77 posts
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Post by adolphus on Oct 16, 2022 11:12:53 GMT
A short play (70 min), it nevertheless has considerable emotional depth and much to say about events and encounters which in the end come to define lives. Its a memory play with a beautiful framing device, but its complicated by the fact that we have the separate memories of two men delivered through monologues and fragments of remembered conversations with their respective lovers, and these cross-cut each other. The past constantly intrudes on the present. I'd recommend anyone planning to see this to read the text (which is sold as the programme - £5) first, if they can, as it can be otherwise confusing. I had to read it a couple of times afterwards to establish the precise trajectory and history of each relationship, and to better understand what was happening in the present. I came to appreciate how deftly constructed it is.
Ian Gelder and Christopher Godwin, the leads, , gave perfect performances, and it was nice to see Peter Gill in the audience
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Post by Jan on Oct 16, 2022 12:59:34 GMT
Off topic but it’s the 400th anniversary of Moliere’s birth this year. All our subsidised London theatres seem to be ignoring this fact but Jermyn Street are doing a rehearsed reading of The Misanthrope next Sunday (the Roger McGough verse version) if you are interested.
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63 posts
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Post by pledge on Oct 17, 2022 8:00:24 GMT
Agreed, beautifully written, but at a first viewing (hearing?) this was baffling at times - who is referring to who(m), and when? It hadn't occurred to me to read the text in advance, which would have helped. I should imagine on a second or third visit this would pack far more of a punch, but I'm afraid my bank balance isn't up to it. However, it's well done, great to see some stalwarts like Ian G and Christopher G again, and with the above caveat worth a visit.
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1,500 posts
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Post by Steve on Oct 25, 2022 21:23:53 GMT
I saw this this evening and thought it was mesmerising. Some spoilers follow. . . This felt like regressing to childhood, and surrendering to stories told by people you trust and care for. If you expect dramatic action from a play, however, this may not be the play for you. If, on the other hand, you are in the mood for Jackanory for grown-ups, character-defining memories are related with haunting vividness and infectious aliveness that makes a quotidian present (represented by the older men's younger visitors) fade away, and if you feel alert enough to give the storytelling your full attention, this is a dreamlike wonder. Ian Gelder is terrific, articulate and compassionate in equal measure, a perfect storyteller. Christopher Godwin is more fascinating still, so alive in every memory in which he loses himself utterly, but fading into the vacancy of dementia every time he jarringly returns to the present. The stories themselves are fascinating, illuminating the characters of the storytellers, including moments of stolen joy, as well as of regressive and repressive past attitudes, but more than anything, this play is a tribute to memory and storytelling itself, it's importance for both narrators and listeners, and it's ability to influence present and future too. Gelder and Godwin get great support from a peerless cast, particularly from an open-hearted Claire Price and a caustic Andrew Woodall. 4 stars from me.  |
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Post by chadexx on Oct 26, 2022 5:03:16 GMT
A note on timing: at he matinee yesterday we were out of the theatre within the hour so maybe there have been some judicious cuts.
I agree about the pitch-perfect performances!
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382 posts
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Post by stevemar on Nov 8, 2022 18:04:15 GMT
Agreed, beautifully written, but at a first viewing (hearing?) this was baffling at times - who is referring to who(m), and when? It hadn't occurred to me to read the text in advance, which would have helped. I should imagine on a second or third visit this would pack far more of a punch, but I'm afraid my bank balance isn't up to it. However, it's well done, great to see some stalwarts like Ian G and Christopher G again, and with the above caveat worth a visit. I enjoyed this but found it confusing at times which made the meaning slightly foggy. Having loved the York Realist, I would have loved to have seen more connection between the characters. But I get that this was more of a contemplation on memories and the past. 6/10 from me. |
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1,348 posts
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Post by tmesis on Nov 13, 2022 17:22:45 GMT
So pleased I caught the final performance of this last night. I found it a totally absorbing and moving hour in the theatre and a perfect postlude to The York Realist. The pitch perfect cast had the audience hanging on every word.
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