Alys, Always (Bridge Theatre, Jan 2019)

I went to the press night tonight and I’m still in shock at what I saw.

The most pointless, boring play I’ve seen for a long time. Great actors wasted.

This theatre is really the pits. Hytners choices are absolute stinkers and I think this may be the last time I ever waste minutes/hours of my life there again.

Avoid like the plague.

A bit harsh! But yes, there have been some really disappointing productions there. It does strike me as a theatre with a very well-heeled, very white older audience and they seemed to enjoy the plays I sat there hating. Maybe they are enough to keep it ticking over, especially in that very monied, rather sterile part of London - come out of your City offices or waterside apartment, meal at the Ivy, take in whatever's on offer (the people going into the stalls before me a the last play I saw there said "what's the name of this thing we're seeing?" as they walked through the doors!)

I thought the Young Marx one was entertaining enough, but that's the only one of the new dramas that even rates abve average that I've seen. Sad really as it is a really well set out venue and a lot of their stage design work has been excellent.

That's the only one I enjoyed too. There seems to be a quality control issue, or maybe as I said they're just plays aimed at a very narrow section of society and I'm not it? It's a well-designed theatre but the venue vibe and the whole area it's set in feel quite alien to me.

I saw this last weekend and I'm really surprised to read most of the above! I agree with Abby - I thoroughly enjoyed it and was incredibly entertained throughout.

The acting was all incredible - Joanne Frogatt is amazing, her changes throughout the show came across brilliantly. The story also worked well, allowing for the acting to shine through alongside some amazing lines.

I sat in one of the cheap stalls seats at the side which weren't ideal - we spent a fair amount of time watching characters backs and listening to what they were saying, although it was great being so close to the acting the rest of the time. It mostly would have been fine but for the 'office' scenes it was really difficult to see anything due to the chairs!

Ahh. Yes. The people who enjoyed it were either squiffy or they couldn’t see the stage and paid for a radio drama. Ahh yes. I see

I wish I was drunk when I saw it so I could have had a nice nap.

Absolute

Pile

Of

Rubbish.

thoroughly agree with the above.A perfectly pleasant production. Sometimes its nice not to be challenged and just be entertained and this certainly does that.

I saw a matinee of Alys, Always a few days ago, and I have to admit that it slipped down a treat - it's a real crowd-pleaser. We were in £15 tickets that I picked up on the morning of the show - Gallery 1, J1 and J2. They are classed as "side restricted view," but I thought they were brilliant seats. Yes, you get a few bits where you're looking at characters' backs, but a lot of it is very much played to all three sides, and you are really close to the action, with no heads in front blocking your view. I would sit there again like a shot, and I'm pretty fussy about where I sit...

I have an opinion closer to your own rather than the critics. This quiet drama was the perfect Monday night play for me.

Plodded along nicely and had me captivated for the duration.

Four stars