The Corn is Green - National - Lyttelton

I didn't realise I had a choice. Are the original seats still being used then?

The stage extends over the front row so those seats aren’t in use.

So they've known about this since at least 7 April then. I presume they've been storing up returns so that they didn't have to move everyone affected to the back of the circle. I guess I'm lucky to still get a good close-up view.

As per the recent Young Vic discussion, I struggle to understand why theatre contracts with the director and set designer can't specify the date by which they must let the theatre know of any unavailable or restricted-view seats, with no changes allowed after that date. Smacks of ineffectual management to me.

Oh dear! Reading through this thread and looking at reviews post-show is deeply depressing. If this production is what constitutes good entertainment, I might as well give up on theatre with immediate effect.

That today's matinée received a partial standing ovation and enthusiastic applause, I struggle to compute. I found the whole thing utterly dreadful and sailing perilously close to one-star land

Every major directorial decision was astonishingly ill-judged: the framing device was tiresome after a couple of minutes, never mind the whole damn play; the open set of Act 1; the anachronistic, modern acting/speaking style of Walker; having 30-something actors playing teenage miners and 16-year-old Bessie -- are the nation's drama schools as bare as the first-act stage?; the fourth-wall breaking by Walker; costume/make-up for the miners reminiscent of Mary Poppins' chimney sweeps with full-on black-face ludicrously meant to signify coal dust; caricature Cockneys; caricature squire; caricature maiden. I could go on...

The actual "Educating Rita" story would not be uninteresting were the behaviour and dialogue of characters not so unbelievable and unrealistic at every turn.

Perhaps the nod to Disney chimney sweeps is apposite, since the lead here is less a rounded character than a practically perfect feminist.

I would reserve the worst of my scorn for the set designer who seems to hold the audience in callous disregard. The partial removal of the front row seating was entirely gratuitous, serving only to provide a platform for a short prelude to Act 2 in front of the safety iron that then opened painfully slowly. It would have been far less clunky had that scene been staged in front of a quickly opening curtain further back. Both acts are performed on platforms needlessly raised 15 inches, impairing the sightlines of those in the front four rows. Act 2 takes place in a box that is 60% of the stage width with side walls perpendicular to the stage front, meaning that front corner seats have a severely restricted view.

A very disappointing afternoon, quite surprisingly.

Two stars.

Act 1: 14:16-15:39
Act 2: 16:02-16:57

Don't they use 3-D computer modelling so they can see exactly how the set will fit and what it will look like from any seat?

mkb I raised this concern and you too then mentioned "the anachronistic, modern acting/speaking style of Walker" but we seem to be the only two so far. I cannot understand how this has failed to jar with others; did no-one else notice it?

This was a highly enjoyable evening and an excellent example of a play which when played straight may well be rather dated, sentimental and melodramatic but given the directorial framing retains its emotional power whilst not entirely junking the sentiment. Excellent performances all round and the most applause for anything I've seen since reopening after Covid. Can't wait to see what Dominic Cooke does next... can anyone remind me?