Allelujah! by Alan Bennett (Bridge Theatre)

Are we going to have singing and dancing too?

This is sounding very promising. Two of the History Boys, a couple of blasts from the past in Jeff Rawle and Julia Foster, and a character called Mrs Earnshaw. A hospital, a choir and a film crew... not to mention Arlene who might be resurrecting some of her Hot Gossip choreography (with roller skates?)...

What could possibly go wrong?

My bet is that this’ll be Alan Bennett’s last Big Bang!

Can’t wait.

I loved The Bridge as a dynamic, inclusive space (Julius Caesar). I wonder how relevant that will be to this production.

Oh that would be FABULOUS! I'd love to have a go at those electric heart panel things. CLEAR!

Love this idea. The age of most audiences at the NT would probably justify a full health check in the foyer option and a 'talk' before the show. Can’t wait.

You’d be lucky to get a plaster for a cut finger out of a medical
Insurance company let alone a free health check.

I’m not going to mid- August unfortunately - I don’t often do plays so interested to see what this is like.

Lots of £15 seats back for r/v Side Gallery 1 & £25 Side Gallery 2 for most dates.

Where abouts?

I ask where the seats are because their day seats seem to have been a bit variable, sometimes it's better to take their cheap seats from regular booking if they're available.

If helpful, my experience of the front row at the Bridge is good - the stage is fairly high but that only really matters if you've got a thing about feet - the view apart from that is excellent.

No, I'm not watching the football.

A very disappointing evening. The play has no real structure or focus. A series of short (television style) scenes, some rather embarrassing musical numbers and a few fairly funny but predictable jokes. Jeff Rawle and Gwen Taylor inject some quality into the acting but everybody else declaims their lines. Some of the dialogue scenes felt like a first read-through. Of course the pace may pick up over the next few performances but the play itself needs drastic cuts in a long first act - the only bit of plot advancement comes immediately before the interval. The direction is flaccid and the cavernous set destroys any sense of intimacy or, indeed, reality. Given the involvement of such fine artists as Bennett, Hytner and Crowley the whole thing feels shockingly am-dram.  Bennett's target is clearly Jeremy Hunt and his ilk but it's too easy and there is no sense of depth or insight in the argument. A dramatic, comedic look at the NHS today should be an interesting piece of theatre but, alas, this play is DOA.