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This year at the theatre....

8115 said:
Uncle Vanya. I really enjoyed it, bit mainstream but that made it very accessible which I thought was good. Found the set a bit chintzy if I had one criticism. Toby Jones was amazing as were all the actors. We were on the balcony which was terrifyingly high.
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I’m off to see this in the cinema tonight. Reviews are suggesting it’s been converted to filmed stage quite well
Will report back.

Considering going out for early drinks before hand....
 
We went (upstairs) to see The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk last night.

A Kneehigh/Wise Children/Old Vic production about the Chagall’s, featuring the usual kneehigh mix of song and physical, sometimes almost dance, performance. All very good looking with a nice mix of comedy and pathos. The two actors were both very good individually (iyswim) and brought the light airy playfulness we saw in chagall’s paintings to the fore - no surprise to see Bella was played by the actress who won awards for her portrayal of Amelie on stage. Wasn’t quite convinced by their relationship tho, and couldn’t decide if that’s cos Marc himself was a bit of a doofus only bothered about his painting or because the two actors didn’t have that much chemistry.

it’s on again live tonight and twice tomorrow with recorded showings available again in a fortnight.
 
belboid said:
We went (upstairs) to see The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk last night.

A Kneehigh/Wise Children/Old Vic production about the Chagall’s, featuring the usual kneehigh mix of song and physical, sometimes almost dance, performance. All very good looking with a nice mix of comedy and pathos. The two actors were both very good individually (iyswim) and brought the light airy playfulness we saw in chagall’s paintings to the fore - no surprise to see Bella was played by the actress who won awards for her portrayal of Amelie on stage. Wasn’t quite convinced by their relationship tho, and couldn’t decide if that’s cos Marc himself was a bit of a doofus only bothered about his painting or because the two actors didn’t have that much chemistry.

it’s on again live tonight and twice tomorrow with recorded showings available again in a fortnight.
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Is that from Kneehigh's website? Are there any other Kneehigh pieces being shown?
 
I got it from Wise Children, tho I see there’s a short in the kneehigh website too. I imagine they did this as they were touring it when lockdown hit.
 
belboid said:
I got it from Wise Children, tho I see there’s a short in the kneehigh website too. I imagine they did this as they were touring it when lockdown hit.
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Ta. Was really hoping for a performance of Tristan and Yseult, which I never got to see bu my mum counts as pretty much the best thing she has ever seen at the theatre.
 
belboid said:
We went (upstairs) to see The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk last night.

A Kneehigh/Wise Children/Old Vic production about the Chagall’s, featuring the usual kneehigh mix of song and physical, sometimes almost dance, performance. All very good looking with a nice mix of comedy and pathos. The two actors were both very good individually (iyswim) and brought the light airy playfulness we saw in chagall’s paintings to the fore - no surprise to see Bella was played by the actress who won awards for her portrayal of Amelie on stage. Wasn’t quite convinced by their relationship tho, and couldn’t decide if that’s cos Marc himself was a bit of a doofus only bothered about his painting or because the two actors didn’t have that much chemistry.

it’s on again live tonight and twice tomorrow with recorded showings available again in a fortnight.
Click to expand...

I've just realised I saw that a couple of years ago at Wiltons Music Hall in London - enjoyed it :)
 
Won’t be going to see a kneehigh production again then

Kneehigh

Kneehigh was an artist-led, Cornwall-based theatre company which toured nationally with award-winning shows and performances.
www.kneehigh.co.uk
 
belboid said:
Won’t be going to see a kneehigh production again then

Kneehigh

Kneehigh was an artist-led, Cornwall-based theatre company which toured nationally with award-winning shows and performances.
www.kneehigh.co.uk
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Bugger that is a huge shame they were an absolutely fantastic company who's work really was different from 90% of stuff.

(That said have to say I was not especially impressed by their version of Ubu Roi)
 
"Hamlet" at Windsor Theatre Royal. Brilliant. Ian Mckellen was a superb Hamlet, he is such a great performer of Shakespeare.

Frances Barber was excellent as Polonius and Alis Wynn Davis a brilliantly strong Ophelia.

The production flowed, or was lucid, ready to understand dinner funny at times. I loved it.
 
Went to see Anything Goes at the Barbican last night. Absolutely fucking joyous. Half a mind to go again. Today if I could.
 
Ok, this is next year, but wasn't sure what other thread this could go on.

1630917497956.png

https://www.punchdrunk.com/project/theburntcity/

“As the smoke soars on wings to heaven, so sinks our city.”​

In the smouldering promise of the fall of Troy, a mythical world of Gods and mortals rises from the ashes.

As Greece teeters on the brink of victory, the neon backstreets of Downtown Troy give way to a sprawling labyrinth hiding secrets even the prophecies could not foretell.

In this colossal playground, the furies watch on as mortals play out their fate.

And as night falls, the city comes alive.

One last time.
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www.theguardian.com

Punchdrunk to stage epic ‘future noir’ drama in old London arms factory

Dystopian Trojan war play The Burnt City will be company’s costliest and most ambitious immersive production
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com

The immersive theatre company Punchdrunk, celebrated for creating labyrinthine adventures in atmospheric locations, is to undertake its costliest and most ambitious project to date with a “future noir” retelling of the fall of Troy.

The Burnt City will be staged in cavernous buildings at the company’s new headquarters at Woolwich Works, a creative hub in the historic site of the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, south-east London. Some 600 theatregoers at a time will be given free rein to walk around the contrasting ancient worlds of Troy and Mycenae, each given a dystopian sci-fi spin, where they will encounter gods, monsters and perhaps a secret passageway or two over a three-hour evening.

The Burnt City will begin as what seems like a “swish museum tour”, said Barrett, before visitors are plunged into a neon-lit Troy that has been remodelled under the influence of Fritz Lang’s classic silent film Metropolis.
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I bet that will be good, I went to one of their performances at an empty shop space in Pearson Street, Hoxton some years ago, it was called The Uncommercial Traveller, based on Dickens accounts of his wanderings round London. It was excellent.
 
One of my friendships was basically cemented over a shared obsession with The Drowned Man; I ended up going three times, while he ended up going nine! :eek:

They're obviously the gold standard when it comes to "immersive", so it is somewhat unfair to compare other companies and productions to their work, but I do still get irritated by a lot of what was claiming the term back when TDM was on (I've been out of that world/loop for a while so don't know what the state of affairs is currently like).
 
Lord Camomile said:
Ok, this is next year, but wasn't sure what other thread this could go on.

View attachment 287027

https://www.punchdrunk.com/project/theburntcity/



www.theguardian.com

Punchdrunk to stage epic ‘future noir’ drama in old London arms factory

Dystopian Trojan war play The Burnt City will be company’s costliest and most ambitious immersive production
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
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If I can get a ticket tomorrow I will plan a London trip around this. I saw Masque of the Red Death and The Drowned Man when I still lived in London and both were amazing.
 
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If you like Phill Pullman...

bridgetheatre.co.uk

The Book of Dust - La Belle Savauage

Eighteen years after his spectacular production of His Dark Materials at the National Theatre, Nicholas Hytner returns to Philip Pullman's parallel universe to direct an enthralling adaptation by Bryony Lavery of The Book of Dust - La Belle Sauvage.
bridgetheatre.co.uk bridgetheatre.co.uk
 
Couple of shows seen recently at the National:

Under Milk Wood (with Michael Sheen) - really interesting framing of poem by setting it in old people's home. Worked well and a great performance from Sheen as you'd expect (I didn't know the poem before though knew of it of course).

Paradise - Kae Tempest's reworking of Greek myth of Philoctetes (no, me neither) with all female cast playing chorus (as women) and military protagonists (as men). Gender thing worked well and added value. Amazing performance from Lesley Sharp. Whole thing was a bit too long (just under 2 hours with no interval) as it's a basic story repeated in Greek myth style.
 
My daughter very kindly purchased tickets to see Matilda The Musical for my birthday.
Bless her heart. But apart from The lion King, there isn't a show I'd like to see less.
I wish she'd asked me first. I would have told her I'd much rather see Jersey Boys. 🥺
 
xsunnysuex said:
My daughter very kindly purchased tickets to see Matilda The Musical for my birthday.
Bless her heart. But apart from The lion King, there isn't a show I'd like to see less.
I wish she'd asked me first. I would have told her I'd much rather see Jersey Boys. 🥺
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The Lion King is actually a great piece of theatre and I never made it more than 20 minutes into the film. It’s surprisingly experimental, especially for a Disney show. Julie Taymor, who conceived the show, is one of the most inventive theatre directors.

I’d also rather see Matilda than The Jersey Boys, so I’m with your daughter there. :D
 
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Winot said:
Couple of shows seen recently at the National:

Under Milk Wood (with Michael Sheen) - really interesting framing of poem by setting it in old people's home. Worked well and a great performance from Sheen as you'd expect (I didn't know the poem before though knew of it of course).

Paradise - Kae Tempest's reworking of Greek myth of Philoctetes (no, me neither) with all female cast playing chorus (as women) and military protagonists (as men). Gender thing worked well and added value. Amazing performance from Lesley Sharp. Whole thing was a bit too long (just under 2 hours with no interval) as it's a basic story repeated in Greek myth style.
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It’s not a poem. It’s a play.
 
I’m intrigued by “The Shark is broken”

thesharkisbroken.com

The Shark Is Broken

THE SHARK IS BROKEN IS SET TO MAKE WAVES ON A UK & IRELAND TOUR FROM JAN 2025
thesharkisbroken.com thesharkisbroken.com

Shaw’s son is the spit of him

Jaws is always a film I turn to when I’m off my bonce, I’m a real fan

Anyone seen?
 
Just been to see Ralph Fiennes recite the Four Quartets. Jaw-droppingly good. If you’re an Eliot fan, beg borrow or steal a ticket (they are insanely expensive for a 75 min one man show).
 
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