3,583 posts
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Post by showgirl on Mar 17, 2016 5:14:45 GMT
Gypsy
Jerusalem
Noises Off
To name but three. Those I don't get always seem to be high-profile plays or shows others rave about, which increases my sense of unease about whether it's me or the work or the combination which doesn't gel.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2016 7:23:38 GMT
Surely to 'not get' something it has to be widely popular, one where you have a minority opinion? Or where there was high expectation... Successful playwright/author, Big Names appearing in the play, praise from the critics, recommendations from others... And you felt completely let down when you saw it because... you thought it was incomprehensible sh*te! |
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816 posts
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Post by stefy69 on Mar 17, 2016 7:31:00 GMT
A few years ago for me : " Dinner " with Harriet Walter at Wyndhams left me both baffled and bored I'm afraid.  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2016 8:13:02 GMT
Surely to 'not get' something it has to be widely popular, one where you have a minority opinion? Ok I take your point at the dislike at the wording...I was going for a mirror of the 'overrated' thread on musicals but went for the sense of 'not getting what the fuss was about' and simultaneously 'I don't get why I'm supposed to care about this play' But generally it's just a thread about plays we don't like... |
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855 posts
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Post by duncan on Mar 17, 2016 8:38:24 GMT
I still have no idea why Ian Richardson agreed to be in The Creeper, it was an awful play and an even worse production.
In terms of casts and creatives making a right pigs ear of things then We Happy Few has to be right up there, I thought they couldnt go wrong but its still by far the worst thing I've ever seen. A Stubbs/Nunn vanity project that no one had the balls to say no to, I can only assume Juliet Stevenson had a large tax bill to pay. The sigh of despair at the interval, 2 hours in, when the ice cream seller said there was still another 90 minutes to go will haunt me to my dying day.
On the third Day. Winner of a TV show to find a West End play this was a frankly bizarre choice, I seem to recall Neil Pearson being one of the judges and he thinking this wasnt much cop - he was right. I'm pretty sure that the last scene could be interpreted as them all being dead and the incest subplot seemed grafted on for no reason. Frankly it wasnt up to much, I was sat behind an exceptionally grumpy looking Kenneth Cranham though. I still dont understand how it won, the rest must have been hopeless.
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1,103 posts
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Post by mallardo on Mar 17, 2016 8:42:38 GMT
I would add several (but not all) Ayckbourn plays to the list.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2016 8:48:35 GMT
I like the point about productions changing your mind-I personally could not see the appeal of Hamlet whatsoever despite studying it but the RSC Tennant one changed my mind. Likewise I never was much of a fan of Arthur Miller but a few decent productions (and a bit of Richard Armitage) changed my mind.
Another one I was fantastically underwhelmed by was An Inspector Calls
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2016 9:11:02 GMT
I wouldn't say I "don't get" One Man Two Guv'nors, I just thought it was an extremely lazy piece of writing that focused too heavily on an extremely unlikeable character. It reminded me of when I was watching The Office; there was a short period where Ricky Gervais wasn't onscreen at all, and I found myself genuinely enjoying it and really caring about what the characters were up to. Then he came back and the cringefest began again.
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34 posts
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Post by Jasmine on Mar 17, 2016 9:20:02 GMT
Antony and Cleopatra. Cleopatra is quite entertaining, but whenever she is offstage my interest is lost. I've no idea why so many great actors want to play Antony - he's boring and gets completely upstaged by Cleo. And the battle scenes don't half drag on. - I'd be willing to give it another go though.
I wasn't particularly enamoured with Measure for Measure until I watched the live stream of the Cheek by Jowl production last year.
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2,342 posts
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Mar 17, 2016 9:45:59 GMT
Twelfth Night is my Shakespeare addition
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2016 15:29:13 GMT
I tend to follow the critics. So, for example, if Mark Shenton puffs something then I know it's overrated.
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184 posts
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Post by caa on Mar 17, 2016 16:46:22 GMT
Anything translated by Andrew Upton who I feel is overrated
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433 posts
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Post by DuchessConstance on Mar 17, 2016 16:50:42 GMT
Jerusalem - just didn't get it.
I love Shakespeare a lot but I think Henry V is overrated. I'd take Pericles over Henry V.
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1,064 posts
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Post by David J on Mar 17, 2016 17:15:44 GMT
I'm a Shakespeare fan and I am sure there is an anti-war play somewhere in Henry V, but you have to wade through all the patriotism to find that
I find Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet are put on too many times for my liking. Sure they are great introductions to the bard, but I've only just seen the two again this year after Gregory Doran's 2008 MND and Ruper Gould's 2009-10(?) R&J.
As others have said productions can kindle an interest in plays that you've never seen the point in. I don't want to see any old production of MND or R&J that I could easily see my local school do. Doran's spectacular MND and Gould's hellish R&J are examples where adding an extra sparkle to these OVER-familiar plays goes a long way
To quote Gypsy "you've gotta have a gimmick"
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906 posts
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Post by bordeaux on Mar 17, 2016 19:57:38 GMT
I've never seen a Pirandello play that convinced me he was a great writer. I live in hope. I am sure the fault lies with me (or the productions I've seen) and that one day there will be one that comes along and shows me he is as good as Brecht or Beckett or Pinter. I've seen Mountain Giants and something else at the National, Henry IV a couple of times, Naked with Binoche at the Almeida and Six Characters at the Young Vic. All came across as intriguing ideas for plays but none of the productions hit home. I'd like to see Simon McBurney have a go - what he did with The Caucasian Chalk Circle and Dürrenmatt's The Visit was amazing.
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270 posts
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Post by littlesally on Mar 17, 2016 20:51:03 GMT
The Cut. Dimetos. Berenice. All Donmar. In fact, much of Josie Rourke's era. Ooh, yes! The Cut. Dire... (Didn't get it at all. Got more of a thrill seeing Helen Worth in the bar, no doubt there to support fellow Corrie actor at the time, Ian McKellan.) While talking of the Donmar, can I also throw in Polar Bears? Another play not got. Oh yes, Ploar Bears was awful. And Helpless at Donmar. How could that play attract such an amazing cast? Rachel Stirling's debut. |
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Post by Boob on Mar 18, 2016 6:21:27 GMT
Oh gosh yes, Polar Bears was dreadful. Not helped by Jodhi May giving her angstiest all. Urgh. But I don't think anyone rated that, did they?
Dimetos also another Donmar low point, but again poorly reviewed and received I think. I'm yet to enjoy a Fugard play, but perhaps I'm not meant to.
While we're at this address, I really didn't get Peter Gill's Small Change. I was aching to get out of there.
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270 posts
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Post by littlesally on Mar 18, 2016 8:59:18 GMT
Oh gosh yes, Polar Bears was dreadful. Not helped by Jodhi May giving her angstiest all. Urgh. But I don't think anyone rated that, did they? Dimetos also another Donmar low point, but again poorly reviewed and received I think. I'm yet to enjoy a Fugard play, but perhaps I'm not meant to. While we're at this address, I really didn't get Peter Gill's Small Change. I was aching to get out of there. Fugard's "Hello and Goodbye" with Rafe Spall and Saskia Reeves at Trafalgar 2 was very powerful. Dimetos was awfu, yet such a stunning cast. I sometimes wonder if actors don't see past the Donmar reputation and agree to anything? |
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472 posts
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Post by mistressjojo on Mar 18, 2016 10:07:18 GMT
Anything by Carol Churchill.
I know there's some powerful social message somewhere in the play, but all I get is awful people and lots of shouting.
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851 posts
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Post by rumbledoll on Mar 18, 2016 12:35:31 GMT
The Weir. The most boring & uninspiring read. And it's only 50 pages! I thought it would newver end.. I didn't have a chance to see the recent 5 star production but I cannot imagine how even a bunch of great actors can pull this snoozefest off..
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Post by synchrony on Mar 18, 2016 15:49:29 GMT
Inpired by similar threads on musicals...what are the plays that just don't 'click' for you? either you found them dull, not funny when they should be, or you just wondered what the hell was going on on that stage... I'll start... One Man Two Guvners-I just didn't find it funny. And nothing feels worse in the theatre than everyone else in utter hysterics and you're the one either unmoved or cringing. One I just didn't get in another way was Conor McPherson's 'The Veil' now normally I love him, but it had been a really long journey to London and an even longer work day...and to this day I couldn't tell you what that play was about other than there was some smoke at the end and a slightly scary child. EDIT: as the title was clearly causing issue, I've changed to match the musicals one... COMPLETELY agree on 1M2G. I was glad that I went to see it with friends who were equally unimpressed, because otherwise I would have indeed felt alone in a sea of laughter. Otherwise - Art. I found that really tedious and didn't understand why it lasted so long. I must have missed something. I saw it in around 2000 and all I remember was how pretentious I found it and didn't care a jot about any of the characters. I also, sadly, agree that War Horse is overhyped. The puppets were amazing, but I found the singing lady quite annoying as I found that every time she popped up she broke any tension. I quite enjoyed it, just not as much as the hype had led me to expect. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2016 17:10:29 GMT
Oh I WISH I'd been with your group of friends. Mine all found it the most hilarious thing they'd ever seen. Funny enough most of them I don't see any more (which is unrelated to 1M2G...well in part at least...)
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5,710 posts
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Post by lynette on Mar 18, 2016 19:27:18 GMT
The Pillowman
The James Plays
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5,095 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Mar 19, 2016 0:21:36 GMT
Surprised all the hat for One Man, Two Governors, wasn't blown away like the critics, but still very good and the hatred for Jerusalem which did blow me away and got me into see plays, thousands of pounds later I still blame that play.
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855 posts
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Post by duncan on Mar 19, 2016 9:23:56 GMT
I dont think there is "hatred" for anything, its just a piece of disposable media after all. Jerusalem just isnt very good as a piece of entertainment, Rylance covered an amazing amount of sins - if they opened it tomorrow with the likes of Andrew Scott it would die on its arse.
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