4,472 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Dec 2, 2023 21:17:49 GMT
Went to press on Thursday having seen it last year too. It's a 5 star production of a 3 star show, so evens out at just 4 stars for me.
Big chunks of it are massively self indulgent and could be cut (like there's a good 20 minutes that can go and no one would notice)
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Post by toomasj on Dec 2, 2023 21:47:37 GMT
Any changes from last year?
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4,472 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Dec 2, 2023 21:53:09 GMT
Any changes from last year? No it's still too long 😂
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Post by happysooz2 on Dec 2, 2023 22:48:47 GMT
Any changes from last year? No it's still too long 😂 This is 100% true but I will say, the kids in the audience were enraptured. The first half length tested me, but the kids were generally very well behaved.
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Post by vickyg on Dec 5, 2023 15:36:09 GMT
I saw this last night and was really enamoured by how beautiful it is. I had no idea what to expect other than there being some kind of puppetry and it went beyond anything I had anticipated. Parts were quite slow moving and it being so focused on two children was not my favourite (because children aren't my favourite!) but it wasn't like anything I've ever seen and overall the time pretty much flew by. I felt like I was in another world and today it seems to have left a mark on me.
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Post by ladidah on Dec 5, 2023 15:42:25 GMT
I really want to see this, hoping for a good deal as it's very expensive.
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Post by theatregoer22 on Dec 5, 2023 19:28:53 GMT
I really want to see this, hoping for a good deal as it's very expensive. They do day seats if you get onto the website quick at 10am on the day you want to go.
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161 posts
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Post by dan on Dec 5, 2023 21:34:49 GMT
I really want to see this, hoping for a good deal as it's very expensive. I have a ticket for sale on the noticeboard open to offers
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Post by toomasj on Dec 5, 2023 21:55:07 GMT
I really want to see this, hoping for a good deal as it's very expensive. They do day seats if you get onto the website quick at 10am on the day you want to go. Reminder from earlier in the thread, go on the day before (or any time before the day of the show), save the URL for the buy tickets page for the date you want day seats for. Log on at 9:50am to the address you have saved and hammer refresh constantly. They’re often released as much as 7-8 minutes early, and if you try and access the link on the day you’ll generally just get a “sold out” message. Magically, the front row will go from greyed out to blue (or whatever) and you can quickly reserve up to two seats. Towards the end of the run last year people got wise to this trick, but it’s still the only way to have a fair chance of getting a day seat.
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Post by capybara on Dec 5, 2023 22:41:35 GMT
I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this but the accolades and awards tempted me to book a ticket long before it sold out.
I’m so glad I did because it is such a wonderful piece of theatre. I’m not usually one for puppetry but the way this has been put together is so clever and joyful.
If you can grab a ticket, it’s definitely worth the schlep over to the Barbican. Might have to check out the film now…
Four stars.
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Post by toomasj on Dec 5, 2023 23:00:33 GMT
I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this but the accolades and awards tempted me to book a ticket long before it sold out. I’m so glad I did because it is such a wonderful piece of theatre. I’m not usually one for puppetry but the way this has been put together is so clever and joyful. If you can grab a ticket, it’s definitely worth the schlep over to the Barbican. Might have to check out the film now… Four stars. Oh the film is magical. You’ll love it!
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Post by yokollama on Dec 6, 2023 9:46:51 GMT
Might have to check out the film now… And the rest of Studio Ghibli...
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Post by ladidah on Dec 6, 2023 10:00:56 GMT
Just got one for tonight, thank you!
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1,010 posts
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Post by David J on Dec 6, 2023 10:03:43 GMT
Copied today's performance page and tried refreshing it after 9:50 but the tickets appeared at 10:00 so looks like the Barbican has closed off that loophole. Tickets went quickly so I'd still get the url and keep refreshing it as the time goes 10:00
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Post by toomasj on Dec 6, 2023 17:47:48 GMT
Just got one for tonight, thank you! Did the technique work? Considering going back in the New Year after absolutely loving this last year. To..To..ROOOOOOOO
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Post by toomasj on Dec 6, 2023 17:48:48 GMT
Copied today's performance page and tried refreshing it after 9:50 but the tickets appeared at 10:00 so looks like the Barbican has closed off that loophole. Tickets went quickly so I'd still get the url and keep refreshing it as the time goes 10:00 Sorry to hear that - the tickets go incredibly quickly regardless. It’s a hugely popular show - I’ll give it a go myself in due course. Sorry it didn’t work out for you.
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Post by mattnyc on Dec 6, 2023 23:28:31 GMT
Saw this tonight. I’d never seen the film so not at all familiar with this, I just knew of all the awards so I was definitely curious. This was…not for me lol. It was beautiful to look at in parts but at almost 3 hours long (for something that I think should be max 90 mins) it was trying on my patience at times. But lots of people were in heaven walking out so I’m happy that they loved it.
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Post by marob on Dec 12, 2023 0:24:09 GMT
It’s a year later than I would have liked, but I finally saw this tonight. I like Ghibli, but never quite got the film’s popularity. But I thought this was just wonderful. Had a big grin on my face from the opening title sequence on. I think it helped that they added a lot more humour. I did feel like it drags a little in act 2 even though it’s much shorter than the first (like do the villagers really need to enter soooo slooooowly?)
Caught me off guard a little as I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did.
Also nice to get a chance to visit the Barbican again, having only been there the once for Anything Goes. I wish more things would go in there, it’s much nicer than anywhere else in the West End.
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Post by ladidah on Dec 14, 2023 8:44:03 GMT
I saw this last night, truly magical. I was in awe
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Post by toomasj on Dec 14, 2023 8:56:10 GMT
I saw this last night, truly magical. I was in awe My favourite bits were direct movie recreations - they did the Catbus so well, and Totoro’s reveal, and the umbrella moment. Just grinned from ear to ear. I’ll be back to see the revival in the new year. Lovely piece of theatre.
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Post by ladidah on Dec 14, 2023 8:57:19 GMT
When I saw Totoro, I was actually open-mouthed, it felt very special.
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1,244 posts
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Post by londonmzfitz on Dec 15, 2023 11:53:48 GMT
Matinee yesterday, many many children. Just after 2pm start (little late as seat error 2nd row, two lots of people with same tickets). First 5 minutes I was all - wtf - and then got swept up in the charm, little Mei is superb, the puppetry, the sweet story ... I went in knowing just a teeny tiny bit of what to expect and was absolutely charmed by it. Children were quiet for the most part, little lad singing To-To-Roooo on leaving filled my heart.
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Post by ladidah on Dec 15, 2023 14:32:44 GMT
Did they genuinely both have the right tickets?
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Post by greatauntedna on Dec 16, 2023 14:53:15 GMT
I hated this when the puppets weren’t on stage. Totoro was impressive. Two kids wandering around yapping, I could understand if there was something about the set or music to offset them but there wasn’t. It was an ordeal!
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Post by ceebee on Dec 16, 2023 22:17:17 GMT
I hated this when the puppets weren’t on stage. Totoro was impressive. Two kids wandering around yapping, I could understand if there was something about the set or music to offset them but there wasn’t. It was an ordeal! Yup. I found it a childish bore.
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Post by jek on Dec 17, 2023 14:45:35 GMT
Return visit to this last night having seen it in the first run. Slight worry as we weren't let in at first 'due to technical difficulties' but it went ahead after a ten minute delay. It was just as magical as we remembered, and the extra person who had joined us this time just loved it. The pacing is so right to get the feel of the movie and also has the ability to grip children in the way that some slow things do (and many of us will have had the experience of small children wanting to watch stuff endlessly on repeat). I particularly love the rapt attention of the whole audience when the 'mild peril' is introduced in the second half. And the music is just lush - and played and sung so beautifully. Definitely five stars from me. Clearly the merchandise is a huge hit too (luckily not my thing as it was very expensive). All three of the selling points were very crowded and lots of people had bags, plushies etc.
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Post by ladidah on Dec 18, 2023 8:01:05 GMT
Yes, I picked up a little soft toy and it was £40!
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Post by londonmzfitz on Dec 18, 2023 10:28:04 GMT
Did they genuinely both have the right tickets? I'm not sure - there were a family (Mum, Dad, 2 little ones) in the four seats, 2nd row centre. Two young Japanese women came in about 10 mins before lights down, Dad started to argue with the Barbican staff - they asked him/his family to come out into the lobby with the two young women to sort it out and he refused, saying loudly "I told the Barbican this would happen". He refused to move - Barbican staff took the two young women away. Never fully understood - 4 seats = 4 people in them v 2 women -?- I went to see Harry Connick Jr at the Royal Albert Hall once, 5th row centre - the entire 4th row centre had been sold twice. First bums on seats stayed, the second comers were found alternative seats around the auditorium. I went to see Donny Osmond at Hammersmith Apollo on Thursday - Couple front row centre had made themselves comfy for about 30 mins when two women arrived with tickets for the same seats literally a minute before lights down. Woman stayed in her seat while man went with the two recently arrived women to the box office to sort (he'd made a big show of searching their bags and coats and pockets for tickets). Took almost 15 mins to sort before the woman was ushered out of her seat with all their bags and coats, and the two latecomers finally took their seats. Is why I'm always early!
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Post by ladidah on Dec 18, 2023 10:36:50 GMT
Oh wow, I wonder what had happened!
When I went, someone tried to kick off about someone being in their seats until it was politely pointed out to them it was row c, seat 13 in the circle. Awkward.
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Post by londonmzfitz on Dec 18, 2023 11:50:30 GMT
Oh wow, I wonder what had happened! When I went, someone tried to kick off about someone being in their seats until it was politely pointed out to them it was row c, seat 13 in the circle. Awkward. Donny Osmond again, on Thursday - man and woman wandering around the front stalls trying to find their seats. Staff member came over, took a look, pointed to the Circle seats ... the woman looked crushed. "you're front row, love".... Yes, front row 'up there' ....
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