This year at the theatre....

[Gromit]

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time​

This production contains loud sound effects, high-intensity lighting and video effects (including strobe lighting), and smoke effects.​

My other half said that this production wasn’t as good as the original production she saw but still good.

It’s one of the most diverse casts you’ll ever see. Which is kind of appropriate.

 

[T & P]

Just got back from watching Back to the Future; the Musical. Fucking ace, fully recommended. The right amount of songs and for the most part enjoyable, so not a drag for those of us who are not so keen on the musical aspect of it.

All the main characters got the voices and mannerisms of their film counterparts spot on, Marty and his father in particular to an uncanny extent. And without giving anything away, how they do what they do with the DeLorean whenever it appears on the stage is fucking ingenious.

Anyway, highly recommended to anyone even remotely interested in the films. I am not a fan of the principle of making musical stage adaptations of iconic films that were not musicals in their original form, but this one really pulls it off

 

[Gromit]

Thanks for reminding me with that bump.

Not long now till The Ocean at The End of the Lane

Saw Pantoland at the Paladium. Very good.

 

[Saffy]

I'd have loved to have seen The Ocean at the End of the Lane but I couldn't make the timings work.

I've booked to see the touring Curious incident and I'm really looking forward to it. I saw it years ago, when I took my daughter to see it when she was studying it in English, and it was excellent.

 

[nottsgirl]

I just saw a film called Love on National Theatre at Home. It was pretty good. About a group of people living in temporary accommodation in the run up to Christmas. It was £7.99 though! Theatre is so expensive but sometimes it’s worth it.

 

[blossie33]

I just saw a film called Love on National Theatre at Home. It was pretty good. About a group of people living in temporary accommodation in the run up to Christmas. It was £7.99 though! Theatre is so expensive but sometimes it’s worth it.

Only £7.99
That's really cheap in London!

 

[nottsgirl]

Only £7.99
That's really cheap in London!

It was online, streaming.

 

[blossie33]

It was online, streaming.

Oh sorry!

 

[ska invita]

Sorry for the cast but shaudenfreude for Webber

Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cinderella to close in the West End

Shock news that show will end in June at London’s Gillian Lynne theatre brings heartache for company and those who had been due to join cast

www.theguardian.com

It can only be that people don't want to see Cinderella as the Bob Marley musical which opened the same time has just been extended and is packed out. <It's great btw, and interesting how it's bringing people in to the west end who wouldn't normally go to the theatre. Says a lot about the the tyranny of the perceived market iynwim. I mean Cinderella.... So out of touch, however it's been updated

 

[A380]

So far seen the Ocean at the end of the lane, which was brilliantly staged. I think it’s only got a week to go though. Worth seeing.

Also saw Catch me if You Can on tour- someone gave us the tickets as they tested positive. It was surprisingly good for what it was, and the twist at the end was a real ‘ oh wow’ moment.

 

[Gromit]

Sorry for the cast but shaudenfreude for Webber

Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cinderella to close in the West End

Shock news that show will end in June at London’s Gillian Lynne theatre brings heartache for company and those who had been due to join cast

www.theguardian.com

It can only be that people don't want to see Cinderella as the Bob Marley musical which opened the same time has just been extended and is packed out. <It's great btw, and interesting how it's bringing people in to the west end who wouldn't normally go to the theatre. Says a lot about the the tyranny of the perceived market iynwim. I mean Cinderella.... So out of touch, however it's been updated

I saw Cinderella.
Thought my parents might like it.
They didn't.
Neither did I or the other half.

It started well then just trickled away into mediocrity. The songs, the costumes, the new slant. All very mediocre.

Which might be fine at medium prices but it were high high end prices.

 

[Gromit]

Saw Straight line crazy at The Bridge.

Ralph Fienes was in good form.
The acting was top drawer all round.

Unusual plot.
Sort of Game if Thrones if it GoTs was about urban planning and didn't have dragons.

 

[Gromit]

Not sure if it goes in this thread...

Saw Punchdrunk Burnt City.

It's ok. Interesting. But a bit too long and fragmented. Certain pieces seemed to have no relevance.
Could have done with more guidance on how to get the best out of it to be frank.

I left early and missed the conclusion as I didn't actually know that there was going to be a conclusion.

 

[Winot]

Saw Straight line crazy at The Bridge.

Ralph Fienes was in good form.
The acting was top drawer all round.

Unusual plot.
Sort of Game if Thrones if it GoTs was about urban planning and didn't have dragons.

Good summary saw this too. For me the story wasn’t sufficiently universal to elevate the play above the merely ‘interesting’.

 

[Winot]

Not sure if it goes in this thread...

Saw Punchdrunk Burnt City.

It's ok. Interesting. But a bit too long and fragmented. Certain pieces seemed to have no relevance.
Could have done with more guidance on how to get the best out of it to be frank.

I left early and missed the conclusion as I didn't actually know that there was going to be a conclusion.

I felt that about The Drowned Man. Not sure whether to bother with this one.

 

[xsunnysuex]

Went to see Back to the future musical yesterday. Absolutely brilliant.
The special effects took my breath away.
Made even better by having stalls £125 seat for £25.
Highly recommended.

Off to the palladium tonight to see Beauty and the beast musical. Looking forward to that one.

 

[A380]

I saw Cinderella.
....

It started well then just trickled away into mediocrity. The songs, the costumes, the new slant. All very mediocre....

Oh no it didn't!



(I'm sorry to make a joke about a disappointing family outing, you should try to put it Behind You!)

 

[hash tag]

Anything at "the theatre"?
We had tickets to go and see Force Majeure but very sadly couldn't make it.
We saw car man at the RAH last week, brilliant, full of energy contemporary version of the opera in ballet.
Got tickets for Tim Peake at the palladium and Rick Wakeman at the Fairfield.
Just need some show tickets.

 

[Me76]

I'm going to see My Fair Lady at the Coliseum on Thursday.

If you are interested buy through London Theatre rather than coliseum direct as the price difference is a lot. £40 as opposed to £62 from coliseum direct.

 

[Reno]

I was in London a couple of weeks ago and saw both Punchdrunk's The Burnt City and Cabaret. In terms of scale The Burnt City isn't as spectacular as The Drowned Man their last show, but dramatically (based on the Trojan war) it was the most coherent of the ones I've seen. We watched the main performance till it started to repeat, followed some performers to Troy where we pottered around for a while and then went to the bar which featured some fantastic cabaret, till we were called into the main performance area for the climax and it was great.

Cabaret was very good, it too had an immersive quality, the tuned the Playhouse Theatre into the Kit Kat Club. I only ever saw the film, which is quite different from the play. Loved the costumes, two often this gets played with corsets and garter belts, but here the costumes vera a mix of authentic looking 20s dresses and 80s clubwear, which worked well for the show. I got tickets for 30 pounds in the upper circle and they were good value.

 

[brogdale]

Finally plucked up courage to give the theatre a go again, (first since Feb 2020 ); saw Francesca Martinez' All of us at the Dorfman this afternoon.

Was one of the minority mask wearers, but thoroughly enjoyed the experience of theatre again.

Play = heart in the right place, but possibly a bit laboured (or should that be [Jezz] Laboured?) in parts, but she's very impressive and the supposing cast does not disappoint at all.

 

[belboid]

Not on until next year (unless you’re in Plymouth, when it’s on in December) but I’ve snapped up tickets for this asap, as I suspect they’ll go quickly.

Simon Burney’s Complicite present Drive My Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, an eco-terrorist, feminist detective nobel winning novel transformed for the stage with the saintly Kathryn Hunter.

Get tickets or you’ll regret it.

Complicite.org

www.complicite.org

 

[Winot]

Not on until next year (unless you’re in Plymouth, when it’s on in December) but I’ve snapped up tickets for this asap, as I suspect they’ll go quickly.

Simon Burney’s Complicite present Drive My Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, an eco-terrorist, feminist detective nobel winning novel transformed for the stage with the saintly Kathryn Hunter.

Get tickets or you’ll regret it.

Complicite.org

www.complicite.org

Good call - going to try to book for the Barbican.

 

[belboid]

Wise Children’s Wuthering Heights is on Sky Arts tonight. It’s been slightly edited and ‘remixed’ since it’s actual live transmission last year, twill be interesting to see how.

 

[brogdale]

Just seen the new to the National production of Romeo & Julie at press night at the Dorfman, originally put on at the Sherman.

Really enjoyed the gritty tale of social mobility and deprivation set in Splott; those with Cardiff connections will love the references to The Cottage, the STAR centre (new one), Ordell street, Penylan, the Broadway and Ely.

 

[hash tag]

We saw Ruddigore at Wiltons Music Hall yesterday. It was bloody lovely, it seemed real, such a small production in a little theatre;
great performance in a lovely old restored music hall.

Home - Wilton's Music Hall

wiltons.org.uk

 

[blossie33]

Yes, it's a great place, been there a couple of times.

 

[hash tag]

Yes, it's a great place, been there a couple of times.

We went on a tour when it was being returned. Our first live performance there.

 

[Gromit]

I was in London a couple of weeks ago and saw both Punchdrunk's The Burnt City and Cabaret. In terms of scale The Burnt City isn't as spectacular as The Drowned Man their last show, but dramatically (based on the Trojan war) it was the most coherent of the ones I've seen. We watched the main performance till it started to repeat, followed some performers to Troy where we pottered around for a while and then went to the bar which featured some fantastic cabaret, till we were called into the main performance area for the climax and it was great.

Cabaret was very good, it too had an immersive quality, the tuned the Playhouse Theatre into the Kit Kat Club. I only ever saw the film, which is quite different from the play. Loved the costumes, two often this gets played with corsets and garter belts, but here the costumes vera a mix of authentic looking 20s dresses and 80s clubwear, which worked well for the show. I got tickets for 30 pounds in the upper circle and they were good value.

Glad Cabaret was good. Got £100 tickets for May.

Recently I saw:

Coppélia - Scottish Ballet

Breaking down the boundaries of dance, theatre and film, this pioneering award-winning adaptation warps audiences' sense of reality.

www.scottishballet.co.uk

I loved it. OH was meh it's okay and she loves modern ballet.

Then we saw Bat out of Hell.
OH loved it and I was meh it's okay.
The best singer, in my opinion, had the least solo time. The worst (very pitchy) had four times as much.

Finally... Saw 'The Unfriend'.
Very good in parts, less so in others... not worth paying big prices to see. Be careful where you sit. Lots of obstructive views. Set doesn't really fit The Criterion in my opinion.

 

[brogdale]

Saw Standing at the Sky's Edge last week at the Olivier; bloody loved it. If you like Hawley's work (in the slightest) you'll love this piece.

Has already cost me extra as I'm ordering some Hawley CDs that I didn't have like Truelove's Gutter.

I'm generally no great fan of musical theatre, but I thought this was a really interesting, engaging and impressive theatrical experience; 5 * out of 5 from me.