2,760 posts
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Post by n1david on Jun 2, 2016 14:13:19 GMT
• Amadeus by Peter Shaffer with Lucian Msamati as Salieri (Olivier) • The Red Barn, a new play by David Hare (Lyttleton) • Stuff Happens, a rehearsed reading of David Hare's landmark play, staged to coincide with the publication of the Chilcot report (Lyttleton) • Peter Pan, a Bristol Old Vic co-production directed by Sally Cookson with Sophie Thompson as Captain Hook/Mrs Darling and Paul Hilton as Peter (Olivier) • Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, a National Theatre of Scotland and Live Theatre co-production (Dorfman) • A Pacifist’s Guide to the War on Cancer, a Complicite Associates co-production with the National Theatre, in association with HOME Manchester (Dorfman) • River Stage, the National Theatre’s outdoor arts and music festival, returns to present a host of free weekend entertainment from 29 July to 29 August. The festival hosts takeover weekends from Latitude Festival, Rambert Dance Company, Bristol’s Mayfest, East London’s The Glory and the NT. Each weekend will stage the very best in live music, dance, performance, DJs and family workshops • Connections 21, celebrating 21 years of the world’s largest youth arts festival. www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/content/season-page |
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830 posts
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Post by rumbledoll on Jun 2, 2016 16:14:12 GMT
Fancy Barn & Amadeus. Very curious to know who's playing Mazart to Msamati's Salieri.
I wonder why they haven't announced NTLive for this season yet.. Hope not saving funds and not doing it...
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3,575 posts
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Post by showgirl on Jun 2, 2016 16:26:40 GMT
Sounds a bit of a hotch-potch to me - but maybe the positive response would be to say that it's very varied and that there must be something for everyone.
I've already booked for Our Ladies Of Perpetual Succour and having seen Amadeus less than a year ago in Chichester, I wouldn't want to see another production so soon. The new David Hare might interest me but I shan't book for the initial run if it's shown as "further performances to be announced" as I suspect will be the case - I will await the reviews.
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5,707 posts
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Post by lynette on Jun 2, 2016 16:49:30 GMT
I didn't like Stuff Happens when it happened. Interesting that it is a reading becaue that is what it is, a text. It was made dramatic in an artificial way. Serious message of course but it was very, very in your face with no space for argument. I prefer my political plays to be more subtle. So we have the Hare Fesrival and not much else. Amadeus worth a revival so will book for that.
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2,760 posts
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Post by n1david on Jun 2, 2016 17:12:23 GMT
Yes, I'm in for Amadeus but that's all at this stage. Red Barn does have further performances so I'll wait to see reviews on that as I'm a bit cool on David Hare these days - although I like the sound of it, I don't imagine there will be problems getting tickets nearer the time or in Friday Rush unless there's very starry casting involved. Peter Pan isn't for me, I've booked Our Ladies already (and very much looking forward to that!) but don't think I'm up to the Cancer show.
Interested to see the return of the River Stage, I'm assuming this is going back into what used to be called Festival Square before the Shed went up. The webpage for the River Stage isn't live yet.
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816 posts
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Post by stefy69 on Jun 2, 2016 17:55:00 GMT
Yes at the moment it's only Amadeus for me.
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751 posts
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Post by horton on Jun 2, 2016 18:09:02 GMT
Stuff Happens felt like a rehearsed reading in its original staging. Very dull.
This is a very limp programme in my view
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385 posts
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Post by Ade on Jun 2, 2016 19:20:58 GMT
Slightly off topic but I don't like how the NT has lost any sense of branding since Rufus took over. Every production seems to have a completely different look and feel to the design of the promotional materials, so that there's no consistent identity for the theatre. That's probably completely intentional to reflect a more varied programme or to make it less about the theatre and more about the productions, but I think the strength of the NT brand has weakened as a result. Of course, the new website doesn't help, which itself feels more like an out of the box ticketing site with the NT logo stuck on it.
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923 posts
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Post by Snciole on Jun 3, 2016 10:15:58 GMT
Lucian Msamarti looks incredibly handsome in the publicity still though so that's me booked for Amadeus.  |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2016 10:19:28 GMT
Having already booked Our Ladies, it'll be Amadeus, Red Barn, and A Pacifist's Guide for me. I'm still undecided on Peter Pan, though I greatly appreciate Sally Cookson so will probably crack eventually. David Hare and Robert Icke on The Red Barn though, I think I will definitely have to book a matinee for that one...
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Post by RedRose on Jun 3, 2016 10:53:10 GMT
I'm still undecided on Peter Pan, though I greatly appreciate Sally Cookson so will probably crack eventually. From the original cast Madeleine Worrall (Jane Eyre) will be in it again as Wendy. They will rework it. So it will be a bit different from the original Bristol Version. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2016 10:54:22 GMT
Didn't realise Icke was directing Red Barn but that's enough to get me booking as I tend to book because of director, writer/group, cast in that order; you get a better idea of what to expect. On that subject I presume the Van Hove Hedda Gabler will be in the next booking period.
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2,058 posts
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Post by Marwood on Jun 3, 2016 11:25:15 GMT
Not much there that interests me, might go to Amadeus if I can get a cheap ticket, otherwise not that bothered if I miss the rest.
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Post by johng on Jun 4, 2016 17:25:40 GMT
A few £15 tickets for the Chekhov shows on 3rd September currently available. Persuaded me, having seen them all several times at Chichester, to see Platonov and Ivanov again.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2016 21:03:24 GMT
Slightly off topic but I don't like how the NT has lost any sense of branding since Rufus took over. Every production seems to have a completely different look and feel to the design of the promotional materials, so that there's no consistent identity for the theatre. That's probably completely intentional to reflect a more varied programme or to make it less about the theatre and more about the productions, but I think the strength of the NT brand has weakened as a result. Of course, the new website doesn't help, which itself feels more like an out of the box ticketing site with the NT logo stuck on it. Slightly off topic but, Ade, you have one of the cutest avatars on this board. I said it before, and I'm saying it again.  |
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385 posts
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Post by Ade on Jun 4, 2016 21:38:22 GMT
Slightly off topic but I don't like how the NT has lost any sense of branding since Rufus took over. Every production seems to have a completely different look and feel to the design of the promotional materials, so that there's no consistent identity for the theatre. That's probably completely intentional to reflect a more varied programme or to make it less about the theatre and more about the productions, but I think the strength of the NT brand has weakened as a result. Of course, the new website doesn't help, which itself feels more like an out of the box ticketing site with the NT logo stuck on it. Slightly off topic but, Ade, you have one of the cutest avatars on this board. I said it before, and I'm saying it again. Ha thank you  very kind of you |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2016 22:22:32 GMT
Slightly off topic but, Ade, you have one of the cutest avatars on this board. I said it before, and I'm saying it again. Ha thank you very kind of you Is is your photo Or am I being stupid and its someone famous? |
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385 posts
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Post by Ade on Jun 4, 2016 23:01:31 GMT
Ha thank you very kind of you Is is your photo Or am I being stupid and its someone famous? It's most definitely me... |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2016 12:10:22 GMT
Here's a link to two lengthy interviews with Rufus Norris, eleven years apart, by the same interviewer. The 2005 one is a long, published print interview on the state of British theatre at that time, and is very stimulating. April 2016 is a 50 minute radio conversation, and is more familiar if you've been following the recent fortunes of the NT. mayfestbristol.co.uk/blog-posts/people-rufus-norris-interviewed-sara-jane-bailes-2005/ |
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Post by theatreliker on Jun 6, 2016 12:46:54 GMT
On a more general note, it seems that more and more seats are now for cafe/theatre customers only when I went in on Saturday. Slippery slope? It's a public space.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2016 13:04:57 GMT
It's been that way for a while. There are far fewer places to just sit without being told to - or made to feel you should - buy food. Disappointing and not as welcoming as it used to be.
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3,575 posts
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Post by showgirl on Jun 6, 2016 13:05:08 GMT
On a more general note, it seems that more and more seats are now for cafe/theatre customers only when I went in on Saturday. Slippery slope? It's a public space. Yup, I found the same when there for 2 plays last Thursday - though as always, there were people hogging seats in the cafe area without consuming anything, or long after having finished doing so, whilst customers with laden trays searched for a seat. |
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Post by n1david on Jun 6, 2016 16:18:18 GMT
Yup, I found the same when there for 2 plays last Thursday - though as always, there were people hogging seats in the cafe area without consuming anything, or long after having finished doing so, whilst customers with laden trays searched for a seat. When I was there last week it struck me that they were suffering some of the same problem as the RFH - at 6.30pm virtually all the Lyttleton bar seats were taken up by students studying (judging by the laptops, textbooks and piles of written notes around them). The RFH tries to clear out the bars for patrons only shortly before each show, but in my experience doesn't succeed very well. I don't know what the answer is given that the NT wants to open itself up for public access, but there needs to be space for people to eat, drink or even just to wait comfortably for the performance they've paid for. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2016 16:33:43 GMT
Forgive me if it has been answered before, but what exactly is different about this Bristol Old Vic version of Peter Pan? Not asking in a skeptical way but purely because of the many versions that have been done before i.e. the RSC's Wendy and Peter Pan.
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Post by Jon on Jun 6, 2016 16:45:59 GMT
Yup, I found the same when there for 2 plays last Thursday - though as always, there were people hogging seats in the cafe area without consuming anything, or long after having finished doing so, whilst customers with laden trays searched for a seat. When I was there last week it struck me that they were suffering some of the same problem as the RFH - at 6.30pm virtually all the Lyttleton bar seats were taken up by students studying (judging by the laptops, textbooks and piles of written notes around them). The RFH tries to clear out the bars for patrons only shortly before each show, but in my experience doesn't succeed very well. I don't know what the answer is given that the NT wants to open itself up for public access, but there needs to be space for people to eat, drink or even just to wait comfortably for the performance they've paid for. The National is a big building so I think that places like Kitchen should have seats for people eating and other areas like the upstairs areas which are usually never busy or at the Dorfman where people can study. |
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very kind of you 
