Doctor Faustus

What are the perceived problems with the middle scenes of Faustus. The probably dozen or so productions I have seen all have worked for me. I remember McKellen and Emrys James back in the 70's - a startling production, and an innovative and telling use of puppets that were little no more than fabric.

Tonight's performance will be going ahead apparently. Hoorah.

Depending on how good Kit-off's security is tonight, tomorrow nights show may not go ahead due to the unavailability of the lead actor though.

I think talk of "art" is a deflection here. Hopefully, audiences would engage with the energy of the production when they don't understand the language. I assumed the target audience was young adults, not children.

Funnily enough, as part of my London theatre visit, I saw Boy as planned after the cancelled Dr Faustus matinee. And Kings of War the night before. Both very different. Both very good. And worthwhile! And, in place of Dr Faustus, Wendy Hoose at the Soho which I'd missed when it toured to Cardiff 18 months ago. And which was also different again and very good, although slight in relation to the rest.

I don't think it's fair or sensible to judge Dr Faustus against any of these other worthwhile and successful productions. They are each differently motivated. I regret (?) that I now won't be experiencing Dr Faustus myself ... !!!

Nope - you lucked out this time.  I think the luckiest audience members were probably the ones who came to the cancelled flood matinee but met Kit Harrington and got signed posters/selfies.

I probably wasn't the desired audience for this show, so I have a guest reviewer for my posting , my 22 year old daughter:

During interval:
Her:  Bejeebus, what's going on?

After Show:
Me: Well, at least you know a bit more about Dr Faustus.
Her:  I think I know less about Dr Faustus.

On bus ride home:
Me:  Imagine you met Jamie Lloyd and you HAD to say something positive about the performance, what would it be?
Her: That's really hard.  I think I'd tell him 'You start as you mean to continue.  You just keep going.'

So, a one star from her and a one and half from me (I give it a half more because there was some entertainment value to a few bits - some of the movement, Jenna Russell singing 'Bat out of Hell,' Kit athletically jumping around.)  The whole production had the feeling of a university show that had been given a big budget (though the costumes were not much better than the black bin liners a friend tells me her university group felt  were very cutting edge in their long ago Edinburgh show.)  I kept Steve's informed and generous review in my mind (I kept thinking Bosch, Bosch) but it started Bosch in dirty underwear and continued Bosch in dirty underwear to its dismal and surprisingly anti-climactic end.  Oh - and the American section was the absolute pits, really puerile ( Marilyn singing 'Happy Birthday dear president'  - how current!)

I am also disappointed to report that if Ryan was there he was very well behaved.  A bit of stage invasion would have provided a much needed distraction.

I went back again last night. What can I tell ya. I'm a glutton (pun) for punishment ..

I actually liked it even less last night than my initial preview performance. My (26 year old) son couldn't make the it the first time so I exchanged his ticket and got a couple of cheap box seats. I should add I did that before I saw it the first time otherwise I wouldn't have bothered. Tickets bought solely for the Kit Harington name.

Over dinner beforehand I tried to lay a little groundwork in terms of storyline. My kids expression at the interval led me to believe he thought I'd been lying to him because he couldn't see a storyline!

There seems to be less black vom than in previews (or, as I was front row, there just seemed to be a frigging lot of it first time around). Less dribble too.

Empty seats after the interval. I love Jenna Russell, got to blow her a kiss from my box seat during her sit and chatty bit. I think Kit Harington is working really well with some difficult stuff.

Huge crowd outside stage door. Frankly I couldn't wait to get away.

First time around I was still thinking about it days later. Now I'm trying to block the memory.

With some trepidation I've booked a Monday seat for next week.

OK that's a lie, it was booked with a lot of trepidation.

Why didn’t someone involved in the production bother to teach Kit Harrington how to speak Kit Marlowe’s verse? For me, despite all the other well-deserved criticisms of the show, this was the most annoying fault. No one has sung blank verse on an English stage since Gielgud retired, but that was what Harrington did last night.

Kit who?

yeah... I know. Never seen Game Of Thrones. Every time someone tells me what I'm missing I go to the box set on Sky, see how many series and episodes there are and beat a hasty retreat. 

Is is he good in the series? Because it sounds like he's absolute bobbins on stage. 

I know that Kit was signing posters for audience members as compensation last weekend for those booked for the flooded performances. I don't know whether these are standard issue or just for special occasions though.

Oh dear increasingly it doesn't sound like I missed much...yup for the first time ever I missed a show I'd booked for due to illness. Didn't actually make it to London as planned. More disappointed to miss out on meeting fellow theatreboard folks (and restrain Ryan from getting a Kit-H restraining order)

I see Shenton had some words about it this morning too...

Jamie is also working with ATG with their extra charges....