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Post by keyspi on Jun 11, 2023 19:43:02 GMT
I liked but didn't love this tonight. It was well acted but it felt longer than it was and I thought it didn't live up to the potential of what should have been really thrilling material. It also felt a bit like characters were included/mentioned just for people to have someone to point at and acknowledge as a public figure they recognised from real life. My friend described it as like the easter eggs included in Marvel movies for comic fans except it's Russian political figures. Maybe that's just an unfortunate side effect of it being such recent history that the major players are still so prominent, but it felt laboured like they were making sure you noticed. It certainly wasn't bad but it also didn't do anything to leave a big impression either. I saw this on 27 May during the preview period and I pretty much felt the same after. At the time I attributed this to it being only the second day of staging, however it seems to be the case in the long(er) run. I quite enjoyed Hollander's and Keen's performances, but didn't really find the rest noteworthy. Not even going to start on the (intentional?) selection of accents for this Overall, I enjoyed the play but felt a bit let down due to the contrast between all the grandiosity it was advertised with and the final product not meeting (my) expectations. Would still recommend seeing it.
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Post by solotheatregoer on Jun 17, 2023 8:31:55 GMT
Really enjoyed this last night. Thought it would be a bit dull but actually I found it really engaging and easy to follow. Agree it could be 20 mins shorter as some parts did drag on a bit and the lack of Russian accents was a little distracting.
Also pleasantly surprised to see Evelyn Miller in a production again. Last time was when I saw Cyrano at BAM. Tom Hollander was outstanding as usual as were the rest of the cast.
Well worth a watch.
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3,059 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on Jun 20, 2023 10:55:29 GMT
I saw this from the front row last night and thought it was excellent. I hadn't read very much about the play in advance, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but all very gripping.
The front row has a lot of leg room, but there's a section of the stage that extends in front of the middle block of seats. I expect that the view is slightly easier off-centre. With that said, no complaints about the view. I was less keen on my immediate neighbours, who I presume were a Spanish family, several of whom spent almost all of the show looking at their (thankfully dimly lit) phone. Somehow the ushers could not see this, but it must have been visible from the stage.
Having a maths background, I found the mathematical links interesting, but the attempts of the actors to write maths on the blackboard were rather dodgy. I think I know what they wanted to write, but what they actually wrote was something different.
Almost wish I'd caught this at the Almeida now, but glad I got to see the transfer.
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579 posts
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Post by ncbears on Jun 23, 2023 23:15:07 GMT
22 June. Seat B3 in Royal Circle. Slight restriction of stage left. Three Stars. I wish Caryl Churchill had written this instead.
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Post by capybara on Jun 24, 2023 23:32:22 GMT
I got a rush ticket to see this on Tuesday and while I enjoyed it, I didn’t love it.
For the most part, it was intriguing and Hollander was captivating as Berezovsky.
I don’t know if it’s because I knew the background reasonably well in advance but just always felt like it was about to catch alight and then never quite did.
That being said, it’s still a solid piece on this subject. Worth seeing for £25 for sure.
Three stars.
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404 posts
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Post by dlevi on Jul 2, 2023 20:59:24 GMT
I had seen this at the Almeida and enjoyed it - not great but not bad, so when I was offered a ticket from a friend I happily went to see it again. And I fled at the interval. What had a kinetic theatrical energy at the Almeida felt staid and tired at the Coward. Tom Hollander was terrific but everyone else seemed to be walking through it and the gimmicky noisy transitions between scenes were just that: gimmicky and noisy. There were plenty of empty seats so I have to wonder if it will be able to fill out its run. This is just one of those times where maybe they shouldn't have made the transfer. The play is like an illustrated Wikipedia entry.
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Post by bram on Jul 26, 2023 22:30:09 GMT
A very watchable performance from Tom Hollander. An interesting rather than exciting play. Well presented and acted.
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4,591 posts
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Post by Someone in a tree on Aug 1, 2023 14:55:07 GMT
I found this be some bullet points of history and not to have much depth . Not a terrible night of theatre though, I'm just glad I didn't pay top wack
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4,559 posts
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Post by Mark on Jan 18, 2024 18:04:24 GMT
Broadway bound this season now that a theatre has opened up!
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Post by teamyali on Jan 22, 2024 14:18:31 GMT
Broadway transfer now confirmed…Barrymore Theatre, previews starting April 1. Will Keen and Luke Thallon are transferring, but Tom Hollander sadly won’t. His role will be played by Michael Stuhlbarg. I’ve checked that Tom is also starring in the upcoming anthology miniseries Feud (created by Ryan Murphy), in which the second part is about Truman Capote and the New York socialites (Tom is playing Truman). Feud is set to premiere in a few days in the US and it’s expected to be an awards player for the Emmys. Check out Patriots Broadway website here: patriotsbroadway.com/Hopefully I get to check this out. Stuhlbarg has been in great stuff as well, the one I remembered was in the Coen Brothers’ film, A Serious Man.
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6,310 posts
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Post by Jon on Jan 22, 2024 14:42:38 GMT
Broadway transfer now confirmed…Barrymore Theatre, previews starting April 1. Will Keen and Luke Thallon are transferring, but Tom Hollander sadly won’t. His role will be played by Michael Stuhlbarg. I’ve checked that Tom is also starring in the upcoming anthology miniseries Feud (created by Ryan Murphy), in which the second part is about Truman Capote and the New York socialites (Tom is playing Truman). Feud is set to premiere in a few days in the US and it’s expected to be an awards player for the Emmys. Check out Patriots Broadway website here: patriotsbroadway.com/Hopefully I get to check this out. Stuhlbarg has been in great stuff as well, the one I remembered was in the Coen Brothers’ film, A Serious Man. I wouldn't be surprised if Tom Hollander had an scheduling conflict that meant he couldn't do Patriots on Broadway.
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3,069 posts
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Post by Rory on Jan 22, 2024 16:58:52 GMT
Broadway transfer now confirmed…Barrymore Theatre, previews starting April 1. Will Keen and Luke Thallon are transferring, but Tom Hollander sadly won’t. His role will be played by Michael Stuhlbarg. I’ve checked that Tom is also starring in the upcoming anthology miniseries Feud (created by Ryan Murphy), in which the second part is about Truman Capote and the New York socialites (Tom is playing Truman). Feud is set to premiere in a few days in the US and it’s expected to be an awards player for the Emmys. Check out Patriots Broadway website here: patriotsbroadway.com/Hopefully I get to check this out. Stuhlbarg has been in great stuff as well, the one I remembered was in the Coen Brothers’ film, A Serious Man. He was terrific as the father in Call Me By Your Name.
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Post by theatreyank on Feb 6, 2024 14:57:33 GMT
Broadway transfer now confirmed…Barrymore Theatre, previews starting April 1. Will Keen and Luke Thallon are transferring, but Tom Hollander sadly won’t. His role will be played by Michael Stuhlbarg. I’ve checked that Tom is also starring in the upcoming anthology miniseries Feud (created by Ryan Murphy), in which the second part is about Truman Capote and the New York socialites (Tom is playing Truman). Feud is set to premiere in a few days in the US and it’s expected to be an awards player for the Emmys. Check out Patriots Broadway website here: patriotsbroadway.com/Hopefully I get to check this out. Stuhlbarg has been in great stuff as well, the one I remembered was in the Coen Brothers’ film, A Serious Man. I wouldn't be surprised if Tom Hollander had an scheduling conflict that meant he couldn't do Patriots on Broadway.
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Post by theatreyank on Feb 6, 2024 15:11:34 GMT
I wouldn't be surprised if Tom Hollander had an scheduling conflict that meant he couldn't do Patriots on Broadway. Scheduling conflict perhaps, but he just recently became a father, so I am also thinking did not want to be away from home for four months. A part so many reviewers said he was born to play and did so magnificently so I would think SFP would have resolved a sched conflict in his favor if he wanted to do it. That's why I'm thinking new fatherhood might be the only thing to keep him away from this. Could not wait for this to come to the US with him so extremely disappointed, despite Stuhlbarg's gifts. TH excellent as Capote, by the way. I guess the UK has to wait a little longer to see it.
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