|
|
Post by firefingers on Sept 6, 2018 22:19:09 GMT
So just back from preview... 2.5? (One aborted, one matinee, my one in the evening).
Now there is a good show in here, but think this needs more work.
The good:
The choreo. I didn't feel like it aped Hamilton too much. Tight, modern.
The humour. Surprising amount of laughs in what at first glance would be a serious story.
The staging. Very clean and simple. No mess.
Great cast, with the two understudies doing amazing work with two days prep.
A very British feel. It doesn't feel American in the way so many musicals do, with clear influences by a lot of British music in there.
The variety of music styles. More diverse than Hamilton.
The meh:
The book. Needs a bit of work, some stuff didn't work toneally.
The structure. A bit lumpy, with not enough time to given to characters who could have more impact. Act 1 was 80 minutes but Act 2 only 40 (although see below)
The bad:
The sound. Yes early days, don't normally do previews but given it was meant to be on preview 4 (plus dress runs) thought it'd be okay. There was bugger all vocal clairty which given it has a hell of a lot of rap isn't really ideal. And parking a live drum kit on stage with only plexiglass screens for protection means the drums bled into the vocals a hell of a lot. And a rather unbalanced band to boot, and no sub reaching me in the upper circle either. Some elements did improvement as the show progressed but clearly needed a load more tech time.
A loose Act 2. Clearly rushed in tech, lighting cues not right, actors not on marks or not lit of spots where an actor wouldn't be for two lines.
Score sadly a bit forgettable. Sure the sound didn't help, but it didn't quite have the spark that Hamilton has.
And the big cop out:
No ending. I don't mean that in a "the story petered out and didn't wrap up nicely". I mean they said they couldn't do the ending due to safety. I'm sorry, but it's a musical. What would be unsafe about standing on a stage singing? If there is a complex bit if set or fight choreo, cut it, and just stand, do the lines, and sing. I'm afraid I don't believe it was for safety reasons, it doesn't make sense. If Elphaba doesn't fly, they don't just go "Ah well, see you all again soon", you just do the number without flying. I do feel rather short changed, a preview should at least be the whole script shouldn't it?
Still when the show juddered to a halt it got a very rousing reception with loads standing so what do I know.
3 1/2 stars, can easily transition to 4 1/2 with some hard work done by the creative team. Obviously aiming for a transfer (short run on purpose to mean the Old Vic stint isn't eligible for the Oliviers and a run in town would be?) and would be great to have a British show going into town for once.
|
|
4,955 posts
|
Post by Someone in a tree on Sept 7, 2018 6:08:53 GMT
They just stopped it. Totally unbelievable. Great way to value paying customers
|
|
5 posts
|
Post by aprilamy on Sept 7, 2018 19:44:32 GMT
I was at the matinee yesterday and agree largely with firefingers above.
Kate Prince came on at start and explained they had rehearsed understudies for the parts of Sylvia and Ada, who would both be on book, but then dropped the bombshell that they wouldn't be able to perform right to the end for safety reasons.
The show itself is a definite work in progress; there are times when I felt it was trying a bit too hard to be the British Hamilton (there's a debate scene that seems very reminiscent of the Cabinet Battle for example) and it feels like it is still trying to carve out its own identity.
It is an interesting story and I realised that I didn't know much at all about Sylvia herself and how her views and actions differed from those of her family. The book doesn't quite flow together yet though and jumps around a bit - with characters playing multiple roles people might find it difficult to keep up with what's happening.
The matinee was definitely hindered by sound problems too, the microphones were crackling all the time meaning you couldn't hear all of the lyrics. The lyrics I could hear were quite modern and witty though so I'd hoped the sound issues would be fixed by Act Two, alas not.
However, there is a lot of potential here and there are some individual moments that really stand out (the end of Act One in particular is quite powerful and well staged). The choreography is tight, the energy from the ensemble is incredible and there are some strong performances. Maria Omakinwa did very well, I marvelled at how she could even keep up with turning the pages when there was so much going on around her. She used the script for a lot of the dialogue but often put it down entirely for the songs.
The songs themselves vary in style and although there aren't many that particularly linger in the memory they work well in the context of the show.
The end did come very abruptly and in hindsight I do agree that it was a shame that they couldn't read/sing through the ending, there was clearly at least 20 minutes left and as I won't be able to get back a second time I am disappointed not to end the story.
And yet.... as soon as people realised it was the end, the entire audience rocketed onto their feet in one of the most genuine standing ovations I've ever seen. And despite all the problems with the show, I was quite happy to join in. I am a sucker for an emotional curtain call anyway, but this one went to extremes! The ovation went on for a while and the cast were clearly not expecting that kind of reaction (and although there had been applause and cheers throughout, there was nothing to suggest the audience were going to respond quite that strongly). There was a genuine appreciation for how much work they had clearly done and their passion and commitment to putting on the show in the circumstances. The cast themselves were faultless and I think the audience reaction was more a recognition of that than any pretence that the show is perfect.
Whether they have the time to work on the show and iron out the faults in this short run remains to be seen but I certainly wish them well. There is lots to enjoy here already and the potential is there for something special. As a one off performance, the first preview atmosphere certainly made it unforgettable so I am still glad that I made the trip (but, if someone could eventually post how it ends, I'd appreciate it! :-D)
|
|
3,057 posts
|
Post by ali973 on Sept 8, 2018 13:08:43 GMT
Any chance this would extend so that they can finally run the show with an ending and its leading lady?
|
|
1,475 posts
|
Post by Steve on Sept 8, 2018 22:42:46 GMT
What Firefingers and AprilAmy said. Saw tonight's show, show is still missing the "dangerous to stage" final 15 minutes; and Kate Prince said 4 people were performing their roles in preview for the first time:- As scheduled, Elliotte Williams-N'Dure played Emmeline Pankhurst (despite being too young for the part, she had an authoritative presence and swagger that made up for that, and almost as much heft in her voice, to carry off the rock and soul belting moments, as Beverley Knight); Izuka Hoyle covered Williams-N'Dure's usual part of "The General," and the good news was that Genesis Lynea got to play her own title role for the first time, with Maria Omakinwa back in her own role as Ada. Genesis Lynea's Sylvia is the soft heart of the musical, the yin to the terrorist yang of her more violently uncompromising mother and sister, and Lynea nails compassionate soulfulness. Some spoilers follow. . . Since the show remains unfinished, it is impossible to know the principle thrust and meaning of it. The ending could just as easily involve a showdown between Sylvia and her family, as it could involve a showdown between the Suffragettes and Winston Churchill, the principal villain. That said, Winston Churchill is a weak villain, nowhere near as defined as King George in Hamilton, as Churchill isn't written with enough verve and attitude. By contrast, John Dagleish's Lord Curzon, Tachia Newall's Lord Cromer and another Lord make far better villains, despite being given far less stage time, gleefully singing a dastardly song with the refrain "Men are made better than women." Other songs that worked well for me was the superb Act 1 finisher, delivered by the entire ensemble, "Be the change that You wanna be," as well as the acapella number, "Stand up Now." The latter song echoed the opening of the musical which also began in acapella, before slowly phasing in guitar, with finger clicks, and lastly drums. It is the drums that make hearing some lyrics difficult, though not impossible. There are indeed more song varieties in this than Hamilton, with more rock, especially, and soul and gospel, as well as the obligatory hip hop. Hip hop definitely worked the best during a rap battle, which was exciting. Overall, though, this unfinished piece fails to establish any single throughline as compelling enough to energize the whole dramatically, though perhaps such drama comes to sudden fruition in the as-yet unperformed showdown. I did however see enough to know that a hip hop Suffragette story is genius, and would easily be the apex of Zoonation's story thus far, if done right. At present, this feels like what it is, promising but unfinished. In addition to honing the drama, I'd love a final version to make more moments out of fewer songs, rather than feature too many, and cut them short. One of the reasons I liked the three songs I have mentioned (I'd add a fourth that might be called "Running" as well) is that these songs emanate from dramatic moments, and are fully played out. Good luck to these guys. It's such a great idea, with at least 4 great songs, that I'd love to see the final product in another run.  |
|
|
|
Post by oxfordsimon on Sept 8, 2018 22:57:14 GMT
How has this all been allowed to happen?
'Not being safe' to stage the finale so they just stop?
This is taking place in a professional theatre with a professional cast and professional directors/creatives.
I appreciate that it is still technically in preview and there have been issues with the cast and illness/incapacity.
But, this should never have been allowed to happen. What are management thinking? The preview period is there to put the final polish on things. It sounds like it is almost still in workshop phase - in which case it should be marketed accordingly.
If the finale is too dangerous to stage, change the finale. Give people a full show. There is no excuse for this, there really isn't.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2018 23:22:28 GMT
It isn't in workshop phase, that's very clear. The show is ready, as far as I can see, but the technical side isn't (any illness is neither here nor there). They could perform it but, for whatever reason (not a long enough gap from the previous production, problems found when in the venue etc.) the technical side isn't ready/safe.
|
|
1,217 posts
|
Post by nash16 on Sept 8, 2018 23:39:32 GMT
Kate Prince will struggle to be trusted to helm a project after this.
|
|
|
|
Post by oxfordsimon on Sept 8, 2018 23:44:43 GMT
It isn't in workshop phase, that's very clear. The show is ready, as far as I can see, but the technical side isn't (any illness is neither here nor there). They could perform it but, for whatever reason (not a long enough gap from the previous production, problems found when in the venue etc.) the technical side isn't ready/safe. I think that is a very generous view of things. They knew the parameters of their get-in/tech/dress process. They knew what they were dealing with. They failed to come up with a final 15 minutes that was deliverable given the timescale that existed. Which means they should have come up with an alternative. At very least, they should perform the final 15 minutes in concert form so that the audience can hear the music and have the narrative resolved. Just stopping the show is incredibly bad form. It shows contempt for a paying audience. |
|
|
|
Post by firefingers on Sept 9, 2018 10:23:08 GMT
IT STILL DOESN'T HAVE AN ENDING?!
Okay, I thought it was bad luck and they hadn't had any time to stage it with the understudies, but they are now on performance 5 (and a half) and still can't even figure out a basic staging for the finale? The conclusion of your show isn't some cherry on top of the cake thing, it is an integral part. To continue to charge up to fifty quid I find rather disrespectful to the audience. I was considering picking up a ticket for later in the run when the sound problems had been solved and the ending staged but don't think I'll bother now.
|
|
|
|
Post by anthem on Sept 9, 2018 10:46:02 GMT
I hope they’ve sorted out the ending (or lack thereof) by next Thursday when I see it.
Do we think they simply haven’t rehearsed the ending properly and ‘safety’ is being used as a cover? It seems odd that this hasn’t been sorted before now.
|
|
|
|
Post by firefingers on Sept 9, 2018 11:31:07 GMT
Do we think they simply haven’t rehearsed the ending properly and ‘safety’ is being used as a cover? It seems odd that this hasn’t been sorted before now. Personally, I am highly skeptical. I'd argue that all a musical needs is some words and a tune to sing them to, anything else is a bonus, and there can surely be nothing unsafe about that. I've worked on a hell of a lot of previews in my life and whilst changes do happen every audience has has had an ending, even if that ending has changed later on. I've dropped The Old Vic a message voicing my disappointment and asking them to clarify the safety concerns. See if it turns up anything. |
|
4,778 posts
|
Post by Mark on Sept 9, 2018 12:01:33 GMT
I really fancy this but holding off booking until it is actually a full show. Seems like a bit of a disaster to be honest.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2018 12:28:27 GMT
This ending that is on hold due to safety had better be technically spectaculant and worth waiting for. I'm thinking along the lines of Grizabella on the tyre flying up and out to meet a staircase descending from the roof of the theatre.
Not that sort of show you say?
I jest of course. Booked as thought the story be good and I loves me a bit of Bev's belt. Going week after next.
|
|
3,557 posts
|
Post by showgirl on Sept 9, 2018 14:07:31 GMT
I've been interested in this since it was announced but am still holding off booking due to the "missing ending" issue. There's nothing on the Old Vic website about it but I'm not booking until I know when I may expect to see the full version - or the truncated one if they are forced to settle for that but either way, have the courtesy to tell the paying public, please.
|
|
|
|
Post by Seriously on Sept 9, 2018 17:48:35 GMT
Unless the last scene is Emily Davison being tramped by a hologramatic horse, they better have something good up their sleeves!
|
|
2,476 posts
|
Post by zahidf on Sept 9, 2018 19:10:50 GMT
I'm going on press night so I'd hope they have an ending by then!
|
|
|
|
Post by danb on Sept 9, 2018 19:32:26 GMT
Unless the last scene is Emily Davison being tramped by a hologramatic horse, they better have something good up their sleeves! All I know is that they’ve borrowed the horse from the field behind my Mums house, and Bev has hoof prints on her left thigh. You join the dots...😂 |
|
1,254 posts
|
Post by theatrelover123 on Sept 9, 2018 20:33:34 GMT
Unless the last scene is Emily Davison being tramped by a hologramatic horse, they better have something good up their sleeves! You see Davidson and the horse incident and I thought it was done pretty badly tbh. Kate said that they couldn’t do the last section as there were lots of boxes that needed pushing around. Which is surprising considering very few things were actually moved in the 2 hours previously. So my feeling is that it’s a lie. There is no reason why they couldn’t have stood on the stage and sung it. The cast were more than happy to come back on and jump around and sing. I also reckon that the audience in the previews (or at least on ‘the first preview’ on Thursday matinee) were mainly friends and family of the cast because I genuinely don’t believe the show deserved the ridiculous level of applause and standing ovation at the end. Sure, they worked hard amidst a few setbacks but they acted like they had all been through serious life altering dramas from the way they gushed. |
|
642 posts
|
Post by Stasia on Sept 10, 2018 6:45:43 GMT
Do they return the ticketholders money proportionally to the amount of show they have not shown them? Or is that supposed to be OK - to take the money and not present full show? Previews or not previews, call these dress rehearsals then and give the money back.
I really wonder how people are taking this. Are they ok with not seeing the show in full and not knowing the ending?
|
|
19,650 posts
|
Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 10, 2018 7:01:43 GMT
You do have to wonder what is going on in the producers heads that makes them think it’s ok to do this. Absolutely appalling disrespect to paying customers.
|
|
1,254 posts
|
Post by theatrelover123 on Sept 10, 2018 7:47:44 GMT
I was annoyed afterwards and have thought about complaining but I only paid £10 for the ticket and they were quite explicit constantly that it's a preview and a work in progress and that we should be grateful to see it at that 'exciting stage'. So it felt a little churlish to complain.
|
|
|
|
Post by oxfordsimon on Sept 10, 2018 7:52:43 GMT
No-one should be 'grateful' to see a partial show.
It is the audiences doing them a favour not the other way round.
They are arrogant to believe otherwise.
|
|
587 posts
|
Post by Polly1 on Sept 10, 2018 8:11:11 GMT
I'm going on press night so I'd hope they have an ending by then! If this is tomorrow (Tuesday), I note it is now designated on the OV website as 'guest night' - whatever that means. |
|
677 posts
|
Post by westendcub on Sept 10, 2018 12:24:20 GMT
I’m going tonight so will report back but I’m now prepped for no ending!!!
|
|
