Hex - NT

[anthony40]

Might try on my work laptop tomorrow

[anthony40]

Just an update.

I logged onto the website from my work laptop today and same thing- all sold out.

So I don't know how you guys can see available tickets and I can't (Sigh)

I'm just gonna make a journey down to the National.

[juicy_but_terribly_drab]

Nov 25, 2021 18:17:01 GMT anthony40 said:

Just an update.

I logged onto the website from my work laptop today and same thing- all sold out.

So I don't know how you guys can see available tickets and I can't (Sigh)

I'm just gonna make a journey down to the National.

Are you signed in? Sometimes when I'm signed in it says shows are sold out but if I'm not signed in it's fine, it had to do with entry pass for me (although is it even called entry pass anymore?) but might work the same with memberships too if you've got one?

[anthony40]

Yep signed in.

Still says all sold out

[n1david]

Face it anthony40 they just don't want you to go.

[anthony40]

Aww 😢

[alece10]

They have got wind of your reputation

[alece10]

Seriously it's very odd as I've just had a look via my phone out of curiosity and checked a few dates. Plenty of seats showing.

[sophie92]

I looked on my phone and when the page first loaded it said sold out for all the dates, but then within a second that updated to show availability.

[Oleanna]

Nov 25, 2021 18:26:24 GMT anthony40 said:

Yep signed in.

Still says all sold out

I think you need to sign out first.

[TallPaul]

Well I hope you enjoy it after all this rigmarole, anthony40.

[Mark]

First preview tonight!

[mrbarnaby]

Let’s hope it’s not a Light Princess style stinker

[blobble84]

If it’s anything like The Light Princess, I’ll be there multiple times.

[mrbarnaby]

Dec 4, 2021 20:19:43 GMT blobble84 said:

If it’s anything like The Light Princess, I’ll be there multiple times.

Oh dear.

[Mark]

It’s very “National Theatre”, if that’s a way to put it.
First act I quite enjoyed, act two not so much and it all just got a bit strange. Some of the music was certainly nice though, and it kept me engaged throughout.

So a (trying to be) brief plot summary

SPOILER: Click to show

The fairy is summoned to the castle to try and help the queens baby sleep. The queen is not happy with the “spell” to make her sleep when tired and wants her to sleep to suit her needs. Now a “Hex” is made, that before her 16th birthday, Rose will Pr**k herself on the thorns.
We have dancing thorns galore etc etc, she gets pricked and falls asleep. All the princes who try and rescue her are put to sleep by the thorns. We then have “Queenie” who finds the fairy, she is an ogress and worried she will eat her unborn child. Fairy notices she is immune to the thorns and helps Queenie not want to eat her unborn child (Prince bert), and raises him to 16, and ta da end of act one he gets through the thorns and kisses Rose to wake her.
Act two gets strange, we have all the other princes awaken in a number first. Rose and Bert return to Queenie with two children, and we have a long section where she is determined to eat her grandchildren (yes, really). It all gets a bit messy, she doesn’t eat them, fairy helps Rose escape with them and eventually they all wind up happy in the end.
Sound weird? It is

Rosalie Craig very good in particular and I’d lean towards recommending it as a show to see. I can’t say it’s a musical that I think would particularly warrant a second viewing though.
Runtime approx 2:35 tonight with around a 5 min delay to start.

[digne]

There's nothing weird about the prince's mother being an ogress who (wants to) eat the prince's children, because that's what actually happens in the original fairytale: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeping_Beauty#Perrault's_narrative

I thought the music was unfortunately mostly forgettable, because the show itself was enjoyable and I had an entertaining evening - I was actually delighted the story was a reworking of the original, darker pre-Grimm tale and it was a lot less geared towards children than I feared it might be. Still, if there's not a single tune you find yourself humming on the way home...

Also, before the show Rufus Norris announced that three cast members tested positive for Covid on Monday, so Tamsin Dowsett was on as Queenie today.

[Mark]

Thanks digne - you sure do learn something new every day! But it certainly is still weird 

[digne]

Dec 5, 2021 0:06:53 GMT Mark said:

Thanks digne - you sure do learn something new every day! But it certainly is still weird 

I stumbled across that a few months ago actually and found myself thinking "Oooh how come there are never any adaptations where the prince's mother wants to eat the children?"

I guess someone at the NT had the same experience and made it happen.

[amuseical]

Kat Ronney as Rose has an incredible voice, and absolutely crushes all the material she’s given.

There were also some great technical elements, though at times they felt a little unneeded. The opening number has

SPOILER: Click to show

beautiful projections on white costumes and props which make a real impact, only to never reappear. Also, Rose ascending into a castle 15m above the stage after falling asleep, and hanging in there for around 30 minutes was impressive, if not a little nerve-wracking.

The show had some overly long sequences but I’m sure these will be refined and cut down throughout previews.

My biggest problem with the show was that everything felt very literal. The lyrics and the dialogue lacked any kind of nuance. If someone was sad, you would know it, because they would say ‘I’m sad.’ Then probably repeat it a couple of times to make sure the point was hammered home.

The costumes, props, lighting and overall vision created a beautiful fairytale world, if only the show’s book and lyrics gave something more substantial to fill that world with.

[mattnyc]

What. Did. I. Just. Watch.

First off, Before the show started the Director came out on stage and said that the role of Queenie was played by the understudy the other night, however now the understudy is sick, so they got someone to cover it and she’ll be performing script in hand. She was quite good and seemed well rehearsed even so.

Now then. The show. I don’t even think I have the right words right now to describe what that was. I’ve seen my share of awful flop musicals and they all leave me with my jaw open at least 10 times during the show. I know that number was surpassed tonight. If you paid me £1 million I could not hum or remember any of the music. I’m pretty sure during almost every single song, halfway through it I thought to myself that it absolutely does not need to be a song or if it did need to be a song and this was just the wrong way to write it.

Rosalie played a fairy who I suppose was supposed to act like Gollum? I kept wishing she do the voice, since she was speaking like him and doing the mannerisms so well.

This thing is going to take me a while to unpack tonight because it was just so damn bizarre and for most of act one, I felt like I was watching someone’s fever dream.

[mrbarnaby]

Everything about this looks and sounds truly horrible.

I don’t think the National need another stinker after Manor- but here it is.

[Deleted]

Dec 7, 2021 22:15:44 GMT mattnyc said:

What. Did. I. Just. Watch.

First off, Before the show started the Director came out on stage and said that the role of Queenie was played by the understudy the other night, however now the understudy is sick, so they got someone to cover it and she’ll be performing script in hand. She was quite good and seemed well rehearsed even so.

Now then. The show. I don’t even think I have the right words right now to describe what that was. I’ve seen my share of awful flop musicals and they all leave me with my jaw open at least 10 times during the show. I know that number was surpassed tonight. If you paid me £1 million I could not hum or remember any of the music. I’m pretty sure during almost every single song, halfway through it I thought to myself that it absolutely does not need to be a song or if it did need to be a song and this was just the wrong way to write it.

Rosalie played a fairy who I suppose was supposed to act like Gollum? I kept wishing she do the voice, since she was speaking like him and doing the mannerisms so well.

This thing is going to take me a while to unpack tonight because it was just so damn bizarre and for most of act one, I felt like I was watching someone’s fever dream.

Thank you SO much for your review. I saw the first preview and couldn’t quite form a coherent paragraph, because what I witnessed that night was so awfully dreadful... your account is extremely eloquent and describes my experience as well. I was surprised to read neutral to positive accounts on here and didn’t feel I should bring the mood down, but I suppose I’m gonna share my thoughts anyway.
This is surely bound to go down in history as one of the worst musicals ever conceived. Everything was so misguided, from the confusing book, through the score which can’t quite decide what it wants to be, the cheap ugly costumes, dreadful choreography etc. I feel sorry for the cast; they’re all extremely talented but the material they were given is embarrassing. Rufus Norris should not be allowed to direct musicals, ever. Seriously, we get an opening number which is meant to be taking place deep in the woods – and we’ve got ensemble members waltzing out wearing white feathered headdresses? WOW. It’s not stylised, it’s just messy.
I can’t wait to hear Mr Barnaby’s thoughts on this one…

[mattnyc]

Did you get Gollum from her performance, as well???

[oxfordsimon]

This and Manor seem to raise serious questions about the New Writing/dramaturgy departments and production oversight process once again.

When Norris and his other half have created the Christmas musical, who in the building has the authority and strength of character to stand up to them?

Who is assessing new scripts and why do they lack the confidence to challenge established authors about their work?

Two new pieces having serious issues so close together means that something has gone wrong on multiple occasions.

Will this lead to resignations? Of course not.