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Post by Jon on Mar 18, 2023 0:33:10 GMT
Still feel a bit drained from seeing A Little Life, James Norton gave a great performance although how he's going to do it for the next four months is nothing short of miraculous. If you can handle it, the onstage seats are a great way to experience the show both visually and oddly smells as well because of the kitchen and cleaning products which Harold uses to clean the blood on the stage at one point.
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Post by marob on Mar 18, 2023 1:00:28 GMT
Is it not illegal to take (let alone publish) naked photos of people without their consent nowadays?
Didn’t read it, mostly looks like one of those ‘articles’ where the author just transcribes stuff they’ve seen on twitter, but this bit stood out:
At least they’re honest.
I guess they’ll be making the whole audience use those phone pouch thingies going forward.
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Post by jamb0r on Mar 18, 2023 8:19:44 GMT
Well I wasn’t expecting to be in the Daily Mail this morning, but you can very clearly see my face sat behind the cast in those photos! Who can I sue?
What an awful thing to do.
Not really sure if there is any way they could prevent that from happening. Even the pouches wouldn’t solve it, if someone was that determined to do it they could just take a second phone with them.
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Post by clarefh on Mar 18, 2023 10:08:17 GMT
I don’t think there is anything they can do, and I’m guessing they must have been half expecting this to happen despite best efforts.
Have to say James Norton’s performance has really stayed with me, despite my reservations about the play overall. Certain scenes and moments keep popping into my head. I’m off to see something else this evening so kind of hoping that will replace it!
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Post by jamb0r on Mar 18, 2023 12:16:12 GMT
Looks like the article has been taken off the Daily Mail website now. I imagine there would have been some angry phone calls from the producers office this morning!
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Post by stevemar on Mar 18, 2023 12:23:38 GMT
I saw the play in Richmond, having very much looked forward to it. Thanks as always to posters who gave early warning of booking.
There was a palpable sense of excitement as “event” theatre with a very different audience profile to usual, and we had great seats behind the string quartet row C. The music really added to the atmosphere of this production.
I have not read the book, so can only go by what was on stage.
James Norton was absolutely committed and I cannot find fault in his performance, which reminded me of his character in Bug at Found 111. Luke Thompson as Willem was also excellent, as well as Elliott Cowan convincing as Father Luke and other “bad” characters, and Zubin Varla did some of the heavy lifting as Harold. I thought Nathalie Armin was fine as the social worker/Greek chorus in attempting to bring more nuance to the thoughts of Jude. Is she in the book much as a narrator?
My main issue is the lack of nuance in the production. I do not know if this is down to Hanya Yanagihara or, I suspect (based on comments here), the concept and adaptation by Ivo Van Hove. Any lighter moments were fleeting, and the repeated violence and abuse became repetitive, even though they gathered some momentum the second or third time. There was no way out from the repetition and echoes of the past. No light and shade, no redemption. I realise this might be part of the point of this book, but where the director has referred to the love of Harold and his friends for Jude in interviews, I felt this was overwhelmed by the shock factor and violence here.
Whilst I had sympathy for Jude, the cumulative effect for me was a lack of any empathy with his character. I felt that the direction pushed this to where he was akin to a lab rat being abused continually. Does this reflect the book?
I have no idea why I thought of it whilst watching, since I never saw Cleansed by Sarah Kane (director Katie Mitchell at the NT), but the torture and self torture here became like a horror show. The press coverage has reflected some of this. I felt that this distancing from Jude did not serve the production well.
I’ve enjoyed up to a certain extent various Van Hove productions - but the situations become so extreme - Ruth Wilson’s jealousy in Hedda Gabbler, Jude Law’s obsession in..Obsession, and recent Hans Kesting’s injustice and blame in Who Killed My Father. More akin to Greek tragedies, so this production was at least inconsistent in the shame and self hatred Jude felt. But being stretched out to 3hr 40m with the story arc being oddly constricted here despite the running time.
The set was as expected - not sure what the projections added other than going “snowy” in certain (I won’t divulge) scenes. An on stage kitchen again (like Network). Did not see anyone eating though, even in the cast (except a birthday cake).
It was intense and my concentration never dropped. James Norton and Luke Thompson were excellent. Yes, it is “event” theatre and people should see it, but overall I felt disappointed. 4 stars for the actors, 3 for the production.
PS No material flubbed lines or show stops. Just a technician walking on for a quick whisper into James Norton’s ear in his final scene (not sure why).
PPS Ended 1045pm. The interval was unusual as lights came on slightly unexpectedly and people started moving at the back. No applause at that point, but full standing ovation at end.
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Post by marob on Mar 18, 2023 12:38:52 GMT
stevemar Interesting review. I did see Cleansed at the NT and had the same reaction you describe here. I see this in a few weeks, might be a long night.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2023 13:07:08 GMT
Far more happens in the book and we experience more fully fleshed out characters that change and develop as they age from college friends into adulthood. The chapters rotate emphasis among the different characters and Jude's trauma is interspersed, whereas the play centers it.
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Post by clarefh on Mar 18, 2023 13:30:12 GMT
stevemar - thanks for your comparison to other Van Hove productions, you’ve articulated my feelings towards his plays!
I also started to wonder if A Little Life is best viewed as hyper-real/Greek tragedy ( I’ve read reviews that mentioned it is like a passion play). In that sense the other characters as ciphers and types rather than fully drawn also makes more sense. Which got me comparing it to Medea that I saw recently. I actually felt more empathy for Okonedo’s Medea than I did for Jude ( it’s a good distinction to draw between empathy and sympathy for the character which I’d agree with).
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Post by stevemar on Mar 18, 2023 15:44:01 GMT
I did think several times there were elements of passion play as his disciples/angels carried him to the bed. So it could definitely be seen that way too.
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Post by A.Ham on Mar 19, 2023 9:18:55 GMT
More tickets released for the Pinter run on ATG. Mostly £145 up though I’m afraid - but found a few at £72.50…
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Post by NeilVHughes on Mar 19, 2023 10:12:47 GMT
The passion play / Greek tragedy does fix the main issue I had with the play, I just couldn’t figure out the devotion of his friends as Jude (understandably) is not someone who would naturally induce this level of friendship.(maybe more developed in the book especially the redemption throug trust which Jude eludes to towards the end of the play) For the play itself I am with stevemar “4 stars for the actors, 3 for the production” James Norton manages to keep you engaged through all the tribulations, on the whole am happy to have seen the play but the book can stay in the library.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2023 11:16:22 GMT
If interested in a bit more about the characters as portrayed in the book, but you don't want to read the book, this New Yorker article would be a good read.
I would probably wait to read it until after seeing the show though in the event you find any of it spoilerish.
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Post by sweets7 on Mar 19, 2023 11:59:45 GMT
PS No material flubbed lines or show stops. Just a technician walking on for a quick whisper into James Norton’s ear in his final scene (not sure why). PPS Ended 1045pm. The interval was unusual as lights came on slightly unexpectedly and people started moving at the back. No applause at that point, but full standing ovation at end. I read an article today that led me to believe it may be because of his diabetes. Given the length of the play they are monitoring his blood sugar off stage with glucose etc stashed around the stage in case he needs it. But if there is an issue they will need to tell him presumably. Better option would be to fit him with an ear piece and tell him that way so he can take whatever he needs. It’s unkilely to be a hyper given the amount of energy he will be expelling on stage but he would still want to manage the hypos.
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Post by stevemar on Mar 19, 2023 13:18:14 GMT
PS No material flubbed lines or show stops. Just a technician walking on for a quick whisper into James Norton’s ear in his final scene (not sure why). PPS Ended 1045pm. The interval was unusual as lights came on slightly unexpectedly and people started moving at the back. No applause at that point, but full standing ovation at end. I read an article today that led me to believe it may be because of his diabetes. Given the length of the play they are monitoring his blood sugar off stage with glucose etc stashed around the stage in case he needs it. But if there is an issue they will need to tell him presumably. Better option would be to fit him with an ear piece and tell him that way so he can take whatever he needs. It’s unkilely to be a hyper given the amount of energy he will be expelling on stage but he would still want to manage the hypos. I guess it was this article - definitely worth a read (but spoilers for Happy Valley). www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/mar/19/james-norton-interview-i-was-given-a-hand-of-acesYes, I thought it might be his sugar levels or maybe his physical placing before the final scene needed to be in a certain place.
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Post by Jon on Mar 19, 2023 16:12:09 GMT
I would imagine the Richmond run was a way for them to iron out any kinks before they move to the West End.
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Post by karloscar on Mar 19, 2023 18:07:52 GMT
The lack of empathy for Jude is completely down to Yanagihara. She piles on the tragedy to such an extent that eventually you end up immune to the horror, saying "that's sad, whatever next, and has she ever met a gay man in her life before? "
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Post by theatrelover123 on Mar 19, 2023 19:18:47 GMT
The lack of empathy for Jude is completely down to Yanagihara. She piles on the tragedy to such an extent that eventually you end up immune to the horror, saying "that's sad, whatever next, and has she ever met a gay man in her life before? " Disagree. I felt lots of empathy for Jude in the book. And I could understand his qualities that drew people to him. Just not really in the play.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2023 19:42:26 GMT
The lack of empathy for Jude is completely down to Yanagihara. She piles on the tragedy to such an extent that eventually you end up immune to the horror, saying "that's sad, whatever next, and has she ever met a gay man in her life before? "
Sigh. This is not the case at all as any of the numerous conversations and interviews with her reveal.
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Post by karloscar on Mar 19, 2023 20:39:07 GMT
The lack of empathy for Jude is completely down to Yanagihara. She piles on the tragedy to such an extent that eventually you end up immune to the horror, saying "that's sad, whatever next, and has she ever met a gay man in her life before? "
Sigh. This is not the case at all as any of the numerous conversations and interviews with her reveal.
Strange that I had the same problem with the characters in To Paradise. Barely recognisable as human.
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Post by Fleance on Mar 19, 2023 21:11:11 GMT
I was deeply moved by A Little Life and felt empathy for Jude and understanding as to why his friends loved him. I think that was evident (for me) right at the top.
I have to confess that I rarely read modern fiction, and so what the book did or didn't do does not concern me. I took the play on its own terms, and that was enough. Perhaps I'll see it again later on, to see if it has changed.
Someone commented much earlier in this thread that, when the play was done at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in NYC a few months ago, many people walked out. Well, I'm not surprised. This is not a play to see in Dutch with sub or super titles, which is the way it was presented in Brooklyn. I hope the memory of that does not prevent a full production in English sometime in the future.
Amid all the horror of this play, there is something profoundly rare and moving. The cast, creators, and crew are to be congratulated for giving us something to think about.
If I must make one criticism, it's that I found those seated on the stage somewhat distracting. I know it made it possible for the theater to earn a few extra bucks and for more people to be able to see it, but that's the one thing I would change.
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Post by asps2017 on Mar 28, 2023 20:35:06 GMT
What are the on stage seats like for anyone who has sat in them?
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Post by Jon on Mar 28, 2023 20:44:22 GMT
What are the on stage seats like for anyone who has sat in them? Don't what it's like at the Pinter but at Richmond, they were excellent seats. You do have minor restrictions where the actors have their back to you but frankly for the price, it's worth it.
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Post by thistimetomorrow on Mar 28, 2023 22:54:46 GMT
What are the on stage seats like for anyone who has sat in them? Really good. Quite comfortable seats and very up close view of everything happening (which is probably a warning in itself, idk how closely you actually want to see some of the bloodier scenes). A few moments where the actors are fully facing away, but most of the time they're side on or moving around enough that you can always see someone's face.
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Post by clarefh on Mar 29, 2023 19:56:54 GMT
There is a sign up for notification of on stage seating at the savoy going on sale on the little life website incase anyone is interested.
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Post by ArbitraryGibberish on Mar 29, 2023 20:10:48 GMT
Saw this last night and was definitely very impacted by the performances. James Norton especially of course and Zubin Varla’s bit at the very end. I found it very difficult to assess the quality of the actual play and how I felt about its content. I didn’t dislike it at all. Obviously it’s not a fun play to watch, but I also didn’t feel moved in the same way I have for other impactful plays, the endless onslaught of torture had more of a numbing effect for probably 80% of the time. Being very neutral on the play itself I voted 4 stars primarily for the performances but if I had felt stronger about the material I could easily have seen myself going lower or up to 5.
I got a seat in Box E just the day before and would definitely recommend it if anyone has a chance to get a ticket there, it’s a steal for £35. The box seat lends itself to so much more comfort, legroom, and freedom to move around and adjust which was really nice for an almost 4 hour show. The view itself was about as good as you could expect from a box. Good proximity to the stage for a close view of course, and only the far left (stage right) was cut off. With leaning on the rail I could see like half of the kitchen counter and half of the bed where he visits Andy. Everything past that is cut off but it really never felt like it hindered the viewing experience
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Post by eua78 on Mar 29, 2023 20:41:43 GMT
Managed to pick up an on stage seat for next week, looking forward to this having never read the book. Also mentally preparing myself 😭, will report back on view as it only cost £25 AA1 I believe.
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Post by Steve on Mar 30, 2023 16:57:54 GMT
I saw this last night, and the trauma in this was so upsetting, I felt physically ill at points. I wouldn't call this entertainment, though it is extremely worthwhile theatre, as I feel that it shapes your views around the topics it covers in an empathetic way such that it becomes an unforgettable cultural touchstone for those issues for everyone who sees it, which will be alot of people. James Norton, Luke Thompson, Omari Douglas, Zubin Varla and Eliot Cowan are all terrific.
Some spoilers follow. . .
I haven't read the book, so I didn't know what to expect. But when it opened with four friends palling around, this was an entertaining element to the plot, as were the dramatic shifts that cause some friends to grow closer and some to drift apart. But this is the story of lifelong trauma from child abuse of the most heinous sort, and we flash back to witness enough of it such that, identifying with the characters as I was doing, I found it very hard to take.
In a way, this show reminded me of when Norton played Captain Stanhope in "Journey's End" at the Duke of York's Theatre. That show too was a story about extreme trauma (trench warfare) and coping strategies (alcohol, cigarettes) and how the best coping strategy of all was bonding with your band of brothers. Norton's performance was equally committed in that, so traumatised yet bravely hiding it from his troops. I cried buckets at the end, and that show became an unforgettable cultural touchstone for me when I think about warfare, such as what the Ukrainians must be going through, for example.
But this is much more (psychologically) traumatic, with more destructive coping strategies (self-harm such as cutting and burning), and the best strategy of all, the bond with his band of brothers is mostly fractured and tragic, because Norton's Jude is so damaged he can't really let them in.
I honestly don't know how Elliot Cowan is going to stomach the places he has to go, night after night for months, because all three characters he plays are the worst of the worst, each in subtly different ways. I suppose, like Norton, he's just going to have to adopt some Brechtian internal distance from the material.
Personally, I wished for some Brechtian distance at times. After 3 hours and 40 minutes of gradually building trauma, I was thankful to escape, and resolved never to read the book and never to see the play again, no matter what star is cast.
Once though was worth it. I won't ever forget this, and if I see something in the news about self-harm or about abuse, I'll be more empathetic.
4 stars from me. :0
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Post by thistimetomorrow on Mar 31, 2023 8:39:38 GMT
I suppose, like Norton, he's just going to have to adopt some Brechtian internal distance from the material. Completely agree on this. I have no idea how Norton is doing this every night and smiling afterwards.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2023 12:55:22 GMT
If would be a tremendous sacrifice, but I am available post-performance each day to comfort Mr. Norton as he may require
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