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Post by Jan on Oct 12, 2024 19:05:29 GMT
The same problems as Here In America. He should gracefully retire, no one of 76 has written a good play. That's a challenge. I would say Tom Stoppard's Leopoldstadt, put on when he was 83, is a very good play. Can't think of anything else. Bennett's The History Boys was put on when he was 70, Frayn's Democracy when he was 69, Hare's Straight Line Crazy when he was 75 (he has a new one in Bath next year when he will be 78). Other art forms seem to be more forgiving - Edna O'Brien, Philip Roth, Penelope Fitzgerald, Jane Gardam have all written novels I've loved in their mid to late 70s. There are lots of great paintings painted by old artists. I assume we're going to get a lot more writers giving it a go in the coming years. Yes you are right, it is maybe just that not many playwrights have lived that long. Arthur Miller wrote Broken Glass at 79 and it’s his last decent play. He wrote Finishing The Picture at 89. |
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Post by gertrudemcfuzz on Oct 12, 2024 20:19:21 GMT
The show was briefly stopped twice on Friday night during the first act because the lower bank of screens couldn’t be raised properly. They remained stationary for the second act, so I assume this must be a recurring issue.
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Post by kate8 on Oct 14, 2024 14:35:39 GMT
The same problems as Here In America then. He should gracefully retire, no one of 76 has written a good play. That’s a sweeping generalisation. Caryl Churchill was around that age when she wrote Escaped Alone, which is one of her best IMO. Howard Brenton is also still writing in his 80s and got decent reviews for Cancelling Socrates at JST a couple of years ago. |
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Post by Jan on Oct 14, 2024 14:51:54 GMT
That’s a sweeping generalisation. Caryl Churchill was around that age when she wrote Escaped Alone, which is one of her best IMO. Howard Brenton is also still writing in his 80s and got decent reviews for Cancelling Socrates at JST a couple of years ago. Howard Brenton, whose plays I never much rated in the 1980s and 90s when I still went to new plays, has a new play on at the Orange Tree next year - maybe I’ll give him another chance. |
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Post by thaneofglamis on Oct 23, 2024 9:40:29 GMT
Unfortunately I was disappointed with Othello. I was looking forward to seeing John Douglas Thompson, given his reputation on the US stage and experience with the role, and although he had a brilliant stage presence I felt let down by the production as a whole. {Spoiler}The director spoke about letting the prose take priority, so has adopted minimal props/staging and limited any ‘unnecessary’ movement. Between this and the very restrained Iago, it just didn’t work at all for me. There were some high-points from scenes with Desdemona and Emilia, and the lighting was impressive at times, but it all felt constrained by the strict staging rules they seem to have adopted. I’d say it was the most disappointing RSC production I’ve seen, perhaps because I went in with such high expectations. I left wondering if I should give it a second try, but there was very little to draw me back. I do have more thoughts, but interested to see what the reviews and others think. |
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Post by cavocado on Oct 24, 2024 9:25:27 GMT
I thought Othello was okay, but no more than that. It felt frustratingly slow and underpowered, few changes in pace. I liked Will Keen as Iago, although I've seen some negative reviews of his performance. I think the problem is with the static direction giving us no contrast between Keen's very controlled, still performance and the rest of the cast. Interesting what thaneofglamis says about the director eliminating 'unnecessary' movement. I was longing for someone to break out and run around the stage and physically interact with others, whether from love, anger, or anything. Even the violence, which should have been a change in pace and mood, is weirdly static. Cassio's stabbing is done with the actors standing far apart facing the audience and stabbing towards us, not even looking at one another, and Desdemona's killing is done in darkness. There was one time when the physicality matched the mood - Emilia carefully unlacing Desdemona's dress as she gets her ready for bed before her murder. Her increased physical vulnerability from being disrobed adds to the tension ramping up as her death approaches. There are no poor performances in this, but a good cast is let down by directorial decisions which stifle the play and make it dull to watch. |
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Post by beegee on Oct 25, 2024 6:53:34 GMT
Disappointed in Othello last night. Despite being front row I found Iago to be inaudible at times. I can understand the choice to make Iago understated and creepy and would work on screen but didn't work on stage
The lack of movement in scenes sucked any emotion out of them, especially the Roderigo stabbing, and there was no sense of 'place'
Othello was OK, but let down by the Director
Desdemona and Emilia had the best scenes
I wouldn't recommend this production
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4,973 posts
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Post by Someone in a tree on Oct 28, 2024 8:47:02 GMT
Buddha of suburbia.
There is an awful lot of plot and narration but thanlfully the production wins. At several points my eyes were watery from the joyous celebration of life that is presented.
Ballons, ribbons and fruit and all used to splendid effect. Very Emma Rice and fabulous.
Highly recommend.
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Post by xanady on Oct 28, 2024 20:37:53 GMT
Saw Othello in previews and really joined the minimalist approach but it has not gone down well at all with a lot of newspaper critics.
In general I feel that the RSC is back on track with a wonderful Midsummer Nights Dream,Pericles,Kyoto and the Fair Maid Of The West recently.Looking forward to the next season with Twelfth Night etc.
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1,087 posts
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Post by andrew on Oct 28, 2024 21:35:15 GMT
All of the RSC, Royal Court and National Theatre feel like they're on an upturn this season, it's great.
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Post by aspieandy on Oct 28, 2024 22:06:24 GMT
All of the RSC, Royal Court and National Theatre feel like they're on an upturn this season, it's great.
.. and the Donmar is back: sold out 4 productions in a row (Macbeth to Backstroke).
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Post by parsley1 on Oct 28, 2024 23:33:27 GMT
Buddha of suburbia. There is an awful lot of plot and narration but thanlfully the production wins. At several points my eyes were watery from the joyous celebration of life that is presented. Ballons, ribbons and fruit and all used to splendid effect. Very Emma Rice and fabulous. Highly recommend. Yes it is highly imperfect and a typical broad brush approach As one expects from the RSC lacking sophistication or risk Yet overall it’s very good fun and I agree it works despite all the things working against it Very odd but I also enjoyed a lot |
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Post by moelhywel on Oct 30, 2024 10:38:57 GMT
I have to commend the RSC box office for giving me a credit note when my husband and I were unable to go and see Othello and New Real a couple of weeks ago. Even though I was outside the 72 hour limit for non attendance I emailed to explain we were ill and they gave me a credit note. Excellent service.
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5,695 posts
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Post by lynette on Oct 30, 2024 15:05:21 GMT
Othello; very good. I wasn’t hopeful having read a few reviews but ignore the reviews, this is a very good, thought provoking production. No furniture ( are we moving to a no clutter era, just seen Forsyte at The Park, brilliantly done) but a space marked out centre stage for the bed at the end. But the costumes actually, for a change, work hard and the music is interesting and original. All actors doing their stuff. Nice to trust the actors, no gimmicks here. Won’t spoil it by giving any details but I would say, go to this if you want to hear the text, watch real grown up ( experienced, skilled ) actors acting and enjoy the ‘mood’ of this.
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5,695 posts
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Post by lynette on Oct 30, 2024 15:11:09 GMT
Disappointed in Othello last night. Despite being front row I found Iago to be inaudible at times. I can understand the choice to make Iago understated and creepy and would work on screen but didn't work on stage The lack of movement in scenes sucked any emotion out of them, especially the Roderigo stabbing, and there was no sense of 'place' Othello was OK, but let down by the Director Desdemona and Emilia had the best scenes I wouldn't recommend this production Hello, just spotted this. I agree, Iago on a different audible level as experienced by my partially deaf OH. Disagree as to place; the costumes were straight out of Venice, Titian and the like. The doge was dressed as Doge Loredan , Bellini’s portrait in the NG. Couldn’t have been more Venetian. And the floor was like dockside, shiny, boat like. Lighting used cleverly for dark interiors. The Rodrigo stabbing was too static, avoiding the eye to eye when Iago stabs him. I thought this was a shame. But overall, I found the movement very evocative. Emily, ( Anastasia Hille0 is remarkable. Worth the entrance alone as it were. She takes the whole production to another level in the last scene, fabulous. |
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Post by happysooz2 on Oct 30, 2024 17:46:45 GMT
Buddha of suburbia. There is an awful lot of plot and narration but thanlfully the production wins. At several points my eyes were watery from the joyous celebration of life that is presented. Ballons, ribbons and fruit and all used to splendid effect. Very Emma Rice and fabulous. Highly recommend. Seconding this, I feel like this play has flown beneath the radar on the board. Saw yesterday’s matinee and we came out smiling. It felt like a proper company of actors, everyone working together, but as I type that, it’s slightly damning it with faint praise. The movement was wonderful, possibly even making it that unique piece, a play with dance 😹 Standouts for me were Dee Ahluwalia as Karim. He is surely one to watch. Ankur Bahl moves like a dream. Ewan Pyke as the theatre director Matthew was gloriously insufferable without going too far. I thought it was great. We got upgraded to stalls, so I am sad and thinking it might not have sold too well. |
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Post by orientfan on Nov 1, 2024 23:28:04 GMT
Agree with recent comments about ‘Buddha’. Definitely Emma Rice’s version of the book rather than Kureshi’s adaptation, with the darker aspects covered but not to the detriment of the riot of colour, movement and sheer energy. Also very pleased to report that the theatre looked almost full tonight - the cast got a standing ovation and thoroughly deserved it. Highly recommended, especially for those of us who lived with and grooved to the brilliant soundtrack.
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Post by jek on Nov 2, 2024 16:44:30 GMT
I'm another person who greatly enjoyed The Buddha of Suburbia. I was 16 in 1979 and very much a teen of the times - going on anti racism marches in Victoria Park and Lewisham, for example. They were, in many ways, dark times (my mum spent a lot of time on picket lines and we ate donated food) but this production really brings out the joy of being young in the 1970's.
The production has some fantastic performances. I see from the programme that Ewan Wardrop, who plays Matthew Pyke, has a background performing in Matthew Bourne productions which explains why his movement is so impressive. Katy Owen was excellent in the double roles of the very different Margaret and Eleanor. I don't think there was a weak link in the casting of the production.
For anyone who hasn't seen it the documentary about Hanif Kureishi 'In My Own Words', available on the BBC iPlayer is very good.
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