Aristocrats (Donmar)

I have a sneaking feeling that I was sat next to you Kathryn. Did you perhaps once ride horses in Oklahoma? If so, it was great to chat with you. If not, sorry for barking up the wrong tree.

Loved it. Thought David Dawson was mesmerising amongst a (mostly) strong cast.

Enjoyed this, once it picked up in the third act. As others have said could have been done straight through.

Yet another play with an all-white cast. No reason whatsoever that the visiting academic couldn't have been played by a BAME actor. Less likely I guess that the guy next door or the husband in rural Ireland in the 70s wouldn't have been white, but if we can cope with the house being played by a dolls house, I think we could have coped with colour-blind casting for these roles (or indeed for one of the family members)

Sorry for missing you Xanderl - yes, the lovely lady from Oklahoma was a first rate example of the Really Nice Person in the Next Seat. And she definitely had a TheatreBoard-vibe to her.

I enjoyed this, I like me some depressing disfunctional family pieces, it makes my own seem much less bonkers in comparison (or perhaps just on a more minor scale). There would have been some frowning on my face as I started to work out who was who (sadly if you're back row circle anyone standing on the back shelf in that handy introduction, gets their cut head off so it's not soo helpful) and just what might be wrong with them. Thanks @theatremonkey, your site review has cleared up a few puzzles, I was most perplexed by all that miniature furniture pointing to start with. I thought their imaginary mallets must have been very small, they'd have been biffing themselves in the face if they'd been using my mother's family heirloom ones playing in that style and anyone sat on the side on my side sadly immediately disappeared (that sinking realisation that the people you must want to watch are going to keep sitting in your blind spot). But I watched most curiously as that backdrop appeared and I do like some drunk acting and playing spot which grapes are the real ones to liven things up as this sadly portrayed sibling set wandered towards, well, not a load of happiness methinks. I should perhaps just go see good gloomy theatre, it makes me smile (note to self don't say this to non theatre going folk as they look at your with some alarm).

I really liked it. I loved the dolls' house idea bringing both the idea that it is the childhood that has so damaged them and that what the son says is fantasy as they say they think his German family is. They are so disjointed from each other until the end when they sing in harmony. I liked the way they moved round the stage and the director made sure that the character to engage with was centre stage. Each person engaged me thoroughly. An early play, later he didn’t need the academic to draw out stuff from the others, all the Irish themes we know and love and I think a more realistic set would have been a distraction. This is very sub Chekhov, the unmarried woman, the outsider, the long lost love, the idea of land and inheritance and genteel poverty and leaving home. All there, like an exercise in writing but with this quality of writer, well worth an outing. We do have some crackin' actors don’t we?