Allelujah! by Alan Bennett (Bridge Theatre)

"A bit of a rum do" this as they say in Yorkshire. More thoughts later...……..

So …. I know you have all been waiting with baited breath to hear my thoughts on this! No? Well, here they are anyway.

A packed (very middle class) audience were full of anticipation before the play at attending a performance of a new Alan Bennett play. The first 15 minutes went very well with an attentive audience laughing in all the right places, although for me I was distinctly uncomfortable laughing at elderly people with incontinence issues (and my sense of humour is far from PC). Northern towns seemed to get big laughs for no apparent reason. I can assure readers that there is nothing remotely funny about Barnsley!

The a lot of silence fell on the audience as the play began to meander. I felt this was due to the lack of pace and attack throughout. Old people can be slow, but other members of the cast seem to take a lead from this and a lack of a strong narrative drive. The man next but one to me fell asleep, woke up occasionally during the play, laughed loudly and then promptly nodded off again!

A great ending to Act One though which sent the audience out to the interval happy.

Act Two descended into lecturing and preaching with characters breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the audience which they found distinctly uncomfortable. "I don't need a lecture on immigration" said one lady on the way out! The applause was polite at the end (a few stood) but the mood had sank. Perhaps this was Bennetts intention?

An impressive large luxury cast (who must be very grateful for the work) but I found it sad to see such people as Nicola Hughes (Caroline or Change, Porgy and Bess, The Color Purple, Ain't Misbehavin' and Blues in the Night) wasted in this with nothing to do. Amateur Dramatic Societies are going to love this play when it is released, I can see someone selling it to the play selection committee - "there are lots of parts for the elderly ladies of the group". 

Award winning Bob Crowley wasn't stretched with this set - simply sliding panels which moved rather quicker than the dialogue.

Nick Hytner needed to inject some pace into the production and my heart went out to Arlene Phillips who had to get the elderly cast to move in some sort of synchronicity in the (too?) many musical interludes - a long way from her heyday choreographing Hot Gossip! How she must wish she was still on Strictly!

But a lovely theatre in a splendid location with a fabulous view of Tower Bridge - very friendly staff and a short hop to London Bridge Station! Plus a centre stalls rush ticket for £20 - a bargain! 

Does the play get the wickedgrin recommend? No.

So... I saw this yesterday afternoon. I enjoyed it, the play itself is not without flaws, and it quickly became obvious why the reviews and the word-of-mouth on it are all over the place. The performances are excellent, and while the writing (as I said) is not without flaws, the Act One curtain is a knockout.

I agree that when understudies go on there should be an announcement and signs in the foyer. However, having seen the show, Colin Haigh is a non-speaking character who appears as part of the ensemble of elderly patients, so you won't have missed any of the text, and the only change would have been one less 'body' in those group scenes.

From what I remember, notices about understudies etc. are stuck on the right hand wall right at the back of the foyer level (someone was not on when I went to see Julius Caesar there).

Good news on the seating, less so on the Production.

Seeing it in a few weeks time, expectations reduced, £15 not that great an investment even if I come away disappointed, going through a phase where I enjoy the less favourably reviewed and been disappointed by the popular ones so who knows.

Thought this was perfectly fine yesterday afternoon - yes, Bennett is perhaps a bit scattergun in his targets, and some of the characters are closer to caricatures, but both Mrs A and I (who have had parents going through the care system in recent years) had much to think about afterwards. It is worth reading his introduction to the play in the programme - gives a lot of useful context to the play and his way of writing. Simon Williams in particular is a joy to watch as he reacts to what's going on around him.

And if only I'd known - but somewhere in the ten or so sets to our left in row A was TheatreMonkey!

And large, distinctive ones at that, obviously we would take them off for all performances 

Hats v. in, I’m told.

First time at the Bridge Theatre last night. My main impression with the clientele, it's a theatre intended for those who find the National Theatre too downmarket.

Sat in the Stalls towards the rear (rush ticket). It's a good view due to the rake and you could hear most of the cast. Only thing that put me off was the strong BO from the chap sitting next to me, but that isn't the fault of the theatre.

I thought this was excellent. A very sharply observed black comedy and it was incredible to think there was an all star cast hidden away with such tiny roles.

Some very witty lines, even if many of the audience clearly only picked up on the "let's laugh at the funny old people dancing". I thought the plot was rather predictable, but there was a big gasp at the Act One reveal (a rather slow continued gasp as the penny dropped and people stopped laughing), so it worked. And being predictable doesn't stop it having a good book.

The use of music and the discussion about how this gets through to dementia sufferers was clever. I'm sure lots of people have experience of this from their own friends and relatives.

And the whole social commentary on public sector targets and the compromises needed to meet them just works. I can see this easily becoming a set text at GCSE.

This may not be the most commercially successful Bennett. I can't see it performing so well internationally (even in the time of Trump, would Americans get the subtleties?) and it may date quickly. But it is an excellent play for now. And, as I think someone mentioned earlier in the thread, amateur theatre groups will have a ball putting this on and giving some interesting parts to members of their company who are usually neglected (perhaps like patients themselves).