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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2018 9:20:06 GMT
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Post by kathryn on Apr 24, 2018 9:31:14 GMT
Honestly quite excited by that season. I think I'm actually going to be booking it as soon as tickets go on sale - which I haven't done for a while!
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Post by zahidf on Apr 24, 2018 9:32:37 GMT
I've not been to the donmar for a while, but i'll book for that measure for measure, sounds interesting. I like to see Atwell plays Angelo.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2018 9:38:55 GMT
Oooh I loved 'The Aristocats' when I was small. "Everybody wants to be a cat . . tra la lee". I hope there will be some leg warmers on stage.
And I'm getting rather tired of this actors switching roles malarky. It's not big. It's not clever. It's not funny. I blame you Juliet Stevenson, with your coin and your ruff.
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Post by NeilVHughes on Apr 24, 2018 9:43:36 GMT
Both the National and Donmar Friends booking opening on the 3rd May, an expensive day coming up with the added complexity of travelling to Manchester to see The Cherry Orchard that day.
Would like to see both versions of Measure for Measure, hope the casting is communicated beforehand rather than selected on the day, not keen on seeing the play twice on the same day if they follow the Mary Stuart format at the Almeida for two show days.
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Post by vdcni on Apr 24, 2018 9:50:56 GMT
Is the Measure To Measure a two version thing though - they say they alternate roles within every performance. That sounds like they both play both roles at different points in the production.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2018 9:56:56 GMT
More on Measure for Measure in the Guardian Vdcni is correct - So I guess something like the first half is set in 1604 with the roles the "traditional" way round then after the interval we're in 2018 with the genders swapped? |
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Post by crowblack on Apr 24, 2018 10:00:59 GMT
Yay, David Dawson - I was wondering what had happened to him! I presume he's in the just-filmed series 3 of The Last Kingdom, which the BBC dropped but was taken up by Netflix (the BBC seem to have a death wish).
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Post by NeilVHughes on Apr 24, 2018 10:15:55 GMT
Thanks vdcni and @xanderl for the clarification, simplifies the booking process and saves me some money. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2018 10:21:48 GMT
The amount I'm looking forward to Measure for Measure is inversely proportional to the amount I'm looking forward to the inevitable circular conversations about the casting gimmick that will definitely bear some resemblance to conversations we've had on here countless times before.
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Post by MrBunbury on Apr 24, 2018 10:48:53 GMT
Oh the deep joy of having to negotiate the Donmar booking system for the second time in a couple of months. Why couldn't they have staged two plays I didn't want to see, for a change? Really! I was actually thinking: "Oh, I am not going to see Measure for measure because it is not a play that I particularly like" but then I read the thing about the alternating roles and I was hooked... |
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Post by Jan on Apr 24, 2018 11:16:38 GMT
The amount I'm looking forward to Measure for Measure is inversely proportional to the amount I'm looking forward to the inevitable circular conversations about the casting gimmick that will definitely bear some resemblance to conversations we've had on here countless times before. Personally I look forward to the conversation on whether it really is just a gimmick as you suggest or if it has some artistic point. Certainly announcing it in advance suggests the former - in the Rupert Goold Macbeth they didn’t say “we’re doing the Banquo’s ghost scene twice” - why not let the audience find that out ? (now Charles Spencer has retired of course because he used to reveal everything in his reviews). |
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Post by peggs on Apr 24, 2018 11:24:56 GMT
Oh damn more things I want to see and that site and me do not get on.
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Post by stevemar on Apr 24, 2018 11:45:38 GMT
The amount I'm looking forward to Measure for Measure is inversely proportional to the amount I'm looking forward to the inevitable circular conversations about the casting gimmick that will definitely bear some resemblance to conversations we've had on here countless times before. Personally I look forward to the conversation on whether it really is just a gimmick as you suggest or if it has some artistic point. Certainly announcing it in advance suggests the former - in the Rupert Goold Macbeth they didn’t say “we’re doing the Banquo’s ghost scene twice” - why not let the audience find that out ? (now Charles Spencer has retired of course because he used to reveal everything in his reviews). The Guardian article and interview with the director here makes it clear that there is of course an intended artistic point here re how we see things depending on whether the actions are carried out by a man or woman, possibly in the workplace context, but presumably wider: www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/apr/24/measure-for-measure-gender-swap-may-be-theatrical-first |
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Post by Jan on Apr 24, 2018 13:10:15 GMT
Personally I look forward to the conversation on whether it really is just a gimmick as you suggest or if it has some artistic point. Certainly announcing it in advance suggests the former - in the Rupert Goold Macbeth they didn’t say “we’re doing the Banquo’s ghost scene twice” - why not let the audience find that out ? (now Charles Spencer has retired of course because he used to reveal everything in his reviews). The Guardian article and interview with the director here makes it clear that there is of course an intended artistic point here re how we see things depending on whether the actions are carried out by a man or woman, possibly in the workplace context, but presumably wider: www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/apr/24/measure-for-measure-gender-swap-may-be-theatrical-firstI don't approve of the potential audience being spoon-fed and primed in this way in advance of the performance, it is in effect just a giant spoiler - just do it and then we'll work out the purpose for ourselves if it has been done well. |
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Post by zahidf on Apr 24, 2018 13:55:28 GMT
I don't approve of the potential audience being spoon-fed and primed in this way in advance of the performance, it is in effect just a giant spoiler - just do it and then we'll work out the purpose for ourselves if it has been done well. Its just revealing the casting and saying that its not going to alternate performances ( so people aren't worried about missing a particular actor in the role)
Not ideal, but I understand why they are doing it
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Post by Jan on Apr 24, 2018 14:19:38 GMT
I don't approve of the potential audience being spoon-fed and primed in this way in advance of the performance, it is in effect just a giant spoiler - just do it and then we'll work out the purpose for ourselves if it has been done well. Its just revealing the casting and saying that its not going to alternate performances ( so people aren't worried about missing a particular actor in the role)
Not ideal, but I understand why they are doing it
No. It also tells us in which two eras it will be set and that some scenes - including one specific one - will be played twice. Why tell us that ? |
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Post by zahidf on Apr 24, 2018 15:12:29 GMT
Its just revealing the casting and saying that its not going to alternate performances ( so people aren't worried about missing a particular actor in the role)
Not ideal, but I understand why they are doing it
No. It also tells us in which two eras it will be set and that some scenes - including one specific one - will be played twice. Why tell us that ? Fair point, though I gather with Shakespeare, some people want to know if its modern dress or not, and I guess the whole repetition of scenes thing is just to offset any complaints about it. |
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Post by oxfordsimon on Apr 24, 2018 17:25:40 GMT
I am far from convinced by the outline. Measure for Measure is about a lot more than Isabella and Angelo. Even ignoring the subplots, we still have to deal with Mariana and the Duke. The bed swap only works if Isabella and Mariana are the same sex - otherwise Angelo might just spot he isn't sleeping with the right person.
I want to hear a lot more of the detail before I can really see where they are going with this.
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Post by zahidf on Apr 24, 2018 17:43:25 GMT
I am far from convinced by the outline. Measure for Measure is about a lot more than Isabella and Angelo. Even ignoring the subplots, we still have to deal with Mariana and the Duke. The bed swap only works if Isabella and Mariana are the same sex - otherwise Angelo might just spot he isn't sleeping with the right person. I want to hear a lot more of the detail before I can really see where they are going with this. They said in the interview in the guardian that they will be cutting a lot of stuff out |
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Post by oxfordsimon on Apr 24, 2018 17:51:49 GMT
You can't cut the bed swap - it is absolutely central to the plot. You also can't leave out the Duke - the biggest role in the play. And the Duke/Isabella interaction is right at the core of the play.
I was worried with the part of that interview where it was revealed that they haven't worked out how it will all work. If I were undertaking something like this, I would want the revisions all clear in my mind before I set out.
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Post by Jan on Apr 24, 2018 19:05:03 GMT
You can't cut the bed swap - it is absolutely central to the plot. You also can't leave out the Duke - the biggest role in the play. And the Duke/Isabella interaction is right at the core of the play. I was worried with the part of that interview where it was revealed that they haven't worked out how it will all work. If I were undertaking something like this, I would want the revisions all clear in my mind before I set out. Maybe - or you could work through some of them during rehearsals - best not to pre-announce anything in that case. I am reminded of the Michael Sheen Hamlet where explaining it all to us in advance would have spoiled it, part of the challenge for the audience was to try to work out what was going on. |
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Post by barrowside on Apr 24, 2018 19:09:07 GMT
Really fancy Aristocrats - lovely play. David Dawson as Casimir should be terrific. Rest of the cast is fairly top notch too. Hopefully it will make up for not getting to London to see Andrew Scott do it at the National a few years ago.
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Post by theatrelover123 on Apr 24, 2018 19:30:53 GMT
What I would recommend is waiting and seeing what the version of MfM is like instead of getting all het up about what may or may not be happening. After all, Shakespeare is always ripe for rejigging and interpretation. I for one welcome fresh takes on classic plays.
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Post by lynette on Apr 24, 2018 20:30:02 GMT
You can't cut the bed swap - it is absolutely central to the plot. You also can't leave out the Duke - the biggest role in the play. And the Duke/Isabella interaction is right at the core of the play. I was worried with the part of that interview where it was revealed that they haven't worked out how it will all work. If I were undertaking something like this, I would want the revisions all clear in my mind before I set out. Do they do this to just get an interest going? ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I’m thinking of starting a campaign for the protection of gender specific roles in Shakespeare. Measure for Measure is THE play we need today. It has a heroine who is sexually harassed. It has young people breaking the rules. It presents sexuality as positive and innocent. It has a tyrant who is a hypocrite. Not enough in all that to arouse a smidgen of interest? It also has a wonderful 'breaking the rules anarchic' character who refuses to comply with the tyranny and he wins out! This is the play for today and so hey, let's mess it about and patronise everyone. And, and.. it isn’t Macbeth, it is not done that often. I'll book of course. So my hat is ready and waiting for eating.... |
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