Author Topic: What was the last play you watched?  (Read 44958 times)

fuzzy

Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #50 on: 05 July, 2015, 09:18:03 pm »
I'd write more, but after a couple of bottles during the opera and some cocktails after, I'm rather tired.

Is that suave and debonair gent speak for 'well oiled'?

Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #51 on: 06 July, 2015, 12:04:18 am »
I'd write more, but after a couple of bottles during the opera and some cocktails after, I'm rather tired.

Is that suave and debonair gent speak for 'well oiled'?

As tired as a newt.

Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #52 on: 31 July, 2015, 10:09:02 pm »
The Hook in Liverpool a couple of weeks ago and Richard II at the Globe last Saturday.   I enjoyed this more than the David Tennant version I saw broadcast to cinema last year, there is a good dose of comedy mixed into it.   Worth catching if you can see it.
Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #53 on: 08 August, 2015, 12:32:08 am »
The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Nighttime.

Really rather good. Funny and poignant, inventive and exceptionally well presented. Especially the end.
It is simpler than it looks.

Ruthie

  • Her Majester
Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #54 on: 08 August, 2015, 10:09:57 pm »
This lot.

They performed 'Midsummer Night's Dream' in the walled garden at Raby Castle.  I saw them perform 'Comedy of Errors' last year and was worried this year would just be more of the same, but it was brilliant.  A mostly different bunch of friends came this year, but they loved it too.  Lots of hat and costume swapping, and creative use of buckets to indicate when they were playing a woman.  The fact that they're doing the whole national tour on bikes, including transporting all the props and scenery, is right up my niche  ;)

Go see 'em if you get the chance.  Very accessible and good fun.
Milk please, no sugar.

Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #55 on: 24 August, 2015, 09:00:35 pm »
Have  just got tickets to see Frumious Bandersnatch playing Hamlet, at the local arthouse.   A repeat of a live broadcast from the NT.    I think that's the only way most of us will be able to see this one.   
Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #56 on: 24 August, 2015, 09:06:59 pm »
The Heresey of Love

Really rather good, and all the more so at The Globe, which I hadn't been to before. After we got to meet the cast and gained a fascinating insight into the play and how it was written/put on, but more interesting for me, what is different about playing there as opposed to a conventional theatre.
It is simpler than it looks.

Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #57 on: 26 August, 2015, 11:58:23 pm »
Live broadcast of Othello from the RSC.

Really good,  keep an eye open to see if they repeat it.     Far too warm in the cinema though,   I was alternately nodding of & trying to uncramp my legs.
Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

benborp

  • benbravoorpapa
Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #58 on: 27 August, 2015, 12:27:12 am »
Really rather good, and all the more so at The Globe, which I hadn't been to before. After we got to meet the cast and gained a fascinating insight into the play and how it was written/put on, but more interesting for me, what is different about playing there as opposed to a conventional theatre.

I've done a fair amount of work at the Globe and seeing the mechanics of how both Elizabethan and modern plays need to work on that stage, in front of that audience answers so many questions. Afterwards working in other theatres and with directors and designers that don't understand those principles can seem a thankless task.
A world of bedlam trapped inside a small cyclist.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #59 on: 11 September, 2015, 10:14:29 am »
Last night I watched my son perform in Alan Bennett's The History Boys. I didn't see the original West End production but I've seen the film and I have to say I think the play is much better - sharper, snappier, funnier. (I didn't really like the film that much, tbh.)

Quality of the production was generally pretty good for am-dram. The chap playing the headmaster was like a John Godber or Alan Ayckbourn character* - one of those old am-dram hacks who's probably been doing it for 30 years or more. But he was competent, as were the two playing Dorothy and Hector, though they have the unfortunate problem of being in roles that have been played definitively by Frances de la Tour and Richard Griffiths. The (very) young chap playing Irwin was pretty good too.

The boys were a mixed bunch. My son was superb (obviously) as Lockwood, and the lad playing Posner was excellent too - he's just about to head off to drama school and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he goes on to make a decent living as a professional actor. Scripps was also very good, as was Rudge. Unfortunately, the whole thing was marred slightly by Dakin, who was cast more for his looks than his acting experience or ability. It's a shame because he's such a key character but having been involved in amateur theatre myself in the past, I know it's sometimes a case of Hobson's choice when filling the parts, and you sometimes have to cast according to physical appropriateness rather than acting chops.

In all seriousness, I was very impressed with my son, looking at his performance as objectively as possible. He's entirely at home on the stage - comfortable, and generally very convincing. I didn't realise until last night that he's actually the youngest in the cast, and at 17, in fact slightly younger than the character he's playing - everyone else among the boys is older than their character - Dakin is actually older than Irwin, apparently, which is kind of funny in the context.

I liked the staging too, and the use of 80s pop music between scenes (though I could comment on a few anachronisms if I were inclined to be picky).

Going again tonight - dutiful and supportive parent that I am.


*Noises Off comes to mind, though of course that's Michael Frayn.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #60 on: 05 October, 2015, 04:41:54 pm »
Photograph 51, about the discovery of DNA. I thought it was interesting, but didn't think that much of it or of the stars' performances. As a result when the rest of the audience stood up up to give Nicole Kidman a standing ovation, I stayed seated. I was right at the back, so she wouldn't have noticed, but went home satisfied with my criticism. It wasn't an immediate standing ovation, but one that kind of spread through out the audience.

Andrij

  • Андрій
  • Ερασιτεχνικός μισάνθρωπος
Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #61 on: 05 October, 2015, 05:22:35 pm »
The Sting, at Wilton's Music Hall.

Go early, soak up the atmosphere of the venue, and enjoy!
;D  Andrij.  I pronounce you Complete and Utter GIT   :thumbsup:

Andrij

  • Андрій
  • Ερασιτεχνικός μισάνθρωπος
Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #62 on: 07 October, 2015, 09:20:55 pm »
It’s not often you can refer to an evening of opera as ‘light entertainment’, but you can when:
1) the opera is Le nozze di Figaro; and
2) the following evening you see a performance of Oresteia.


Le nozze di Figaro, Royal Opera House (by proxy)
Monday I took the cheap option and saw a live broadcast of Figaro at my local cinema.  This was the fourth ROH broadcast I’ve seen this year (others have been Big Screen outdoor events).  Like the other performances, Figaro did not fail to impress.  The ROH knows how to put on a slick production.  The chorus was solid and the soloists superb.

Concerning cinema / Big Screen broadcasts: I admit the atmosphere in a cinema or an outdoor screening (a great excuse for a picnic) is not the same as being there live, but one gains multiple camera angles, good pre-broadcast commentary and behind-the-scenes vignettes.  If you want to check out a ROH performance (opera or ballet) I highly recommend you try a cinema screening or one of the Big Screen events (the latter have ended for 2015).


Oresteia, Trafalgar Studios
Tuesday I balanced out Monday’s frivolity with an evening of Greek tragedy.  This production did a fair job condensing the Oresteia trilogy into 3h30m (including intervals).  IIRC, a recent BBC Radio adaption did it with three 1h30m (1h50m?) episodes.  I don’t recall how long a full staging would take, but the production I saw definitely cut out a fair chunk.  Viewers unfamiliar with the story might struggle to keep up, though I think the play might have a much stronger impact if you had no idea which way things were heading.  The surprises for me were how they adapted the story.

Yes, this was a modernised adaptation, but one which sticks to the story and is handled very well.  The staging was impressive, with use of sliding glass panels (made opaque/transparent as required) dividing the stage into three section.  Most of the action took place ‘up front’.  With no curtain, even the intervals had story-related activity (but nothing required for following the story).  Not sure if this is a part of a new, or old, trend, but the ‘chorus’ was a single actor.  At least this was easier to follow than a recent production of Antigone at the Barbican, where most of the individual characters were also the chorus, but only individually.

My only negative comment in regarding the theatre itself – seating was a bit snug (and armless).  I wouldn't like to see a show there in the winter when one would have to contend with bulky coats in limited space.
;D  Andrij.  I pronounce you Complete and Utter GIT   :thumbsup:

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #63 on: 09 December, 2015, 01:37:21 pm »
Twelfth Night

School play, with the offspring playing Sir Toby Belch (he wanted Orsino but Belch is a much better part). Generally a very well done production, played for the lols, with some very talented performers. Impressed. It goes without saying that the boy was brilliant but it's not just me who thinks so - he got a very nice personal email from the head of school congratulating him. Which is nice. The lad playing Malvolio was also outstanding.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #64 on: 11 January, 2016, 11:51:54 am »
Vanity Fair, Middle Temple Hall. I think one of the actors was a lawyer who decided to turn producer/actor hence the venue.

Play was fun, it was done in the round, and they did a very good job of boiling down the plot even I managed to keep track of the characters throughout. All the actors played multiple parts throughout, both male and female.
Slight audio problems when the main character sang (it wasn't a musical, but there was singing), amplified audio was a bit muffled, but as the singing wasn't central to the plot, we lost nothing.
Very minimalist set, stepladders doubling for boats, horses, carriages etc.

I really enjoyed it, then went online to see another review where they weren't so keen.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #65 on: 11 January, 2016, 12:22:38 pm »
I really enjoyed it, then went online to see another review where they weren't so keen.

Always interesting to read reviews but they're all just opinions and not always a reliable guide to whether or not you'll enjoy a piece yourself.

Reviews were pretty mixed for Waste at the NT, which we went to see between Christmas & New Year. We thoroughly enjoyed it. It's by Harley Granville Barker, a name I'm not familiar with but apparently he was a big deal in early 20th century British theatre. It's the story of a rising young politician who becomes embroiled in a scandal that wrecks his career - all seems pretty tame by the standards of today's politicians but was contentious enough to get the play banned when it was first written in 1907, so it didn't get its first performance until 1936. Style-wise it's rather dated - very reminiscent of George Bernard Shaw, which I'm sure is no coincidence (Barker, as actor and producer, was involved in many original stagings of Shaw plays) but that all seems a bit old hat these days, more the kind of thing you'd expect from am-dram than the National Theatre. Still, very well staged as you'd expect from the NT, and mostly well acted (Olivia Williams pretty much stole the show though).
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

essexian

Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #66 on: 19 February, 2016, 11:17:04 am »
Noises Off – Horsehay Am-Dram society. Horsehay Village Hall Shropshire.

An excellent production of this farce made all the better for the cheap admission (£6), the free cup of tea during the first break and the “clowns” who drew the raffle.  ;D

I really like the productions by this Am-Dram society: the acting is first rate (including one bloke who looked so much like Rylan Clark it was worrying!), the sets excellent (the set was on rollers so was turned 180 degrees during the first break) and front of house very friendly. The only slight downer is that the village hall has a flat floor meaning that heads do get in the way if you are towards the back of the 95 strong maximum crowd.

Support your “local” AmDram society, you won’t regret it.

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #67 on: 13 April, 2016, 12:36:24 am »
All's well that ends well. At the Tobacco Factory. With a chat from Andrew Hilton beforehand.

Rather good. For a problem play.
It is simpler than it looks.

Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #68 on: 13 April, 2016, 07:47:43 am »
Beryl at the Rose in Kingston (a few weeks ago).

Really rather good. Mrs h was prepared to be stultifyingly bored but humoured me by agreeing to come.

What a surprise. Funny, touching, well produced. A genuine delight. Both her and little miss h thoroughly enjoyed it. (Mini-h had already been to see it as part of his drama course.)

The only slight downside is that Maxine Peake's stated intention behind writing the play was to bring BB's amazing story to a wider audience, but as far as I could make out everyone in the audience was already cycling aware and knew exactly who she was.

Rust never sleeps

Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #69 on: 23 April, 2016, 08:03:27 pm »
King Lear at the Royal Exchange in Manchester.     Don Warrington giving a wonderful performance, and very good work from the rest of the cast.

Good eye gouging as well.....   Highly recommended.



http://www.themanchesterreview.co.uk/?p=6225

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/theatre-news/don-warrington-royal-exchange-lear-11078454
Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #70 on: 30 April, 2016, 10:10:44 am »
One for the Brummies.   The excellent staging of King Lear that I saw last week is shortly moving to Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

http://www.talawa.com/productions/current-production/

Birmingham Repertory Theatre
19 May – 28 May - BOOK NOWACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES
Captioned Performance Saturday 28 May, 2pm
BSL Interpreted Performance Friday 27 May 7:30pm. Interpreter Mary Connell

Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

essexian

Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #71 on: 30 April, 2016, 11:07:21 am »
One for the Brummies.   The excellent staging of King Lear that I saw last week is shortly moving to Birmingham Repertory Theatre.



Many thanks for the heads up. CBH has just finished reading this play so the timing is brilliant.

Booked.... ;D

Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #72 on: 30 April, 2016, 12:50:17 pm »
On a Lear inspired theme, Kurosawa's brilliant "Ran" has had a 4K makeover and is now on release around the country.

I've only ever seen it on a small TV so am really looking forward to watching it at FACT next month.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwP_kXyd-Rw
Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

DaveJ

  • Happy days
Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #73 on: 30 April, 2016, 01:13:19 pm »
God of Carnage at the local Trinity Theatre last night.

The cast were good I thought, though I didn't think the script was quite as sparkling as some reviews suggested.  Still very enjoyable.

Re: What was the last play you watched?
« Reply #74 on: 08 May, 2016, 09:06:20 am »
HMS Pinafore at the Grand Opera House

We blagged free tickets from MrsC's work

HMS Pinafore is a pretty naff bit of G&S but this is a brilliant production, using an all male cast to brilliant effect. Wonderful singing.
<i>Marmite slave</i>