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Post by Dave B on Nov 13, 2021 22:58:45 GMT
My better half saw it this evening and loved it. Wonderful and magical are words I've heard repeated since she got home. Apparently some unintended comedy gold with a broken prop and missing turkey and a lot of covering from Stephen Mangan.
Mince pies or satsumas on offer on arrival.
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Post by G on Nov 14, 2021 0:07:50 GMT
My better half saw it this evening and loved it. Wonderful and magical are words I've heard repeated since she got home. Apparently some unintended comedy gold with a broken prop and missing turkey and a lot of covering from Stephen Mangan. Mince pies or satsumas on offer on arrival. Can confirm, as well as roaring laughter when a child actor referred to the turkey as that was his line which Mangan played off wonderfully (some other actors just looked confused but overall the whole thing added such comic relief in the right spot of the play that I half wonder if that could be worth keeping in as a gag). A missing roast turkey, that's the fourth ghost of Christmas right there... |
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Post by ceebee on Nov 14, 2021 0:15:53 GMT
First preview was good - really slick. Stephen Mangan's Scrooge is really rather special. Go see!
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Post by londonpostie on Nov 14, 2021 4:31:22 GMT
Looking forward to this now, at 1pm on 24th December: WINNER WINNER TURKEY DINNER
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Post by mrnutz on Nov 14, 2021 8:48:14 GMT
I saw this last night for the first time - £10 ticket in a single pair of seats at the side of the stage. Quite a special place to sit!
Pure joy from start to finish. Not sure how the other actors have played it in previous years but I wasn't sold on Mangan's Scrooge in the first half. However, with the turkey mishap in the second half his comedic talents really came into their own.
Loved it. Perfect length, too - nice and punchy but with an interval to refuel.
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Post by ceebee on Nov 14, 2021 12:11:31 GMT
I saw this last night for the first time - £10 ticket in a single pair of seats at the side of the stage. Quite a special place to sit! Pure joy from start to finish. Not sure how the other actors have played it in previous years but I wasn't sold on Mangan's Scrooge in the first half. However, with the turkey mishap in the second half his comedic talents really came into their own. Loved it. Perfect length, too - nice and punchy but with an interval to refuel. I agree - I think Mangan was a bit safe in the first half and needed a little more of Scrooge's darkness, though this emerged early second half with the casket scene and his anger/fear. For a first preview, I thought he was excellent. |
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Post by couldileaveyou on Nov 15, 2021 15:59:55 GMT
it looks like all tickets for tonight are 20£
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Post by Jan on Nov 15, 2021 16:37:10 GMT
For a first preview, I thought he was excellent. Yes allowances have to be made on first previews. I remember one actor years ago saying they rehearsed a play - it might have been an early Pinter piece - and it was only on the first preview they realised it was a comedy. |
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wick3
Auditioning
live in USA but travel to London just to watch live theatre!
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Post by wick3 on Nov 18, 2021 3:16:35 GMT
I watched the second preview on Monday evening and wow am soooo glad I bought a ticket! I've only seen the Broadway production back in 2019 but am so glad I got to see it at the Old Vic as the staging is different. I sat on the stage stalls side and it was such a different perspective sitting there. They provided my row with black masks to wear during the show as we were in the front row. I didn't mind and for the most part everyone in my row kept them on.
BTW, from my angle it looked like that huge lantern is sooo close to Scrooge (almost hitting him) but I think in reality it's really far from his head right? Has there ever been a time when that giant lantern hit Scrooge?
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Post by jamb0r on Nov 18, 2021 18:13:20 GMT
This was as magical as ever last night - the entire cast were great and Mangan makes an excellent Scrooge, especially in the second act.
The seats on the side of the stage were fantastic, however I did feel very self conscious during the final talk between Scrooge and Belle where Mangan had tears running down his cheeks a few feet in front of me - I was an absolute mess!
Only disappointment was the mince pies weren’t warm this year
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Post by ceebee on Nov 18, 2021 19:54:04 GMT
This was as magical as ever last night - the entire cast were great and Mangan makes an excellent Scrooge, especially in the second act. The seats on the side of the stage were fantastic, however I did feel very self conscious during the final talk between Scrooge and Belle where Mangan had tears running down his cheeks a few feet in front of me - I was an absolute mess! Only disappointment was the mince pies weren’t warm this year Yes!! I have seen this twice in preview - he was blubbing in his speech to Fred too, which set me off. I knew Stephen Mangan was talented but I had no idea just how good an actor he is. There's a wonderful consistency and realism to his portrayal, instead of presenting a caricature. I sympathise with his Scrooge, understand his moral dilemmas juxtaposed with the burden of his own expectations. Mangan has got right under the skin of this character and is literally unsettled and spooked rather than snarly and grotesque. As a result, there's beauty in the simplicity of his redemption, which builds from that first half closure of doubtfulness and fear, to an emerging willing convert to being a better person early on in Belle's prophecy. As a result, his willingness to change feels natural, and probably more resonant than a sudden 'epiphany'. I've always loved this production, but think that Stephen Mangan's 'Scrooge' is quite extraordinary, even this early on in the run. |
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Post by kathryn on Nov 19, 2021 21:02:00 GMT
Seeing this tomorrow with my parents. They got a little panicked by the entry time email today saying we need to be there between 6:30 and 7 but I’ve reassured them we can saunter in at 7pm after dinner! What was the entry process like? Did they check for COVID passes etc?
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Post by altamont on Nov 19, 2021 21:57:19 GMT
Just a temperature check - that was all this evening. It is worth checking back for reduced tickets - we bought two in the front row of the on-stage seating for £20 each this morning - They weren’t available yesterday.
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Post by kathryn on Nov 21, 2021 11:45:25 GMT
Well, this was utterly joyful as always last night!
My only grumble - sitting on the end of a row in the stage stalls - was that I could hear the cast/crew in the wings quite a bit during the show. Little bit distracting.
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Post by NeilVHughes on Nov 21, 2021 11:53:29 GMT
No one has answered the most important question, do we still get mince pies.
Nice offer last week from the Old Vic for the remaining Nov dates and with the positive vibe for Mangan have booked for the 30th.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Nov 21, 2021 12:26:43 GMT
No one has answered the most important question, do we still get mince pies. Yup, in a tiny paper bag! |
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Post by kathryn on Nov 21, 2021 12:49:52 GMT
And Satsumas! An interval satsuma turned out be be wonderfully refreshing.
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Post by ceebee on Nov 21, 2021 15:01:07 GMT
Yup, deffo mince pies but cold not warm... Have seen this in preview a couple of times and highly recommend it. Stephen Mangan is superb.
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Post by Dave B on Nov 21, 2021 15:45:53 GMT
No one has answered the most important question, do we still get mince pies. I did answer! Back on opening night  |
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Post by Mark on Nov 22, 2021 22:58:03 GMT
Magical!
Loved it.
Can't believe I allowed this one to pass me by in previous years.
The stage seats were a great place to sit. They'd been reduced to £20 when I looked this morning and I couldn't resist. Definitely worth keeping an eye on the OV website during the day.
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Post by ceebee on Nov 25, 2021 10:38:14 GMT
Good reviews for this following yesterday's press night, and some great seats/prices available this evening if anybody is in town.
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Post by eua78 on Nov 25, 2021 11:18:56 GMT
I thought this was a great way to enter the holiday season, the cast were brilliant and I love the free satsumas/mince pies  . Maybe for me it wasn't dark enough at parts during Act one but Act 2 certainly made up for this. The bell ringing was fabulous and I loved the music played in the background throughout the play, the audience participation was amazing, and the staging really works as you feel involved, especially when the snow falls on the audience. |
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Post by ceebee on Nov 25, 2021 14:48:47 GMT
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Post by David J on Nov 27, 2021 21:25:56 GMT
Saw this play for the seventh time.
Can’t get enough of the singing and music. Particularly that ‘Christ was born in Bethlehem’ moment. Can we have a cd recording of the songs/music please Old Vic!
Sadly the show had to finish abruptly before the last bell ringing because someone in the front row had fainted or something
Couldn’t help notice they got younger actors in some of the roles. Marley and Cratchett particularly. Starting to verge into Les Mis territory there
Afraid im in the not sold camp over Stephen Mangan. Not bad but it was clear that he was putting on the act of the miserly old man without embodying the troubled Scrooge
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Post by ceebee on Nov 27, 2021 21:33:39 GMT
Saw this play for the seventh time. Can’t get enough of the singing and music. Particularly that ‘Christ was born in Bethlehem’ moment. Can we have a cd recording of the songs/music please Old Vic! Sadly the show had to finish abruptly before the last bell ringing because someone in the front row had fainted or something Couldn’t help notice they got younger actors in some of the roles. Marley and Cratchett particularly. Starting to verge into Les Mis territory there Afraid im in the not sold camp over Stephen Mangan. Not bad but it was clear that he was putting on the act of the miserly old man without embodying the troubled Scrooge Did you see the In Camera version last year? You could possibly have got a decent audio recording from that... Like you, I love this production. I've been fortunate to see this year's cast a few times already. Tonight they excelled. Disagree on Stephen Mangan - I find his portrayal very human and troubled, and I like that his emotions are close to the surface throughout. |
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. Maybe for me it wasn't dark enough at parts during Act one but Act 2 certainly made up for this. 