173 posts
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Post by paplazaroo on Jan 11, 2018 12:52:20 GMT
Yeah I'd agree with most of the posters that this was a bit slight and unfocused. I did enjoy the story about the bunker but I think they missed a trick at the end, was expecting the Dr to say, 'so are you going to build a bunker now?' and the mob to laugh at the idea. I guess it's an entertaining enough evening out but I wouldn't rush to it. I'm assuming Washburn is hoping to get lots of productions at regional companies here and abroad and make a bit of money that way as it's the sort of thing that will pull an audience just on nostalgia factor
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60 posts
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Post by skullion on Jan 20, 2018 20:05:21 GMT
I saw it this afternoon, fine as far as it went, again only paid £10 for a restricted view seat behind a pillar but didn't feel I missed anything. Two ladies approaching the 'living legend' time of life either side of me didn't come back for the second half, don't know if that was to do with me, the play or both. Have to admit it did briefly cross my mind to leave at half time which isn't something I would normally do. Don't know if not being very familiar with the original series affected my enjoyment or not but it didn't really grab me. I was glad I stayed to the end but I don't think anyone who passes on this one is going to miss a great deal.
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1,347 posts
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Post by tmesis on Jan 21, 2018 8:30:36 GMT
At the start I thought I was going to really enjoy this. I'm old enough to remember watching the original tv series and I thought the opening scene captured the feel of that well both regarding the look and the acting style. I think it would have been better to go for a complete send up of the genre and play it more for laughs; they didn't - it was merely mildly ironic, so I was not very engaged with it and, by the end, bored and nodding off. There was a tiresome, unfunny 'gag' about cigarettes and also not being able, until the very end, of uttering the phrase 'the twilight zone', but it all could have been much more engaging.
I've seen about ten different operatic productions by Richard Jones over the years and liked very few of them. This was my first experience of 'straight' theatre from him and, for me, it hasn't enhanced his reputation.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2018 8:40:50 GMT
I enjoyed this - I thought the shifts in tone were fine as they reflected the various types of story the show would do.
I watch a lot of archive TV, however not seen a single episode of The Twilight Zone since (I think) Channel 4 repeated it in the late 80s. So an odd choice of show to base this on (my understanding is this was commissioned by the Almeida?) as the original series isn't that well known over here. Did occur to me they would have been better off basing it on Tales of the Unexpected then I remembered that was done a few years ago!
The cigarette thing is presumably a reference to the fact the show was sponsored by Chesterfield Cigarettes in the US - although of course the sponsorship segments wouldn't have been shown over here.
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3,040 posts
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Post by crowblack on Jan 21, 2018 10:48:29 GMT
I don't think anyone who passes on this one is going to miss a great deal. I'm glad to hear that! I had train tickets from Liverpool booked a while ago and switched from this to a return ticket for My Mum's a Tw*t instead, which I really enjoyed. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2018 12:21:23 GMT
Saw this las night and took my dad who was a fan of the show and sci-if. Overall I enjoyed it and thought it wasn't a nice fun show that at some points was quite thought provoking. Not too familiar with the show so was nice for it to be new.Liked the set and staging of it especially the black and white tone and the transitions between scenes that see quite funny. The cast were all very good at the multi rolling and had distinct different characters. Found all the stories engaging and the bunker story was very thought provoking for me( after it I had a dream that there was a bomb about to go off and we were sitting waiting ). My dad and I both enjoyed it and I can see why it was not some people's cup of tea.
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39 posts
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Post by pochard on Jan 25, 2018 18:34:00 GMT
I also saw this last night, as I have a real affection for the original series & also The Outer Limits (which I remember watching late at night on BBC2 as a teenager.) I took my 17 year old daughter who was mainly baffled by it - I think you do need to be a fan of the TV show to really get something out of it. She did enjoy the Shelter story as that felt quite contemporary for her. I agree with theodorebass that I wasn't sure what tone they were going for - it wasn't quite funny enough or quite scary enough. However , I did love the look of the opening scene and the starry decor, and I liked the cast; the key was not to have too high expectations and for me it was a show to see around christmas time (because I hate pantos.) I saw Network the night before and still didn't think the Almeida trip was a waste of time, so it must have had something. Or at least something for me.
And I was rather fascinated by Mr Burns, but not sure I'd want to sit through it again!
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754 posts
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Post by Latecomer on Jan 25, 2018 19:48:05 GMT
I am fonder of this one the more I look back on it! At the time I wasn't sure what I thought of it....certainly it hadn't grabbed me by the interval but I thought the second half (and the bunker in particular) was much stronger...plus you sort of knew what to expect, format wise, by then, and it did create its own "atmosphere" and feel by the end. And it was a treat seeing Marquez in his various roles!  Much like the stories, it had something about it, but exactly what it was is a mystery! |
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2,496 posts
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Post by zahidf on Oct 8, 2018 9:02:55 GMT
Surprise transfer
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2018 9:15:45 GMT
Yes, wasn't expecting this!
Ambassadors Theatre from 4th March to 1st June
Top price tickets for previews are £25 (up to 11th March)
Front row of the stalls is £19.50 for the later dates and is on sale. Back of stalls also £19.50.
£2.50 booking fee at the Ambassador's website but some tickets (including half the front row) available from the Almeida website, which has no booking fee.
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1,347 posts
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Post by tmesis on Oct 8, 2018 9:46:45 GMT
Really surprised - I wasn't engaged by this at all.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2018 10:00:35 GMT
I resisted this at the time as I was having an anti-Almeida moment, but I may crumble for £25 preview tickets. I never go to the West End, it will be quite a treat!
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1,243 posts
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Post by nash16 on Oct 8, 2018 10:06:27 GMT
This I am gonna die a death. It just didn't work onstage.
What are they thinking?
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2,496 posts
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Post by zahidf on Oct 8, 2018 10:06:47 GMT
Really surprised - I wasn't engaged by this at all.
Apparently, according to Goold, half of the audience for it were first time buyers for the almeida, so there is a commercial demand for it
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2018 10:09:27 GMT
It was okay but it did something I don't usually like, which is to send up the material (and that would seem to be from the direction rather than the play). Take it seriously and it would be much more effective.
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4,993 posts
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Post by Someone in a tree on Oct 8, 2018 10:28:44 GMT
Is any Richard Jones production commercial ?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2018 10:58:21 GMT
It was okay but it did something I don't usually like, which is to send up the material (and that would seem to be from the direction rather than the play). Take it seriously and it would be much more effective. I'm with the Cardinal. It was fine, but it could have been much better. Still, I do hope it finds its audience and doesn't have to shutter early! |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2018 10:59:50 GMT
I never go to the West End, it will be quite a treat! Just to manage your expectations - the Ambassadors Theatre is a right old dump! There's a new Twilight Zone TV series coming in 2019 so I wonder if this is timed to tie in with that. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2018 11:07:06 GMT
I never go to the West End, it will be quite a treat! Just to manage your expectations - the Ambassadors Theatre is a right old dump! There's a new Twilight Zone TV series coming in 2019 so I wonder if this is timed to tie in with that. Oh dear. £12 for a glass of vinegar? That's my abiding memory of the last time I ventured into the West End... |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2018 11:10:31 GMT
Ambassadors only sells wine in those nasty little airplane-style bottles. On the other had this has (I think) no interval so get a drink elsewhere!
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1,972 posts
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Post by sf on Oct 8, 2018 11:15:05 GMT
Ambassadors only sells wine in those nasty little airplane-style bottles. On the other had this has (I think) no interval so get a drink elsewhere!
It had an interval at the Almeida.
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1,972 posts
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Post by sf on Oct 8, 2018 11:20:38 GMT
It was okay but it did something I don't usually like, which is to send up the material (and that would seem to be from the direction rather than the play). Take it seriously and it would be much more effective. I'm with the Cardinal. It was fine, but it could have been much better. Still, I do hope it finds its audience and doesn't have to shutter early!
I liked it, and some elements of it - particularly the design - are very good indeed. The biggest problem for me was that the monologue at the end of the second act that was supposed to bring it all together just didn't work at all (and it wasn't the actor's fault), which left me feeling I'd spent two hours watching Eight Plotlines In Search Of a Point. It was all - until the last few minutes - very entertaining, but it seemed as if Ms. Washburn had something more ambitious in mind in terms of using these stories about fear and paranoia as a reflection of where we are in 2018, and I didn't think she quite got to where she was trying to take it.
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1,503 posts
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Post by foxa on Oct 8, 2018 11:35:46 GMT
Funny, I was thinking about this show the other day. 'The Twilight Zone' does fit with the zeitgeist, I reckon (I notice a small fringe theatre has commissioned a couple of evenings of 'Twilight Hour' shorts so there's something in the air.)
I quite liked it when I saw it (I just went back and re-read my review on this thread to see if I wasn't misremembering) but my impression was that a lot of the reaction was lukewarm. I hope they've tightened it up a bit.
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1,260 posts
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Post by theatrelover123 on Oct 8, 2018 13:26:25 GMT
Ambassadors only sells wine in those nasty little airplane-style bottles. On the other had this has (I think) no interval so get a drink elsewhere!
It had an interval at the Almeida.
Yes it definitely had an interval at the Almeida because that is when I chose to escape  |
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2,496 posts
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Post by zahidf on Oct 8, 2018 13:28:44 GMT
I thought it was ok, well designed, but wasn't really blown away. I doubt i'll bother watching it a second time
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