Lehman Trilogy - NT / Gillian Lynne

I am so impatient that I have downloaded the Pizza Express app. You ask for the bill and pay on the app then rather awkwardly shout "I've paid" whilst tapping manically on your phone before leaving.


I forgot to mention Brasserie Blanc, if you sign up to their mailing list you can get 20% off and regular offers. The NT just have no clue. I would rather it was a cake and coffee place.

Delaunay is lovely but on Aldwych. My children would do a Donald Trump on me if I tried to walk with them to the National in time for a show.




news.sky.com/video/awkward-moment-trump-stops-in-front-of-queen-11436986

Hmm. For me, this was good, but not without its flaws.

I found that, unlike a few recent plays, the 3+ hour runtime really dragged in moments, especially towards the end. I think this was down to the fact that, while apparently about Lehman Brothers the company, the play was really interested in Lehman brothers the family.

This family-focus meant that the play only glanced on some points (e.g. What it meant to be funding the cotton plantations wasn't dealt with much outside of the mechanics). Similarly, the play reached a natural climax at the end of the 'Lehman family' portion of the story (and some audience members clapped at this point). After that, as the play moved towards the 2008 financial crash, and end of the company, it actually got less interesting, ending on a bit of a whimper, rather than the exhilaration of the surreal (if overlong) dance number marking a Lehman family member's death.

It took a while to get used to the audiobook approach to the acting, as well as just having 3 actors. Ultimately though, I thought this style generally worked well, and meshed nicely with the live piano accompaniment. A moment when the pianist became crossed the boundary into the story was inspired. The acting was largely good, but IMO there were a couple of issues; (a) a key moment near the end with Adam Godley giving a speech about the digital age in sunglasses just screamed 'Agent Smith chewing the scenery in The Matrix', especially with the scrolling numbers digital backdrop. (b) a bigger problem was that, while it was exciting to see 3 great actors taking on a variety of roles, all of the non-male roles got the audience laughing. I don't know if this was intended, but it was a shame that even 'straight' female parts had the audience chuckling.

All in all, a solid four stars. Good, and I am glad to have seen it, but given the talent I was hoping for something more.

I agree to some extent. It would have been nice to elevate one or two female characters and casting a woman would have done that I suppose. But the story is of its time when the gals were the power very much behind the throne. The idea of the three you mention, xanderl, is delicious.

Perhaps it needs a companion piece - the Lehman Wives.

I absolutely loved this, but now you’ve all raised the point – yes, the women are completely one dimensional caricatures, possibly due to the fact that the blokes are having great fun doing them rather than actually delving into the characters (reminds me of a one man Macbeth I once saw in which he played every female character like Les Dawson doing Cissie and Ada). And yes, if it’s three actors doing a cast of thousands regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, etc, why did all three have to be white middle aged men? Thanks for ruining it for me, people…
 

The standard of acting is excellent though, and it’s wonderfully written and staged. Though now I think about it, it’s a totally male perspective – particularly Bobbie’s wife, who doesn’t have any presence beyond what he sees.



Disagree that not showing the final crash is a problem – it would have felt like a noddy spoonfeeding thing to me to include it; the hints to it at the beginning and end were much more effective, and in between those you got the meat of the story.



Loved the dancing, loved, SRB being the young Philip, loved the focus on immigrant progress and how much is remembered/forgotten from generation to generation, loved the way that the (male) characters were so distinct even though only three actors were doing it all. Hugely recommended.

Particularly since the bank (before it closed) did admit links with the slave trade:


Bank admits its founders bought slave




Also from USA Today in 2002

I thought this was fine - enjoyable while it lasted but not much more. Didn't join in the standing ovation at the end. Good performances, especially Adam Godley. Strong direction. In lesser hands it could've been quite confusing/ not as effective. But, really, I wanted it to have more of a Headlong effect. Thought the writing was OK but the play lacked its own style/ identity. I think Michael Frayn was sat on the front row.

Curious to know now! Anyone read Italian?!