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Post by Forrest on Feb 25, 2022 9:58:13 GMT
crowblack, that is a good tip. If we ever go back to the theatre together (he's not much of a theatregoer, which I think is fairly obvious) I might do just that!
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3,040 posts
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Post by crowblack on Feb 25, 2022 10:51:56 GMT
crowblack , that is a good tip. If we ever go back to the theatre together (he's not much of a theatregoer, which I think is fairly obvious) I might do just that! Yes, you always feel more responsible somehow for their misery, if it's a play and they're not a regular theatregoer so are relying on your judgment. When it's a movie you've probably both seen the trailer so it's a mutual decision. |
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3,321 posts
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Post by david on Feb 26, 2022 18:11:07 GMT
Having watched today’s matinee, there was plenty to like - The Act 1 Victorian setting I thought was terrific with plenty of suspense and some nice bits of humour (the mother and son relationship was funny) thrown in along with great use of video and lighting and sound across the 2 hours. However after the interval (in my opinion wasn’t really needed) I really felt the writing wasn’t as tight (I did find the 1979 Uni student scene funny) and by the final monologue (I have no idea what that was about) I had wished we had more of the Act 1 stuff. I have bought the programme/play text so hopefully a read of it later will throw some light onto that final monologue and what it was trying to achieve.
Rating - 3⭐️
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Feb 26, 2022 18:35:22 GMT
I really enjoyed this. After reading the responses on here I was a little worried so maybe my lowered expectations helped but it was also my kind of thing. It felt a lot like watching some kind of art house film - many striking images with stunning lighting and lofty themes and abstract ideas like the human condition, connection, time, and nature. It brought to mind Memoria which I saw a little while ago, though nowhere near as slow or quite so contemplative. Rakie Ayola was definitely the highlight of the cast for me, I'll have to keep up with what she does from now on as she impressed me at The Half-God of Rainfall as well.
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247 posts
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Post by barelyathletic on Mar 1, 2022 12:31:16 GMT
I thought this was really good. Really well staged, both a visually and dramatically engaging bit of storytelling. It's very well acted and I didn't find it hard to follow at all. And the final monologue was a perfect natural development from all that had gone before. Steeped in myth and history this was totally theatrical with some really beautiful moments in the writing. And, particularly in the second half, I found it very moving in its evocation of loss and loneliness and the need for human contact. A really beautiful piece of theatre and one of the best things I've seen at the Court in quite a while
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531 posts
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Post by wiggymess on Mar 3, 2022 10:59:50 GMT
I thought this was really good. Really well staged, both a visually and dramatically engaging bit of storytelling. It's very well acted and I didn't find it hard to follow at all. And the final monologue was a perfect natural development from all that had gone before. Steeped in myth and history this was totally theatrical with some really beautiful moments in the writing. And, particularly in the second half, I found it very moving in its evocation of loss and loneliness and the need for human contact. A really beautiful piece of theatre and one of the best things I've seen at the Court in quite a while I agree with all of this actually. Glad to have just about caught this in its final few days (despite a mad taxi dash which had me arrive at the Court at 7:27). I felt it spoke about grief and loss in particular in a very moving, original way and think almost everything managed to tie in well with the themes it set out to address and as a result didn't find myself confused and was able to let the (well told, in my opinion) story sweep me away. The scene at the beach near the end had me in tears. Interesting others have said that it has failed on its own terms considering it could be made in a media other than theatre, I don't agree. I'm so glad it wasn't made as a film/TV series/anything other than a live theatre show, which is so willing to embrace metaphorical storytelling and leave you questioning aspects of what you've just seen. Tying this story up in a neat bow (which is so often demanded of those other mediums) would have, in my opinion, taken away all/most of the impact I felt watching this. The 2 hours absolutely flew by, I couldn't believe when it ended. Just in case anyone is seeing it in the next couple of days: {Spoiler - click to view}
I thought the writer was the husband of the Welsh woman, as she had just been talking about him and her grief over his loss. His scenes were in the 70s and hers the 90s - I can't see how it adds up that it would be her son? |
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Post by juicy_but_terribly_drab on Mar 3, 2022 11:30:21 GMT
I thought this was really good. Really well staged, both a visually and dramatically engaging bit of storytelling. It's very well acted and I didn't find it hard to follow at all. And the final monologue was a perfect natural development from all that had gone before. Steeped in myth and history this was totally theatrical with some really beautiful moments in the writing. And, particularly in the second half, I found it very moving in its evocation of loss and loneliness and the need for human contact. A really beautiful piece of theatre and one of the best things I've seen at the Court in quite a while I agree with all of this actually. Glad to have just about caught this in its final few days (despite a mad taxi dash which had me arrive at the Court at 7:27). I felt it spoke about grief and loss in particular in a very moving, original way and think almost everything managed to tie in well with the themes it set out to address and as a result didn't find myself confused and was able to let the (well told, in my opinion) story sweep me away. The scene at the beach near the end had me in tears. Interesting others have said that it has failed on its own terms considering it could be made in a media other than theatre, I don't agree. I'm so glad it wasn't made as a film/TV series/anything other than a live theatre show, which is so willing to embrace metaphorical storytelling and leave you questioning aspects of what you've just seen. Tying this story up in a neat bow (which is so often demanded of those other mediums) would have, in my opinion, taken away all/most of the impact I felt watching this. The 2 hours absolutely flew by, I couldn't believe when it ended. Just in case anyone is seeing it in the next couple of days: {Spoiler - click to view}
I thought the writer was the husband of the Welsh woman, as she had just been talking about him and her grief over his loss. His scenes were in the 70s and hers the 90s - I can't see how it adds up that it would be her son? {Spoiler - click to view}
I bought the text since it also acted as the programme for this show and it says that it's her son: "Ellen stares at her son, awestruck." I thought it was her husband when I saw it as well, I think just because metal detecting on a beach feels like a couple's activity haha. I just assumed her son died when he was quite young but I guess we weren't told so there's no reason he couldn't have died in like his early twenties or something - anyway, Ellen is retired in the 90s so she's relatively old, it wouldn't make sense for her husband to seemingly be a recent uni dropout in the 70s.
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531 posts
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Post by wiggymess on Mar 3, 2022 11:50:35 GMT
I agree with all of this actually. Glad to have just about caught this in its final few days (despite a mad taxi dash which had me arrive at the Court at 7:27). I felt it spoke about grief and loss in particular in a very moving, original way and think almost everything managed to tie in well with the themes it set out to address and as a result didn't find myself confused and was able to let the (well told, in my opinion) story sweep me away. The scene at the beach near the end had me in tears. Interesting others have said that it has failed on its own terms considering it could be made in a media other than theatre, I don't agree. I'm so glad it wasn't made as a film/TV series/anything other than a live theatre show, which is so willing to embrace metaphorical storytelling and leave you questioning aspects of what you've just seen. Tying this story up in a neat bow (which is so often demanded of those other mediums) would have, in my opinion, taken away all/most of the impact I felt watching this. The 2 hours absolutely flew by, I couldn't believe when it ended. Just in case anyone is seeing it in the next couple of days: {Spoiler - click to view}
I thought the writer was the husband of the Welsh woman, as she had just been talking about him and her grief over his loss. His scenes were in the 70s and hers the 90s - I can't see how it adds up that it would be her son? {Spoiler - click to view}
I bought the text since it also acted as the programme for this show and it says that it's her son: "Ellen stares at her son, awestruck." I thought it was her husband when I saw it as well, I think just because metal detecting on a beach feels like a couple's activity haha. I just assumed her son died when he was quite young but I guess we weren't told so there's no reason he couldn't have died in like his early twenties or something - anyway, Ellen is retired in the 90s so she's relatively old, it wouldn't make sense for her husband to seemingly be a recent uni dropout in the 70s.
{Spoiler - click to view}
Thanks for clearing that up. Actually that adds to the emotional heft of it, rendering his scenes all the more heartbreaking knowing he died young. He was a great character but had aspects of sadness to him. Wish I'd seen it earlier in the run as I'd definitely go back and rewatch with that hindsight. |
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1,110 posts
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Post by alicechallice on Mar 4, 2022 12:51:31 GMT
Just had an e-mail that tonight's performance has been cancelled due to cast illness. I don't know what this means for the rest of the weekend if anybody has tickets for that...
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