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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2018 12:47:42 GMT
If there was an award for reviews I would give it to this one. She makes excellent points that need further discussion. Very balanced. KWomen are so under represented in Theatre that of course they feel the need to write about being women because they are almost creating their culture again from scratch. Her discussion about the sorts of subjects women write about is really interesting. I really hated Home, I’m Darling because I felt that as a subject for a play it felt demeaning. Men do housework but most don’t write plays about it - yes, I know the play isn’t about housework but it sickened me to see a woman on stage clearing up after a man, taking the top off his egg etc. There may be women like that but I have zero interest. That the NT chose to programme that rather than a play by a woman about, say, climate change (I know, but I can’t think of another subject right now). Or maybe programme both so that women like me who have no interest in a “quirky” play about a woman with strange proclivities has something meatier to engage her intellect. i would like to see Emilia - if I can get a ticket!
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Post by foxa on Aug 16, 2018 12:59:39 GMT
I think it's worth seeing - but Rosemary Waugh in this review summed up some of my hesitations. It was a play that I could admire and appreciate it being commissioned, more than genuinely being touched or moved by it. And as someone who unhesitatingly considers myself feminist that may be surprising. But there is quite a bit of preaching to the converted in this. I was yearning for something more complex and well-rounded (though perhaps it's fair to say that the Globe doesn't necessarily lend itself to that.)
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Post by lynette on Aug 18, 2018 21:30:05 GMT
Thanks foxa for posting that review. It does sum up the difficulties here v well I left at the interval. So I missed a few ‘good’ bits. But after an hour and a half ( come on Writer person, this is the second most uncomfortable theatre in London ) I think I got the message. For me too many targets and most missed. The language target, the mix of old and new didn’t work because the audience roared with laughter at the contemporary expressions as if they were the only bits they,we, understood. The poetry was lost. So old serious new funny? Then immigration. Hammered in. I mean hammered with I think a mistake about Elizabethan/Jacobean attitudes. But let’s not quibble when we are preaching eh? Then of course equality of the sexes ( or is that gender ?) Frankly I think it was done better in the film, Shakespeare in Love. Because it was visual. Writing is very hard to dramatise. All done with gusto and you can’t fault the acting. You rarely can because we are blessed with such a fine acting tradition and practitioners. But I’m sorry Steve and you can dismiss this as I didn’t stay til the end, but for me not good. In the programme there is a comment about this play being especially written for this theatre. May I humbly, very humbly remind the Globe that there are other plays written especially for this theatre. I think they should focus on producing them.
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Post by dlevi on Aug 31, 2018 5:54:55 GMT
I saw this tonight and despite the fact that I found some of the didacticism over-written and the running time a bit too long, I loved it - a lot ! And the stomping screaming and cheering ovation at the end was something rather amazing. More than a 10 actor Hamlet or a star-driven Othello , this play and this production embodied what I hope will be Michelle Terry's bold and inclusive tenure at the Globe. The performances were more often than not delightful; the rambunctiousness of the direction was contagious without being obnoxious and as a call to arms for equality and respect, it gives "The Jungle" a run for its money. I really think this is one of the best and most exhilarating plays of the year andin a year that includes The Inheritance, The Jungle, Fun Home and Home, I'm Darling - that's saying something. If the Globe doesn't bring it back next year it's only because it will already be playing in the West End. Joyful!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2018 8:48:16 GMT
I wonder if we are getting too obsessed with the idea of WE transfers as a sign of success. If it sells well why not just consider bringing it back - as you suggest - or extending the run. I noticed that this show hasn’t sold out - most successful shows at least sell out in their final week, certainly in their final days. The last time I looked this still had availability - given that it had quite a short run that probably indicates that a WE transfer would not be commercially viable.
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Post by NeilVHughes on Aug 31, 2018 17:34:13 GMT
Definitely popular this afternoon, couldn’t see many empty seats and the groundlings were out in force.
For me a play of two halves, the early years were intelligently written as it played with the Shakespeare angle and the young Emilia was wonderful. The second half became more of a political rally loved by the predominantly female audience.
Hope the young women in the audience pick up the fire, we really need more women of influence to nullify the mess we men are currently making of everything.
Also, if Michelle wants to bring equality to the Gobe she really needs to consider reducing the size of the downstairs gents (embarrassingly under utilised today) the queue for the ladies seemed to go on forever.
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Post by lynette on Sept 1, 2018 13:13:13 GMT
Yes the loos, no longer good enough. And the foyer area also limited as you can’t go into the 'yard' until half an hour before the show starts. Missed opportunity I think
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Post by greenswan on Sept 3, 2018 19:03:59 GMT
Saw this on Saturday. Yes, it's too long. And yes, it's like the Guardian on stage in places. But despite being horribly penned in because they've extended the stage, it's one of the more memorable things I've seen at the Globe in the past few years. It could certainly do with some cuts and less didacticism but I would still strongly recommend seeing it. Sometimes a crowd pleaser can be fun as well.
The actors really bring this to life and young Emilia, Lord Henry and Will Shakespeare were particularly good.
It was very funny in places and certainly rousing - not just the speech at the end. And as mentioned before on this thread, the ovation at the end was both long and loud.
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Post by rosmersholm on Nov 23, 2018 20:53:07 GMT
Transferring into the West End in the new year.
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Post by lynette on Nov 23, 2018 21:29:28 GMT
Really? I’m surprised.
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Post by Jon on Nov 23, 2018 22:24:31 GMT
Wonder which theatre?
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Post by Rory on Nov 24, 2018 0:02:26 GMT
Trafalgar Studio 1?
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Post by lynette on Nov 24, 2018 8:46:04 GMT
Whichever Theatre, you'll need ear plugs if they shout as much as they did at the Globe. Presumably they will adapt for indoors.
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Post by Steve on Nov 24, 2018 23:05:07 GMT
As one of those who loved this, I'm glad it's transferring.
It may be preachy, but it's funny with it, as the women playing "toxic masculinity" are satirically funny, and it's a great story of what Shakespeare's "dark lady" might have been like.
It would be lovely if Leah Harvey transferred as young Emilia, because she was exceptionally good, and Charity Wakefield was slyly funny and convincing as Shakespeare. The two older Emilias could be cut back a bit to trim the preachiness and overlong running time.
I know I'm in a minority on this board, but if you avoid comparing this to Shakespeare's poetry, and you leave your subtlety-meter at home, and take this on its own merits, it's extremely entertaining and illuminating as well.
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Post by rosmersholm on Nov 24, 2018 23:35:27 GMT
It would be lovely if Leah Harvey transferred as young Emilia, because she was exceptionally good. She will be busy on the Southbank...
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Post by Snciole on Nov 25, 2018 12:48:41 GMT
There was a lot of vocal love for this, I think Twitter is shaping what transfers as much as traditional critical acclaim. I missed this as I find the Globe a difficult venue (I don't want to stand and I don't want to pay a lot for uncomfortable seats either and why O why are the shows always so long) but if I can find cheap or heavily discounted tickets *wink* for this I will probably pop along.
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Post by showgirl on Nov 25, 2018 13:38:03 GMT
Slightly off-topic but I do so agree re the new writing at the Globe (as that's the category which interests me) tending to be off-puttingly long & seats uncomfortable - & expensive for anything but restricted view.
I know the point of the venue is to replicate a past era & not to provide modern comforts or meet any accessibility/affordability needs, but there must be a cost in terms of lost business.
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Post by zahidf on Dec 11, 2018 8:51:52 GMT
Shakespeare’s Globe’s “extraordinarily rousing new play” (The Independent) will transfer to the Vaudeville Theatre from 8 March – 5 June 2019. An all-female cast playing both hers and hims rouses “audiences into a pitch of fervour” (The Guardian) in a “magnificent production” (The Stage) filled with “wit, fierce intelligence and heady intensity” (The Times).
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Post by Michael on Dec 11, 2018 9:37:38 GMT
Threads merged and renamed.
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Post by QueerTheatre on Dec 11, 2018 17:08:55 GMT
managed to grab two stalls seats for £20 each on TodayTix - very happy with that!
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Post by showgirl on Dec 13, 2018 5:22:20 GMT
I was tempted to book for this - though am hoping the script will have been revised and the running time reduced a little cf the Globe version - but seeing how extensive the run is, I'm holding off. Admittedly it may be a case of seeing how it goes (well, I hope) but at this stage it seems to me quite ambitiou to programme it for several months and I'm always reluctant to commit myself so far ahead to bookings which may limit or rule out other options nearer the time.
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Post by Snciole on Feb 14, 2019 9:55:05 GMT
NOW GONE, the power of Twitter
BUMP: I have a spare ticket for this because I foolishly booked a date where I will be knackered due to 8 hours + of wine and spirits exams and I managed to get a free pair for later in the week.
I have ONE ticket for 12 March show Section OS Row B Seat 16
It is a collection ticket but I can email over the confirmation I have. Free to a good home.
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Post by peggs on Mar 20, 2019 14:27:24 GMT
Bell going and half the theatre must still be outside in the bag queue, not sure what happened there but thanks for the kind lady who navigated her way to hidden collecting queue and took me with her.
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Post by catcat100 on Mar 20, 2019 15:10:01 GMT
Well that was quite the tour de force of Girl Power. You do come out of this in quite a positive mood, wanting to go out and make some change and considering all the cheers and hollering I probably wasn't the only one.
It's a really good production of what has probably been said over and over again but which does still need to be produced.
The stars of the show are definitely the Emilias. They each act their parts wonderfully well, getting across the individual issues each one encounters but still being the one Emilia. The three parts work well, changing at significant periods of her life. And the speech at the end is most rousing.
The ensemble add greatly to the show, with the ladies swapping roles and genders throughout. The over-exaggerated acting of the male characters is quite genius as it highlights some of the absurdity of male behaviours.
Staging is simple but effective and they do use the whole of the auditorium at times having actors in the boxes, the circle and in the stalls. I was in row B of the stalls and at the end of the first half I did wish that I had the head of an owl with the amount of spinning round it did. But these are for only short periods and really do add to the fun of the show.
And I think that word - fun - Describes this play quite well. Its a really fun play wrapped around a serious message.
Pretty much 5 out of 5 for me.
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Post by peggs on Mar 20, 2019 15:57:30 GMT
I'm imagining this at the globe and thinking it would have benefited from the audience interaction and vocal response you get there. Seated in the dark changes that substantially. Will see what second half brings.
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Post by peggs on Mar 20, 2019 18:08:55 GMT
Found this a rather hard going first half, it's over long and not quite all pulled together. Second half seemed to bowl along better and there are certainly ideas in this worth exploring and some mice ideas just didn't hold together for me. Wasnt sure about the wandering white clad musicians and what they added. Mainly I kept thinking if I'd seen it at the globe, there were loads of lines than raised laughs but they'd have been whoops there. And I'm sure the end would have taken the roof off if it only had one. And I was also for some parts imagining the original cast playing them. So I suspect if I'd had seen it at the globe I'd have bounced out and joined in the roar rather than the more sedate I'm inside clapping. It went down very well but it's got to be a harder one to play in a standard theatre. Bonus point for landing a pair of pants on an unsuspecting man's head. Post interval I'd lost people on both sides of me, would have taken it personally if half the row hadn't gone too. Typical, the one time I had a whole half a row of seats to up grade myself too and I was already in a good seat.
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Post by NeilVHughes on Mar 20, 2019 18:20:28 GMT
Definitely a boisterous afternoon when I saw it at the Globe, the primarily young female audience really got into the vibe in the way only groundlings can.
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Post by theatrefan77 on Mar 21, 2019 8:45:23 GMT
The first half was a bit too long for me but maybe it was because of the appalling behaviour of a group of women who were actually working for the production!
Went to the first preview on Monday 11th March, seating in Upper Circle row B. I know it's normal that during early previews people working for the production sit in different parts of the theatre and take notes. There were a few women seating in different areas of the Upper Circle with note books and pens. The Upper Circle was half empty so these women decided to sit together a few rows back. No problem so far, but as soon as the play started they started talking and giggling continuously, ignoring people who were asking then to keep it down. One of the women even had her feet hanging on the seat in front of her.
During the interval there were several complaints to the ushers about them and actually one of them apologised after being confronted by two women in the audience. They came back after the interval with large glasses of wine and I thought they were going to talk again but they were actually quite so the second half was more enjoyable for everybody in the Upper Circle.
The second half was better and I found it funnier with some really clever bits. Maybe the first half was good as well but the unprofessional behaviour of these women was so distracting that I couldn't enjoy it.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2019 9:01:16 GMT
Are you sure they were working for the production? I don't think they should have been drinking while at work . . .
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Post by theatrefan77 on Mar 21, 2019 9:11:51 GMT
Positive! My friend complained to the ushers and they told her they were working for the production and that's why they were taking notes
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