382 posts
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Post by stevemar on Jan 2, 2018 14:52:42 GMT
I saw this last week - the acting was very good, but I don't think the story holds up very well. I think I understand what the writer was trying to do, but everything felt a bit too forced, and the characters were thoroughly dislikeable. I realise their likeability is quite subjective, and there are many shows where you don't need to empathise with the characters, but this affected my enjoyment of the play. I just didn't really care what happened to them. The tension was reasonably built particularly with the music, but the dialogue was quite perfunctory. I think more could have been made of their backstory.
Having said that, perhaps my expectations were too high given that I had enjoyed James Norton in Bug and the claustrophobia and paranoia of his character came across well there (as well as being at very close quarters to him - this might make you jealous Ryan) and the wonderful performance Imogen Potts gave in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Both of those plays were 5* experiences, and perhaps it is unfair to compare - this was a solid 3 stars for me.
The gasps at one point of the story were quite amusing. And James Norton did look stunning (as usual...).
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76 posts
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Post by finalperformance on Jan 4, 2018 9:27:40 GMT
I returned two tickets for 8 December to a sold out performance and am still waiting for a credit card credit to my account. What gives ?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2018 9:29:27 GMT
I would suggest you'd have better luck contacting the box office with that question rather than a discussion board...
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831 posts
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Post by rumbledoll on Jan 4, 2018 12:08:52 GMT
I returned two tickets for 8 December to a sold out performance and am still waiting for a credit card credit to my account. What gives ? I returned a ticket to a sold out show too, then checked with bo and they saied they weren't able to sell it. Happened twice with Donmar so far so it looks like they are not even bothered to sell on somebody's behalf when they have their money already. |
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3,578 posts
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Post by showgirl on Jan 4, 2018 18:53:42 GMT
I returned one today & got an instant refund, but this was in person. I still want to see the play but my knee can't tolerate any more lurching around on rail replacement buses.
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831 posts
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Post by rumbledoll on Jan 5, 2018 7:42:43 GMT
The one I returned was in person as well..
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1,503 posts
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Post by foxa on Jan 5, 2018 9:08:23 GMT
This was sold out last night including standing room. Fairly early on - not long after the shirt removal scene referenced above by Ryan - there was a bit of a kerfuffle and two people left. It seemed a bit strange - someone wondered if they'd been caught taking photos. We liked this - Norton and Poots give terrific performances and your sympathies shift between them. The landlord and his wife add a lot to the tension of the piece. There were some genuinely frightening moments. However there was one plot point I found jarring. {Spoiler - click to view}
Could she really not know that he hadn't qualified as a doctor? I would very much recommend this - it really suits the intimacy of the Donmar - and, to me, at least, is much better than some of the lukewarm reviews suggested. It's one of those plays that you are discussing and unpacking for a long time afterwards. |
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547 posts
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Post by drmaplewood on Jan 5, 2018 9:21:23 GMT
I was at the matinee yesterday and the play was stopped around an hour in as a woman in the circle fainted (it was very warm tbf) though it was at a natural pause at the end of scene so didn't throw things too much.
Thought this was fine and Poots is great but have a lot of the reservations discussed above - I didn't care about the characters at all and foxa's spoiler jarred with me massively.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2018 10:41:47 GMT
Fairly early on - not long after the shirt removal scene referenced above by Ryan - there was a bit of a kerfuffle and two people left. It seemed a bit strange - someone wondered if they'd been caught taking photos. I'd like it to be made clear that I was not there last night. I was not taking photos of James Norton for my shrine. I was not thrown out by Vicky Featherstone. Honest guv'nor. |
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1,239 posts
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Post by nash16 on Jan 5, 2018 11:19:17 GMT
This was sold out last night including standing room. Fairly early on - not long after the shirt removal scene referenced above by Ryan - there was a bit of a kerfuffle and two people left. It seemed a bit strange - someone wondered if they'd been caught taking photos. We liked this - Norton and Poots give terrific performances and your sympathies shift between them. The landlord and his wife add a lot to the tension of the piece. There were some genuinely frightening moments. However there was one plot point I found jarring. {Spoiler - click to view}
Could she really not know that he hadn't qualified as a doctor? I would very much recommend this - it really suits the intimacy of the Donmar - and, to me, at least, is much better than some of the lukewarm reviews suggested. It's one of those plays that you are discussing and unpacking for a long time afterwards. We were there last night too, and sat near the two who left. From what my partner heard, one of them wasn't enjoying the play, so they decided to go. I thought this started well, nice chemistry between real-life couple Poots and Norton, but it lost it's way quite early on, in plausibility (for reasons you mentioned Foxa) and believability. Also didn't give a fig about the characters in it. The two supporting characters seemed to be red herrings ultimately. And Norton's final action was ridiculous as it didn't seem justified. I think strangely, considering the director, there's a better production of this play out there, where the issues being suffered by the two leads are mined more. Having said that, I don't think those issues are strong enough. He hasn't paid the rent and hasn't got a job. She's miserable in Paris. So? Poots having to go full frontal too...was that really necessary? Is it in the sccript does anyone know? it's like the author knew how to start her play, but didn't know where it was going or how to finish it, so it descended into a pretty poor melodrama. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2018 11:28:37 GMT
Fairly early on - not long after the shirt removal scene referenced above by Ryan - there was a bit of a kerfuffle and two people left. It seemed a bit strange - someone wondered if they'd been caught taking photos. I'd like it to be made clear that I was not there last night. I was not taking photos of James Norton for my shrine. I was not thrown out by Vicky Featherstone. Honest guv'nor. Or even Josie Rourke. It's too early. I haven't had my morning Gimlet yet. |
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Post by oldhasbeen on Jan 5, 2018 11:41:19 GMT
Is it me or is the Donmar's website a bit rubbish, especially the on-line booking?
Apart from some poor text visibility, it's very easy to get the impression there are no tickets left for anything if you start by looking for "Bellville" then try another play name. Very poor
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1,103 posts
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Post by mallardo on Jan 5, 2018 11:55:31 GMT
Is it me or is the Donmar's website a bit rubbish, especially the on-line booking? Apart from some poor text visibility, it's very easy to get the impression there are no tickets left for anything if you start by looking for "Bellville" then try another play name. Very poor
No, it's not just you. I've pretty much given up on the Donmar because of their awful online booking page.
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374 posts
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Post by popcultureboy on Jan 5, 2018 11:59:44 GMT
I returned a ticket to a sold out show too, then checked with bo and they saied they weren't able to sell it. Happened twice with Donmar so far so it looks like they are not even bothered to sell on somebody's behalf when they have their money already. I have to take issue with this. To say they are "not even bothered" is really unfair. I've returned tickets to the Donmar that haven't sold in the past. When I was talking to the box office about it, they said they get little to no on the day sales, as the general perception for years and years and years has been that it's impossible to get tickets and everything at the Donmar is always sold out, so people don't bother to check on the day for anything. I only ever give tickets back for re-sale as a last resort as there is never a guarantee somebody will buy them. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2018 14:17:53 GMT
I've been encouraged before now to send detailed feedback of the website to the box office team. I'm REALLY lazy about emails so I never got round to it, but their current system isn't particularly user-friendly, so it couldn't hurt for as many people who can be bothered to drop them a line explaining why.
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76 posts
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Post by finalperformance on Jan 5, 2018 14:27:30 GMT
I would suggest you'd have better luck contacting the box office with that question rather than a discussion board... |
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76 posts
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Post by finalperformance on Jan 5, 2018 14:29:12 GMT
I returned two tickets for 8 December to a sold out performance and am still waiting for a credit card credit to my account. What gives ? I returned a ticket to a sold out show too, then checked with bo and they saied they weren't able to sell it. Happened twice with Donmar so far so it looks like they are not even bothered to sell on somebody's behalf when they have their money already. |
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76 posts
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Post by finalperformance on Jan 5, 2018 14:31:20 GMT
I would suggest you'd have better luck contacting the box office with that question rather than a discussion board... I contacted box office and they lied and said the performance was not sold out.I found out there were people waiting for cancellations that night. |
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76 posts
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Post by finalperformance on Jan 5, 2018 14:33:34 GMT
Totally disgusted with Donmar Warehouse box office.A sold out performance and they claim no one bought my two return tickets.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2018 18:35:15 GMT
Totally disgusted with Donmar Warehouse box office.A sold out performance and they claim no one bought my two return tickets. Do you know that your tickets were re-sold - or are you presuming that they probably were and that the Donmar box office did not refund you? Or do you think that they just didn't let the returns queue know that there were returned tickets, and therefore failed to sell them on even though there were people queueing for returns? It's a strange one. I've returned tickets to sold out shows and been surprised to discover that nobody bought the ticket; sometimes the price of the ticket (at the NT for example) might have proved prohibitive as I think people in the returns queue are often bargain-hunters, and if there is a cheaper returned ticket to be had then they are more likely to go for that first. I've also returned tickets on the day for sold out shows and they have been resold and I have been refunded very quickly. It is galling to lose out - as I say, it has happened to me. |
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587 posts
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Post by Polly1 on Jan 5, 2018 18:44:04 GMT
I have twice (some time ago) returned tickets for sold out shows to the Donmar and not been refunded. I don't know the circumstances of course but it's odd it seems to happen at this theatre much more than any other. It has certainly made me a bit more wary of buying tickets but I guess they aren't concerned.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2018 19:03:59 GMT
Thought this was a pile of sh*t
Zero tension
Or
Excitement
Stupid plot
No interval to leave in
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1,239 posts
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Post by nash16 on Jan 5, 2018 23:12:55 GMT
Thought this was a pile of sh*t Zero tension Or Excitement Stupid plot No interval to leave in Yep. Pretty damn disappointing. Wonder if the Donmar chose it or Norton got to pick it? |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2018 23:31:24 GMT
Thought this was a pile of sh*t Zero tension Or Excitement Stupid plot No interval to leave in Yep. Pretty damn disappointing. Wonder if the Donmar chose it or Norton got to pick it? He is such a bland Actor Like a blank canvas The play is too stupid Neither a Comedy nor thriller Nor mystery It’s just weird And unsatisfying |
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385 posts
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Post by Ade on Jan 5, 2018 23:34:23 GMT
Saw this tonight. It had a handful of moments that felt like there was something decent lurking in the text but it just didn’t all hang together very well. Liked Poots, Norton was OK.
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