This year at the theatre....

[Lord Camomile]

Right, ignoring that post too...

 

[Lord Camomile]

Finally got to see Drowned Man last night. Having never been to a Punchdrunk piece before it was quite an experience! The scale and level of detail was astonishing, though I would echo what most seem to be saying that it was hard to actually follow much of the narrative and 'understand' much of it. Also, while I liked the whole "abandon your comrades and go your own way" shtick, after about 2 hours of wandering around on my own I was really wishing I'd find my friends again

They seem to be going until December (have they extended the run?) and I'm quite tempted to go again now I have a better idea of how to 'do' it.

 

[Lord Camomile]

And, of course, it's not anything new now: there's nothing surprising about being herded into a whole-troupe finale, and even some of the props had been dusted down from previous productions.

This is somethine I've read in quite a few reviews - the word "retread" came up a fair bit. Also that it's progressed in terms of scale but not ideas. As I said, this was the first time for me, but will be interesting to see where they go with it.

I saw that on Tuesday. It's true that you can never really get caught up in a narrative, but I've come to look at the performance aspect as the icing on the cake of what is a great space to explore. I still had a good time. I'd only seen their Edgar Allan Poe show before and this was on a much bigger scale.

Yeah, if I do go again I think that's how I'll take it. though saying that, I also have designs on trying to follow each character through their full 'cycle', though that might be overly ambitious

i also went to see the drowned man / punchdrunk thing. it was an amazing experience, but more immersive art than theatre, imo. if we hadn't had the little card explaining the stories before we went in i'm not sure how much i'd have followed. It was a powerful evening, though, and a truly astonishing joy of set design.

Yeah, "immersive art" is an interesting one, quite a good way of putting it I think. My friends and I scanned the little cards but only really properly read them on the tube home

 

[xsunnysuex]

Went to see the new Charlie And The Chocolate Factory musical in west end Fri night. What a stunning show. Really clever production. Loved it. The kid cast were brilliant, especially the kid that played Charlie. Would really recommend it.

 

[Winot]

Finally got to see Drowned Man last night. Having never been to a Punchdrunk piece before it was quite an experience! The scale and level of detail was astonishing, though I would echo what most seem to be saying that it was hard to actually follow much of the narrative and 'understand' much of it. Also, while I liked the whole "abandon your comrades and go your own way" shtick, after about 2 hours of wandering around on my own I was really wishing I'd find my friends again

They seem to be going until December (have they extended the run?) and I'm quite tempted to go again now I have a better idea of how to 'do' it.

I went last night with the missus. First Punchdrunk experience for me. Similar reaction to many - not sure the narrative element was strong enough to match the extraordinary design and direction. Felt emotionally disengaged although excited by the exploring.

I thought the mask concept worked well as a way of signalling who to watch - i.e. anyone without one was an actor. Best moment for me was connected to that: late on (we were there for 3 hours) - I finally came across the bar - I had forgotten about it and so walked into this big space in which most people were not wearing masks - genuinely unsettling until I realised they were punters taking a break.

 

[Winot]

To add - it also really reminded me of David Lynch's Mulholland Drive.

 

[redsquirrel]

The always fantastic Kneehigh Theatre's Brief Encounter. Anybody who's seen any Kneehigh before will almost certainly know how good they are. The only complaint I'd make about this is that at an hour and 40 minutes it's just too bloody short, you really didn't want it to finish so soon.

Any U75 Melbournites should definitely try and get tickets if they can.

EDIT: Actually I think it's going round all the main Australia cities.

 

[spanglechick]

Two recommendations for you if you can still get tickets.

Scottsboro Boys at the Youmg Vic is an absolutely brilliant show. It's a Kander and Ebb musical, but not slick and sexy like Chicago or Caberet. It's political - about a racially-motivated miscarriage of justice in Alabama in the 1930s that became a cause célèbre for the civil rights movement. It's hysterically funny and enormously exciting and deeply moving. Wholeheartedly recommend to anyone and everyone. This is what theatre can be and you will love it.


Last night we saw The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui at the Duchess (west end). Not everyone loves Brecht, I know, but this is a good'un. For the uninitiated, it's a parody of the rise of Hitler in the thirties, but told as an allegory of a small time gangster in Chicago. Laughs again, especially in the first half. Henry Goodman will win awards for an amazing, physically detailed and controlled performance. Such a treat to see well-funded Brecht (last was Good person of szechuan at the young vic, I think). We got seats for £13 in the front row which was no real hardship (Goebels gave me a rose!), and made me wish more of the west end was below £20 a ticket. The duchess theatre seems to recieve a succession of relatively short runs, non-musicals... It's a nice model, usually reserved for the big subsidy producing houses like the national and the vics.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

I got to see book of mormon which was fun

 

[Lea]

Saw Let It Be last Sunday. It wasn't so much a musical story but more like a tribute band concert.

 

[magneze]

Saw "The Dead Wait" last Saturday. Highly recommended - great performances and a really powerful story.

http://parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/the-dead-wait

 

[Virtual Blue]

We saw The Drowned Man a couple of weeks back.
Yes, very Lynchian - lots of genre's mixed.

Big mistake was that we didn't follow any characters...not even a bit.
Seemed like we missed alot (we went with two other couples who followed two different characters throughout).

Good show but pretty tiring (though I prefer Secret Cinema for actual interaction).

 

[magneze]

At the Dead Wait we were chatting to some friends who had seen the Drowned Man. Sounds amazing.

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

In the last month of so, I've seen Spamalot and Waiting for Godot. Waiting for Godot was the most baffling bit of bullshit I've seen in a long while. Yes, I understand the whole existential meaning, but its still self-indulgent nonsense.

I had a chance to see Memphis, but I wasn't up for the ticket price.

 

[belboid]

ooh, I'm going to the opening nights of Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies

 

[Rebelda]

Ooh I've been meaning to go to The Drowned Man after seeing something similar at Somerset House last year. Dreamthink I believe, and very good it was too.

Rada graduates did Phaedra's Love this summer. Managed to see it, after some ticket shennanigans. Very impressive (not sure one can exactly enjoy Sarah Kane ).

Saw The Audience because my aunt had a spare ticket. Was crap, Helen Mirren fluffed a good 5 lines and still got a standing ovation

Took my sister to Matilda! in September. Brilliant, but RSC + Tim Minchin was always going to be

/just found this thread

 

[Lord Camomile]

This evening I saw Rubble and Rebels and The Unbuilt Room at the BAC, and would recommend both if you get the chance.

Rubble and Rebels uses video goggles and headphones to take you on a tour of the building. You can't see through the video goggles, but you do move around the building, guided by a voice in your ear and a member of staff gently helping you move around. One of those things where I think "has this been around for ages and I've just missed it, or is this the future?" - so much potential for creating entirely new world for you to walk through!

Unbuilt Room is a choose-your-own adventure type thing, held in one room but again, set around the BAC. You play with other audience members, taking it in turns to act but talking it through. You only got 20 minutes, I think we did alright but I think there was more we missed.

Ooh I've been meaning to go to The Drowned Man after seeing something similar at Somerset House last year. Dreamthink I believe, and very good it was too.

I'm so gutted I missed the dreamthink piece, it was in one of our buildings and I'm a huge fan of Leonardo and immersive theatre.

 

[redsquirrel]

ooh, I'm going to the opening nights of Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies

Hmm, this could be good but I don't know if my love of the books might not make it hard for plays to live up to that standard. Let us know what you think of them.

 

[Rebelda]

I'm so gutted I missed the dreamthink piece, it was in one of our buildings and I'm a huge fan of Leonardo and immersive theatre.

It was amazing. Very, very moving. I came out quite upset/awed/inspired. Had to have a cry when I got home

 

[thriller]

Went to see the new Charlie And The Chocolate Factory musical in west end Fri night. What a stunning show. Really clever production. Loved it. The kid cast were brilliant, especially the kid that played Charlie. Would really recommend it.

going to see this next week. what seat did you buy? was the view good?

 

[xsunnysuex]

going to see this next week. what seat did you buy? was the view good?

We were in grand circle. Row G. seats 1&2. The view was perfect. Only downside was hardly any leg room. So if your tall, you suffer. Let me know what you think. We thought it was really cleverly done. Even my other half who hates theatre of any kind was impressed.

 

[thriller]

We were in grand circle. Row G. seats 1&2. The view was perfect. Only downside was hardly any leg room. So if your tall, you suffer. Let me know what you think. We thought it was really cleverly done. Even my other half who hates theatre of any kind was impressed.

I'll defo post back. I'm in Grand Circle L28. Can't wait. Heard good stuff about it. After this I'm looking at either Matilda or Wicked as the next theater experience.

 

[silverfish]

I got to see book of mormon which was fun

My first ever musical is going to be Book of Mormon. tickets booked for December

 

[silverfish]

My first ever musical is going to be Book of Mormon. tickets booked for December

PS

I've epically fecked up buying the tickets and got a spare set (due to shizzer internet connection)

Have two tickets for WED 27th November 1430pm they cost me 72 quid each (Who said the arts were un-accessible to the masses) but I'm up for offers.

I have got them pimped out elsewhere but all my friends and family appear to be un-tutored philistines and wouldn't know what to do at the theatre

 

[Lord Camomile]

It was amazing. Very, very moving. I came out quite upset/awed/inspired. Had to have a cry when I got home

Dammit. I know jealousy is a petty and spiteful emotion, and I should really just be happy that you had such an engaging experience, but I'm not, and I really would have rather it been a dull and pretentious 2 hours that I was better off missing. Damn you.

 

[Rebelda]

Ner ner ner ner ner

 

[Lord Camomile]

 

[silverfish]

No takers on the home front, any one fancy them

I can get them posted special delivery (8 days till performance)

 

[Lord Camomile]

I've heard good things so would if I could, but can't Offer 'em up in the Recycle forum?

 

[little_legs]

If you can, go catch Ibsen's Ghosts at Almeida Theatre.

I've only heard about this play briefly before, so I kind of knew what was going to happen but my expectations were exceeded. It's amazing how well they adapted the issues people were grappling with in the 19th century to present day. Beautiful stage design.

I can't afford to go to the theater often, but I am convinced that Lesley Manville has got to be one of the best English actresses alive. In addition to Ghosts, I've only seen her in Grief at the National Theater and in Leigh's Another Year. There is something about her that even when she does not speak makes you so emotional. She makes you remember your mom, she makes you numb with her fragility, she makes you hold your breath.