uk/features/theatre-royal-stratford-easts-nadia-fall-change-is-uncomfortable-but-you-have-to-reinvent-and-not-stagnate
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Post by zahidf on May 21, 2024 15:09:27 GMT
I'm not sure how successful her time at Stratford was. She went there with a stated goal to change it from being a theatre focused primarily on the local community to one with a broader eye to becoming East London's equivalent of the Almeida or the Bush. It had been in financial difficulty and it needed a bit of a turnaround so she did change its artistic direction, smarten it up and increase its prices. It hasn't been on my radar much in the last few years. Good interview from The Stage when she was appointed at TRSE talking about her goals for the theatre, others can judge how successful she was (paywall): www.thestage.co.uk/features/theatre-royal-stratford-easts-nadia-fall-change-is-uncomfortable-but-you-have-to-reinvent-and-not-stagnateI think she did well in a tough job, especially as it was (as all things) hurt badly by Covid
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Post by Jan on May 21, 2024 15:11:10 GMT
I’m neutral on her appointment. I’ve never seen anything she’s directed, or written, and nothing she’s programmed at Stratford has made me venture out there but based on her interviews she follows the recent trend of subsidised theatres slightly prioritising more mainstream commercial programming.
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Post by MrBunbury on Jun 12, 2024 15:57:41 GMT
The answer seems quite obvious, but does anyone knows if the Young Vic will be closed for two months over the summer? "Passing strange" closes on July 6th and "A face in the crowd" opens on September 10th. I don't remember the theatre being closed with nothing in its main stage for two months but maybe I am wrong.
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Post by Dave B on Jun 23, 2024 13:28:59 GMT
The answer seems quite obvious, but does anyone knows if the Young Vic will be closed for two months over the summer? "Passing strange" closes on July 6th and "A face in the crowd" opens on September 10th. I don't remember the theatre being closed with nothing in its main stage for two months but maybe I am wrong. It does seem likely. Passing Strange closing in two weeks, nothing on sale afterwards. An Exhibition going in the two smaller studios but nothing listed after July 20 until 10 September. Very odd.
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