Going to the theatre

[Christine]

The Last Days of Troy, at the Globe, with Lily Cole as Helen, re-told by Simon Armitage.

I really enjoyed this one. All the good bits left in (but in very comprehensible and modern language), with the story continued to the sad downfall of Zeus from Immortal to tourist-trinket seller in contemporary Greece. Jake Fairbrother was excellent as Achilles (apparently I should remember him from Skyfall but didn't) and especially funny Richard Bremmer as Zeus. Lily Cole who was a major box-office draw was good enough but seemed a bit too stiff.

http://lifesmanyexperiences.com/2014/05 ... s-of-troy/

Hope you had a great time in London, Heather - sorry we could not make it. Definitely next time!

[Heather]

Hope you had a great time in London, Heather - sorry we could not make it. Definitely next time!

Yes I had a brilliant time. I'll give you more warning next time.

I'm saving me theatre review for Tuesday as it's Philip's birthday (which we previously discussed on here). Watch this space.

[Julieexeter]

Thinking of you especially on your birthday Philip.
The past year has seen a thriving West End and Off West End. As I am only in London weekends there have been some short running plays that were sold out before I could get tickets but some theatres opening on Sundays has meant I can sometimes see two plays over a weekend. I have seen too many to comment on all but a few have stood out for one reason or another.
I saw the film Strangers on a Train some years ago and the dramatic effect transferred well to the stage with a good cast including Lawrence Fox, and a wonderful set.
Of the Shakespeares I saw, Jude Law as Henry V stands out. A great stage presence.
I made my first visit to a theatre at The National and to mark the occasion did a backstage tour before the performance which was very interesting. The play was A Small Family Business by Alan Ayckbourne, not my favourite of his but well done and enjoyable nonetheless.
Another 'first' was The Menier Chocolate Factory (I did at first think this was the name of a play but it is in fact the theatre which has been converted from a factory). A lovely old building with a nice cosy feel especially in the bar and restaurant, lots of wood gives a warm feeling I think. I love farce but the timing must be done to perfection and in Ray Cooney's Two Into One it was. A great cast including Michael Praed, (the only reason I used to watch Robin of Sherwood on tv), Jeffrey Holland and Ray Cooney. Unlike West End theatres, the cast came into the bar afterwards and it was a thrill to meet and talk to Ray Cooney.
A more subtle comedy was Handbagged, the conversations that might have taken place between The Queen and Margaret Thatcher. I thought it might be slightly amusing but in fact the play exceeded my expectations, it was hilarious. Another play I really enjoyed at The Vaudeville was Eric & Little Ern. I was a great fan of Morecambe & Wise but never saw them live. Jonty and Ian were totally believable, they had all the mannerisms and looks between them. They are real fans themselves and it shows.
Two musicals that had the audience on their feet and dancing (as much as it is possible in seating areas) were The Commitments and Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be. I could attend both over and over again. I deliberately use the word 'attend' as both were a great experience not just a watch. In fact I went to a matinee of the latter and then went straight to the box office to check on 'returns' for the evening performance and was able to do it all again.
Blithe Spirit with Angela Lansbury was a joy to behold. What a trouper - but she did not hog the limelight and allowed the rest of the cast to excel too.
The Weir, The Cripple of Inischmann (not sure on spelling of that one!), Passion Play and so many more I could go on and on about, but I guess the highlight of the year had to be the opening at last of The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, the Jacobean theatre he dreamt of running alongside The Globe. A lovely intimate wooden theatre lit by candles. A long time coming but well worth the wait. A word of warning, if you are not prepared to be drawn into the action don't sit level with or immediately in front of the stage. I saw The Knight of the Burning Pestle sat at the side and level with the stage; I did not realise the actors interacted with the audience but it was fun.
If I lived in London I am sure I would be at the theatre most evenings. It is not as expensive as you might think with cheap 'restricted view' and 'on the day' tickets. As it is, the football fixtures come out tomorrow so I can work out what weekends I will be in London and make plans for the next theatre year.

[firehazard]

’Tis Pity She’s a Whore by John Ford
Cheek by Jowl production, directed by Declan Donnellan
Seen at Cambridge Arts Theatre, 15 May 2014

Red is the colour. The colour of blood, of passion, of lust, of anger… and of a young woman’s bedroom, in the always-excellent Cheek by Jowl’s production of John Ford’s Jacobean revenge tragedy.

Throughout the production, the set is centred on a bed (a red bed), on which we first discover Annabella (Eve Ponsonby) typically engrossed in her iPad. The action gains pace (and this is a fast-moving production at all times) with the arrival of her brother Giovanni (Orlando James), returned from his studies in Bologna and consumed with desire for his sister. Discussion with a Friar (Raphael Owole) doesn’t dissuade him for long, and when Giovanni finds his feelings are reciprocated, their incestuous passion is soon consummated.

Complications arise involving the eligible Annabella’s various suitors, other spurned lovers, and manipulative servants.

In good old seventeenth-century fashion, the play descends into incest, unwanted pregnancy, poisoning, stabbing and mutilation. There’s plenty of gore (so much so that one of the cast missed the first two curtain calls while presumably cleaning the red stuff off himself). All in all, a jolly time was had by all.

Anyway, I do like a bit of revenge tragedy. The production’s been on tour this year, and is well worth catching if you get the chance.

Happy birthday, Mr C. Hope you’re still enjoying the production.

[Frances]

Michelle Williams' understudy, Andrea Goss, had the stage, Alan Cummings was grand and Linda Edmond and Danny Burstein as Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz were wonderful. The cheap seats in the balcony hold a little more allure having starred in their own sordid history, with tragic subtext, in Studio 54 days.

As good as it had to be.




Gillian Hanna and Ingrid Craigie as auntie's Eileen and Kate Osbourne saved the show in my eyes. June Watson as Mammy as well. Daniel Radcliffe had well over a hundred non ticket holders waiting for a glimpse of him leaving the theater as we exited, so he wins there, I suppose. I have nothing against him, while having paid no mind to Harry Potter mania... but he didn't hold my undivided attention in the lead role.

A Behanding in Spokane was 100x better. But that had Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell.

My lovely neighbors in the theatre from Cork were unimpressed with Mr. Radcliffe in the role, having seen the play before.

For fan girls, fan boys and people with low expectations, perhaps.




Happy Birthday Philip.

[Heather]

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,
Savoy Theatre, London,
Tuesday 10th June 2014, 7.30pm.

First of all I'd like to say again, Happy Birthday Philip. If it had not been for him and his contributions on this thread I would probably not have got interested in theatre again and that would have been such a shame as there is a lot of great stuff out there, in the West End, Liverpool and all over the world. Without him I would not have found a passion for playwriting, something I continue to do even though I'm finding it difficult to get any of my plays accepted anywhere. However I hope that one day I will make it and will struggle on until I get to that point as I really do enjoy doing it.

I had wanted to go and see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels since it was announced in the West End. A stage production of the film of the same name, it is musical and a comedy and stars Robert Lindsay as Lawrence Jameson, a con man who takes on an apprentice, Freddie Benson (Rufus Hound), which leads to hilarious consequences.

I became a big fan of Rufus after seeing him in One Man, Two Guvnor's at the Theatre Royal Haymarket last year. I had never seen any of his previous work before that and thought that he was a great actor and comedian. I don't recall ever seeing the film version of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels so this one was a new one on me and quite frankly I was not disappointed. Both actors gave great performances, Robert Lindsay is a great dancer despite his age and, Rufus Hound had me in stitches.

Production wise, I always find West End shows have a different feel, the sound is always better and I hate to say this but the shows seem so much more professional than those I've seen locally, even West End touring shows.

The Savoy Theatre is situated in the entrance of the Savoy Hotel on The Strand and the bar prices were very hefty compared to other theatres I've attended in the West End, we paid £17.90 for two glasses of wine! Despite that it is a nice little theatre although the decor is not as fancy as some of the other theatres I have been to. Also we had our seats upgraded from the Grand Circle to the Stalls which was nice although the seats we were upgraded to were the same price as the ones we had booked originally and were at the back. However we still had a good view.

I really enjoyed this one. There is a possibility I would go and see it again but it would depend who was in it.

[Julieexeter]

I must admit, Heather, I knew nothing of Rufus Hound until I saw him in One man, Two Guvnors. His interaction with the audience in that one was hilarious. I met him after Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (I loved it too) and told him I had missed seeing him after OMTG and he wrote in my book 'you got me this time'. I must say Robert Lindsay was lovely after the show. My daughter uses a walking aid and had been sat on it for about 3/4 hour waiting for him to come out but really wanted his autograph so wouldn't leave even though she was in pain. When he came out he came straight over to her and said "hello gorgeous, you didn't watch the show sat on that did you?"

[Doktor Avalanche]

Michelle Williams' understudy, Andrea Goss, had the stage, Alan Cummings was grand and Linda Edmond and Danny Burstein as Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz were wonderful. The cheap seats in the balcony hold a little more allure having starred in their own sordid history, with tragic subtext, in Studio 54 days.

As good as it had to be.

We're going to see this sometime this summer - how's the view from the cheap seats? We're on the fence about shelling out more $ for the tables down below, but would prefer to save the money for dinner...

[Frances]

We're going to see this sometime this summer - how's the view from the cheap seats? We're on the fence about shelling out more $ for the tables down below, but would prefer to save the money for dinner...

The cheap seats are fine. It was rather like having a lesser seat to Oliver!, where the amazing songbook still manages to encompass everyone.
There's also a little audience participation around the tables... if that helps with the decision.

[Shaz]

A day late and a dollar short as ever ... Missing Philip loads, but I'm pleased people are keeping this thread going, as I do enjoy reading theatre reviews. I've been ill, so haven't been since the old king was on the throne ...

[Doktor Avalanche]

Gillian Hanna and Ingrid Craigie as auntie's Eileen and Kate Osbourne saved the show in my eyes. June Watson as Mammy as well. Daniel Radcliffe had well over a hundred non ticket holders waiting for a glimpse of him leaving the theater as we exited, so he wins there, I suppose. I have nothing against him, while having paid no mind to Harry Potter mania... but he didn't hold my undivided attention in the lead role.

A Behanding in Spokane was 100x better. But that had Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell.

My lovely neighbors in the theatre from Cork were unimpressed with Mr. Radcliffe in the role, having seen the play before.

For fan girls, fan boys and people with low expectations, perhaps.

Well, I disagree completely. Mrs. A and I went to see this on a whim Saturday and loved it. Not because of, more in spite of Radcliffe, it succeeds. And although Dan gets top billing, I wouldn't say Cripple Billy is that much a lead, more of a focal point for the others. He definitely doesn't have the most lines. The rest of the cast were great, especially the two aunties as you noted, and the darkness balanced the comedy just right. The ensemble's timing was perfect. Not knowing much about it going in, we were thoroughly entertained and were glad to have caught it.

[Frances]

Well, I disagree completely. Mrs. A and I went to see this on a whim Saturday and loved it. Not because of, more in spite of Radcliffe, it succeeds. And although Dan gets top billing, I wouldn't say Cripple Billy is that much a lead, more of a focal point for the others. He definitely doesn't have the most lines. The rest of the cast were great, especially the two aunties as you noted, and the darkness balanced the comedy just right. The ensemble's timing was perfect. Not knowing much about it going in, we were thoroughly entertained and were glad to have caught it.

Would you say there were 100-200 fans waiting outside? I've never seen as many as were there Saturday before last. I usually manage to go to Broadway in the middle of a blizzard, so I suppose that cuts the numbers down a bit.

[Julieexeter]

My daughter and I had a great time in Trafalgar Square at the weekend watching West End Live, performances from the top musicals by the actual cast, and all free. As it was the 10th year they even produced a free glossy brochure. More shows to add to the list of "must see". Sunday's event was closed by Lord of the Dance, Dangerous Games - my daughter phoned me yesterday to say she has got tickets for my birthday in September . As a contrast to Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Saturday evening we went to see Bill Nighy and Carrie Mulligan in Skylight. Fantastic performances by both. The play is about a young woman who has made a life for herself as a teacher in a deprived area after an affair with an older businessman which she ended when his wife found out. His wife has died and he turns up at her rundown flat hoping to rekindle their love, he seems to think that she will jump at the chance to be taken away from all this. She however seems to have found a passion in what she is doing in her career. Their interaction is gripping, so much is said by the silent looks. To complicate matters his son has also turned up on her doorstep with his own issues. No wonder this play is getting such great reviews.

[Doktor Avalanche]

Well, I disagree completely. Mrs. A and I went to see this on a whim Saturday and loved it. Not because of, more in spite of Radcliffe, it succeeds. And although Dan gets top billing, I wouldn't say Cripple Billy is that much a lead, more of a focal point for the others. He definitely doesn't have the most lines. The rest of the cast were great, especially the two aunties as you noted, and the darkness balanced the comedy just right. The ensemble's timing was perfect. Not knowing much about it going in, we were thoroughly entertained and were glad to have caught it.

Would you say there were 100-200 fans waiting outside? I've never seen as many as were there Saturday before last. I usually manage to go to Broadway in the middle of a blizzard, so I suppose that cuts the numbers down a bit.

Yeah, that was weird, there were over 50 there when we went INTO the place.

[Heather]

Dead Dog in a Suitcase and Other Love Songs
Everyman Theatre, Liverpool,
Saturday 28th June 2014, 2pm.

Performed by Knee High, Dead Dog in a Suitcase is a new take on The Beggar's Opera. It is a mad and completely crazy show written by Carl Grose, directed by Mike Shepherd with music by Charles Hazlewood.

Some time ago, Jake and I saw The Beggar's Opera and neither of us were very impressed with it, so I was not expecting to like Dead Dog at all. The reviews as usual were good and I was hopeful that it would be better than I expected. I had forgotten the story of The Beggar's Opera until today but as I watched the show everything came flooding back. It actually was not a bad show at all, not one of the best and not one of the worst I've seen. The puppets were very interesting, the dog itself was the best followed closely by the babies who looked a bit like the old Cabbage Patch dolls but with a little more character.

I won't explain the full story of The Beggar's Opera but you're probably wondering why the show was called Dead Dog in a Suitcase. Well, when the mayor and his dog are shot dead, the dog is given in a body bag to the mayors wife. She puts it in a suitcase which she takes around with her for the entire duration of the play. On several occasions she bumps other characters in the play with identical suitcases and they keep getting swapped around so that by the end of the play the dog ends up with the wrong person. Vaguely amusing.

I personally don't rate this show as highly as the local press but it is worth going to see if you can. Runs at the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool until the 12th July 2014 but does do a short tour later in the year.

http://www.kneehigh.co.uk/show/dead-dog ... -songs.php