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Post by showgirl on Nov 25, 2016 4:45:31 GMT
I'm tempted to start a parallel thread entitled "Revivals NOT Wanted" or "Please, No More"! Shakespeare will remain a perennial and many other dramatists' work comes round like buses, i.e. nothing for a while, then two or more productions overlapping or following swiftly upon one another.
However, to return to the point, I'd really like to see some more early/mid 20th century classics such as occasionally done by the NT, CFT or smaller houses such as the Finborough and Orange Tree. Thinking lesser-known Rattigan, Coward, Maugham, Priestley, etc - or, as CFT did very successfully last year, a stage version of a novel from this period. That said, there is hope, as one such work (Sheppey, by Somerset Maugham) is now previewing at the Orange Tree and the Old Red Lion is doing a more obscure Priestley, though unfortunately from my viewpoint, it seems to be a horror story or marketed as one.
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Post by foxa on Nov 25, 2016 9:31:30 GMT
Some really good suggestions. I wouldn't mind some more Restoration Comedy or maybe Neil Simon either. And I've only read Raisin in the Sun and never seen it, so that too. Also maybe some Lanford Wilson ('Burn This', 'Balm in Gilead', '5th of July') Maybe some Victorian stuff that you read about but is almost never done like 'The Bells' or ' Easy Lynne.' They probably haven't aged well, but possibly 'Black Comedy' or 'The Real Inspector Hound.' Of course, I meant 'East Lynne' - though Easy Lynne would be great title for another sort of play, Like Showgirl's suggestion of early 20th century stuff. It feels like there should be some undiscovered gems there. |
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Post by profquatermass on Nov 25, 2016 11:42:16 GMT
I remember Black Comedy / Real Inspector Hound with Desmond Barrit and a not-yet-famous David Tennant. I think it would go down really well with the Play that Goes Wrong/Noises Off audience.
I'd like to see more Victorian theatre that isn't Wilde or Pinero. Dunno what but I guess that's the point - there must be loads out there we have no idea about
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Post by Jan on Nov 25, 2016 20:54:41 GMT
I remember Black Comedy / Real Inspector Hound with Desmond Barrit and a not-yet-famous David Tennant. I think it would go down really well with the Play that Goes Wrong/Noises Off audience. I'd like to see more Victorian theatre that isn't Wilde or Pinero. Dunno what but I guess that's the point - there must be loads out there we have no idea about You omitted to mention the tedious old windbag Shaw. Melodrama was very popular in the Victorian era. The Orange Tree did a few a while back - they weren't much good. |
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Post by bordeaux on Nov 25, 2016 21:34:26 GMT
Yes, there is presumably an interesting thesis to be written about why there wasn't a great play written in English between Sheridan's The Critic, 1779, and Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession, 1893. A hundred-year drought. Many of the Romantics had a go, but none of their plays has lasted.
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Post by martin1965 on Nov 25, 2016 22:15:54 GMT
I remember Black Comedy / Real Inspector Hound with Desmond Barrit and a not-yet-famous David Tennant. I think it would go down really well with the Play that Goes Wrong/Noises Off audience. I'd like to see more Victorian theatre that isn't Wilde or Pinero. Dunno what but I guess that's the point - there must be loads out there we have no idea about You omitted to mention the tedious old windbag Shaw. Melodrama was very popular in the Victorian era. The Orange Tree did a few a while back - they weren't much good. Bit harsh Jan! I saw the Philanderer and quite liked it. He is after Shakey the most performed playwright in the english language. |
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Post by lynette on Nov 25, 2016 22:46:26 GMT
Yes, there is presumably an interesting thesis to be written about why there wasn't a great play written in English between Sheridan's The Critic, 1779, and Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession, 1893. A hundred-year drought. Many of the Romantics had a go, but none of their plays has lasted. Note, both Irish writers as the best attempts in between and most of the best since. |
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Post by d'James on Nov 26, 2016 2:47:06 GMT
I'd love some Ionesco. I've only seen one of his plays in English and would like to see more. I know they don't lend themselves to a broadience (TM d'James 2016) but they are interesting. Of course, if anyone asks me to reprise my role as Mary in La Cantatrice Chauve then I would leap ungainlily at the chance. (I know it in French, give me a little while to learn it English before you summon me to your stage.)
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Post by showgirl on Nov 26, 2016 5:07:44 GMT
You omitted to mention the tedious old windbag Shaw. Melodrama was very popular in the Victorian era. The Orange Tree did a few a while back - they weren't much good. I too disagree re Shaw; I've seen some vary enjoyable productions of many of his plays at a variety of theatres, and the most popular works come round quite often, perhaps as tours (e.g. Mrs Warren's Profession). I've generally liked Orange Tree versions except for the last which included one glaring instance of miscasting and I recently enjoyed Arms And The Man, which is less frequently seen, at Watford Palace. I'll certainly see anything by Shaw which I haven't already seen. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2016 9:48:31 GMT
Sheppey by Somerset Maugham is running at the Orange Tree.
Trouble in Mind by Alice Childress and starring Tanya Moodie is at Theatre Royal Bath's Ustinov Studio.
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Post by martin1965 on Nov 26, 2016 9:54:22 GMT
I'd love some Ionesco. I've only seen one of his plays in English and would like to see more. I know they don't lend themselves to a broadience (TM d'James 2016) but they are interesting. Of course, if anyone asks me to reprise my role as Mary in La Cantatrice Chauve then I would leap ungainlily at the chance. (I know it in French, give me a little while to learn it English before you summon me to your stage.) Amedee is on at Birmingham Rep next year, which is to say the least an interesting choice for that venue! |
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Post by martin1965 on Nov 26, 2016 9:57:29 GMT
You omitted to mention the tedious old windbag Shaw. Melodrama was very popular in the Victorian era. The Orange Tree did a few a while back - they weren't much good. I too disagree re Shaw; I've seen some vary enjoyable productions of many of his plays at a variety of theatres, and the most popular works come round quite often, perhaps as tours (e.g. Mrs Warren's Profession). I've generally liked Orange Tree versions except for the last which included one glaring instance of miscasting and I recently enjoyed Arms And The Man, which is less frequently seen, at Watford Palace. I'll certainly see anything by Shaw which I haven't already seen. Ooh presume you mean Philanderer? What did you think was the miscasting? I enjoyed it. |
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Post by Jan on Nov 26, 2016 17:14:25 GMT
Yes, there is presumably an interesting thesis to be written about why there wasn't a great play written in English between Sheridan's The Critic, 1779, and Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession, 1893. A hundred-year drought. Many of the Romantics had a go, but none of their plays has lasted. How about "Money" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton 1840 ? |
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Post by lynette on Nov 26, 2016 20:23:08 GMT
Yes, there is presumably an interesting thesis to be written about why there wasn't a great play written in English between Sheridan's The Critic, 1779, and Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession, 1893. A hundred-year drought. Many of the Romantics had a go, but none of their plays has lasted. How about "Money" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton 1840 ? I think it is tough for an era to compete with Willie and his mates and I don't think any has until twentieth century Irish, English and American drama has created a new energy and depth despite the overwhelming power of the movies. Maybe the French lot did something but sadly we don't see enough of them. |
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Post by Jan on Nov 26, 2016 20:51:42 GMT
How about "Money" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton 1840 ? I think it is tough for an era to compete with Willie and his mates and I don't think any has until twentieth century Irish, English and American drama has created a new energy and depth despite the overwhelming power of the movies. Maybe the French lot did something but sadly we don't see enough of them. There are a lot of plays in that era, Ibsen for example, Strindberg and other Scandinavian writers, many Russian plays, and French, and Irish - just no good English ones. You could argue it's the greatest era since Shakespeare (the end of it anyway). |
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Post by profquatermass on Nov 26, 2016 21:17:22 GMT
Yes, there is presumably an interesting thesis to be written about why there wasn't a great play written in English between Sheridan's The Critic, 1779, and Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession, 1893. A hundred-year drought. Many of the Romantics had a go, but none of their plays has lasted. I agree with Jan Brock that Money is a great play. Also the Magistrate and Dandy Dick (Pinero) are great fun. London Assurance is very funny so I assume other plays by Di Boucicault are also worth seeing (isn't someone doing The Octoroon soon?). But it's a huge assumption that there are no great plays of the period because they don't get revived |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2016 21:50:23 GMT
I think the theatre of today is a golden age, the best it's been in my lifetime and with young theatremakers showing more promise and achievement than ever. Just compare them with Ronald Harwood, for example!
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Post by DuchessConstance on Nov 27, 2016 10:07:26 GMT
John Lithgow did the Magistrate at the NT a few years ago, and it was one of the most fun evenings I'd ever spent there.
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Post by bordeaux on Nov 27, 2016 10:41:08 GMT
Yes, there is presumably an interesting thesis to be written about why there wasn't a great play written in English between Sheridan's The Critic, 1779, and Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession, 1893. A hundred-year drought. Many of the Romantics had a go, but none of their plays has lasted. How about "Money" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton 1840 ? I'm not sure I'd describe it as 'great'. Very good, certainly, a very enjoyable evening at the theatre (the John Caird NT production with SRB, Roger Allam and others was wonderful). |
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Post by bordeaux on Nov 27, 2016 10:43:56 GMT
I'd love to see some more John Guare - Six Degrees of Separation can't be the only great thing he wrote. The amazing-sounding 'Four Baboons Adoring the Sun' and 'Bosoms and Neglect', anyone know if the plays live up to the titles?
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Post by profquatermass on Nov 27, 2016 10:52:30 GMT
How about "Money" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton 1840 ? I'm not sure I'd describe it as 'great'. Very good, certainly, a very enjoyable evening at the theatre (the John Caird NT production with SRB, Roger Allam and others was wonderful). The I thought it was great and it was consistently revived for at least 70 years. Just because a play isn't performed very often isn't a sign that it isn't very good (some of Shakespeare's plays weren't performed for a century or more). But Victorian theatre was different from ours - people didn't expect to spend a whole evening seeing one play. Dickens would go to a farce at one theatre, then go next door for a melodrama, sometimes seeing three plays in one night. Irving's bit hit, The Bells, only lasts about 40 minutes. Some of these are great (there was a fun evening of Victorian farces at Wiltons at Wiltons a couple of years ago) but it's not the style of theatre we're accustomed to. |
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Post by Jan on Nov 27, 2016 10:54:55 GMT
I'm not sure I'd describe it as 'great'. Very good, certainly, a very enjoyable evening at the theatre (the John Caird NT production with SRB, Roger Allam and others was wonderful). The I thought it was great and it was consistently revived for at least 70 years. Just because a play isn't performed very often isn't a sign that it isn't very good (some of Shakespeare's plays weren't performed for a century or more). But Victorian theatre was different from ours - people didn't expect to spend a whole evening seeing one play. Dickens would go to a farce at one theatre, then go next door for a melodrama, sometimes seeing three plays in one night. Irving's bit hit, The Bells, only lasts about 40 minutes. Some of these are great (there was a fun evening of Victorian farces at Wiltons at Wiltons a couple of years ago) but it's not the style of theatre we're accustomed to. The Orange Tree also did an evening of three Victorian farces a few years ago and they were interesting rather than enjoyable. |
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Post by lynette on Nov 27, 2016 11:27:06 GMT
I think it is tough for an era to compete with Willie and his mates and I don't think any has until twentieth century Irish, English and American drama has created a new energy and depth despite the overwhelming power of the movies. Maybe the French lot did something but sadly we don't see enough of them. There are a lot of plays in that era, Ibsen for example, Strindberg and other Scandinavian writers, many Russian plays, and French, and Irish - just no good English ones. You could argue it's the greatest era since Shakespeare (the end of it anyway). I meant that. No English except the Irish! |
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Post by martin1965 on Nov 27, 2016 12:37:20 GMT
I'd love to see some more John Guare - Six Degrees of Separation can't be the only great thing he wrote. The amazing-sounding 'Four Baboons Adoring the Sun' and 'Bosoms and Neglect', anyone know if the plays live up to the titles? Think he one of those american writers who dont 'translate' well here. Neil Simon, Lanford Wilson and to an extent August Wilson, are other examples. You only have to look at the programming of a lot of US theatres and there are loads of writers we never hear of |
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Post by Jan on Nov 27, 2016 17:06:51 GMT
How about "Money" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton 1840 ? I'm not sure I'd describe it as 'great'. Very good, certainly, a very enjoyable evening at the theatre (the John Caird NT production with SRB, Roger Allam and others was wonderful). I wouldn't describe The Critic and Mrs Warren's Profession as great either but those were the two plays defining this dead era for English playwrights. Money is the only English play I've seen in that gap apart from Victorian melodramas and one-act farces. |
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