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Post by Dave B on Jan 12, 2023 10:57:12 GMT
Three new shows out announced today.
Assuming (and a big assumption given loss of ACE funding) they keep the £5 for all preview tickets, I reckon it's probably the best value ticket in London. On sale Thursday next week.
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Post by drmaplewood on Jan 19, 2023 10:24:38 GMT
Already on sale, not sure why they always do that. Can confirm £5 tickets still in place.
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Post by Dave B on Jan 19, 2023 10:40:00 GMT
£10 premium tickets for Stumped alongside the £5, not sure what that will be but happily snapped up all three at £5. And yes, they seem to open at least 30 minutes early each time.
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Post by Dave B on Jan 23, 2023 10:36:50 GMT
Did anyone book two tickets (or more!) for Stumped? It said seating would be sent out later, a bit surprised to get tickets this morning for two separate seats! When I book two unreserved that they intend to seat, I'd have expected them to be two seats together... right?
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Post by cavocado on Jan 23, 2023 10:46:01 GMT
I only booked one, but also got my numbered ticket this morning. I see they've added a seat plan if you book Stumped now. I assume this will be the same for future downstairs shows that have a traditional seating block, as it enables them to have two different prices. You could check the seating plan for the night you've booked Dave B and see if they have 2 together they could move you to? |
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Post by Dave B on Jan 23, 2023 10:59:47 GMT
Aha. There is very little available on the date we booked so I wonder if they just gave best available in booking order. Not the end of the world, we often sit apart (one at each side pillar in Almeida often amuses me) and two better separate seats will do. Thanks tho  |
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Post by princeton on Jan 23, 2023 12:39:52 GMT
I think, judging by the way it is billed, that Stumped is a commercial hire rather than an in-house production. That might explain the two-tier price system and more expensive than usual ticket prices for the main run. I suspect that there will be more of these, both in the main house and downstairs, going forward given the perilous state of Hampstead's funding. Great that they've managed to still do the £5 preview tickets.
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Post by kate8 on Feb 17, 2023 13:02:16 GMT
Great cast for Sea Creatures including June Watson and Tom Mothersdale.
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Post by drmaplewood on Feb 17, 2023 15:49:15 GMT
Akedah is excellent - superb turns from both leads and really claustrophobic atmosphere that doesn't really let up for the 90 mins running time. Highly recommend.
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Post by alessia on Feb 17, 2023 16:12:37 GMT
oh nice to hear, I will check it out-Thanks!
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Post by cavocado on Feb 17, 2023 16:26:08 GMT
I saw Akedah a couple of days ago and I agree that the acting was very good. Interesting subject matter too - two sisters from an abusive background, the younger (Kelly) now seemingly happily involved with an evangelical church which might be cult-like and controlling, but which also does a lot of community work filling the vacuum left by shrinking state services. The older sister Gill unable to move on from past trauma. Certainly a lot to think about, and Amy Molloy in particular gave a stunning performance as Gill.
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Post by Dave B on Feb 18, 2023 12:36:16 GMT
Akedah has two fantastic performances in Ruby Campbell and Amy Malloy but
{Spoiler - click to view}
I really disliked the 'reveal', it didn't feel at all natural and it changed the dynamic of the play so much. We see the two sisters on a path to perhaps coming together and then it is a contrivance to put a spanner in those works. There is enough going on with their backstory and their current situations and the cult/not cult (100% a cult!) and I found this a real letdown in the end. |
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Post by pledge on Feb 23, 2023 9:53:13 GMT
When I arrived for Akedah my heart sank at the sight of the gauze surrounding the playing area and I supposed that (as with a show at Southwark last year) I'd have to spend an evening peering through a kind of fog; so it was a relief when the ASM pulled the curtain away. However she might aswell have left it in place, because I honestly felt as though I was watching the play through a curtain of impenetrability - found it impossible to connect with or become involved with either the characters or the situation. Clearly other people in this board had no such problem, but then again others around me did - saw a few eyes closing and nodding heads. Surely there is more to playwriting than two characters emoting for 90 mins, and while the two principal actors worked their socks off it wasn't enough to hook me or get me interested. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2023 10:20:35 GMT
Has anyone else seen Sea Creatures yet?
I saw what I believe was the first preview on Friday and thought it was a boring, nonsensical play which ran for about a hour too long (it's a 1hr 50m play) and the opinion was shared in almost every conversation I heard afterwards.
Was just wondering if we were unlucky or if it really is that bad?
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Post by Dave B on Mar 26, 2023 13:22:19 GMT
Has anyone else seen Sea Creatures yet? I saw what I believe was the first preview on Friday and thought it was a boring, nonsensical play which ran for about a hour too long (it's a 1hr 50m play) and the opinion was shared in almost every conversation I heard afterwards. Was just wondering if we were unlucky or if it really is that bad? Oof - going tomorrow and just got the pre-show details. An 1h 50m with no interval, I will be in the queue early to make sure I get a seat with legroom. Will report back! |
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Post by tmesis on Mar 26, 2023 19:18:30 GMT
Agree @lurker - saw it last night.
An interminable play that goes nowhere. The ‘plot’ strands (it doesn’t really have a plot) are difficult to fathom and the audience looked very bored and bemused throughout with a lot of fidgeting and nodding off. There would definitely have been walkouts if there had been an interval. It reminded me a little of a particularly impenetrable Iris Murdoch style tale but without the intelligence, oh, and what’s with the toy lobster running around that no one comments on? - absolutely bizarre.
It’s a shame as Downstairs has been on a roll of late with Big, big Sky, Folk, The Art of Illusion and Blackout Songs.
Any positives? Great set and wonderful atmospheric lighting.
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Post by cavocado on Mar 26, 2023 19:31:16 GMT
Oh no, that's a shame. It's a good cast and I enjoyed Love and Other Acts of Violence, so was looking forward to this.
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Post by showgirl on Mar 27, 2023 3:53:00 GMT
Sorry for those due to see it if it really is a turkey but the description sounded dire to me when the new season was announced and the email I recently received from the theatre, prompting me to book, suggested it wasn't selling well. As for a straight-through run of 1 h 50 mins, that's atrocious for any play, anywhere, so at the least an interval needs to be added or the length cut to 90 mins.
EDIT: probably not practical in terms of cast availability & umpteen other practical considerations but if Hampstead is having trouble with programming productions which will appeal to audiences and sell, and with finding/funding new writing, could they not try offering the Downstairs space for some transfers of recent sold-out plays from other theatres of comparable size?
For instance, Theatre 503 in Battersea has had several of those (such as The Boys Are Kissing) and a few did transfer to Seven Dials and/or Peckham but those are the exceptions. Theatre 503 is very south-London-based and quite awkward to reach by public transport, so moving a production a similar distance north might allow access to a new audience.
Also Jermyn St Theatre with the current Farm Hall, which has sold out. Both these theatres have auditoria seating fewer than Hampstead Downstairs but are still quite intimate so similar imo. Then Hampstead could alternate its own, in-house, new writing with transfers rather than putting on plays which are possibly not ready or up to their usual standard.
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Post by drmaplewood on Mar 27, 2023 7:04:45 GMT
Oh noooo I am due to see it tomorrow.
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Post by cavocado on Mar 27, 2023 9:00:07 GMT
Sorry for those due to see it if it really is a turkey but the description sounded dire to me when the new season was announced and the email I recently received from the theatre, prompting me to book, suggested it wasn't selling well. As for a straight-through run of 1 h 50 mins, that's atrocious for any play, anywhere, so at the least an interval needs to be added or the length cut to 90 mins. EDIT: probably not practical in terms of cast availability & umpteen other practical considerations but if Hampstead is having trouble with programming productions which will appeal to audiences and sell, and with finding/funding new writing, could they not try offering the Downstairs space for some transfers of recent sold-out plays from other theatres of comparable size? For instance, Theatre 503 in Battersea has had several of those (such as The Boys Are Kissing) and a few did transfer to Seven Dials and/or Peckham but those are the exceptions. Theatre 503 is very south-London-based and quite awkward to reach by public transport, so moving a production a similar distance north might allow access to a new audience. Also Jermyn St Theatre with the current Farm Hall, which has sold out. Both these theatres have auditoria seating fewer than Hampstead Downstairs but are still quite intimate so similar imo. Then Hampstead could alternate its own, in-house, new writing with transfers rather than putting on plays which are possibly not ready or up to their usual standard. I disagree with some of this. I liked the description of Sea Creatures and booked straight away, even before the cast was announced. The Downstairs programming is one of Hampstead's strengths, and I hope that doesn't change. It would be a big loss for new writing to lose that space or even to lose half the slots there. I've seen a few plays there that were so-so, but usually something interesting about them. I've also seen some of my favourite new plays of the last couple of years there - Little Scratch, The Animal Kingdom, Big Big Sky, Folk. I think it's the main house that needs a revamp and maybe hosting transfers will be part of that. |
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Post by tmesis on Mar 27, 2023 9:14:01 GMT
I agree cavocado the hit rate has been much higher of late downstairs compared to upstairs. I’m generally happy with their choices downstairs and think they have a better record than many other similar places at the moment like the Bush. Also, where else can you see a preview performance for £5? I was therefore happy to take a punt on this even though it bored me senseless. |
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Post by cavocado on Mar 27, 2023 11:45:07 GMT
I was therefore happy to take a punt on this even though it bored me senseless. They should put this quote on their mailings!  But, I agree, I've had some very good value for those £5 tickets, so don't mind when they're not so good, and am happy to support the overall project of nurturing new writing. |
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Post by alessia on Mar 27, 2023 11:49:44 GMT
I'm so sad this is a bad one, I'm supposed to go in a couple of weeks. Adding to my ever increasing returns list?
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Post by Dave B on Mar 27, 2023 12:24:42 GMT
My better half, having read this thread, has decided it's not worth going this evening. Hampstead is a long way for us and with this early word and the long running time... Oh well. I will be amused if the next few reviews come in as really positive, four or five stars.  |
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Post by showgirl on Mar 28, 2023 3:40:06 GMT
A little late now as part of my comment has already been seized upon and disputed but not only did I not say Hampstead WAS having trouble programming plays which would appeal to audiences and sell - I said "if" and it was others' comments which had suggested this might be the case - I am also on record as one of those saying that the Downstairs programming has been far more consistent and rewarding than that of the main house and I stand by that, even though a couple of forthcoming plays in the smaller space, including Sea Creatures, didn't appeal to me.
However there is clearly still concern here, which I share, about what is happening generally at Hampstead, hitherto a significant showcase for new writers, especially since the sudden and unannounced departure of the Literary Editor, followed by the more public but equally abrupt resignation of the AD. And I continue to believe that now that funding is tighter than ever, many theatres could usefully share more productions and particularly house transfers of new work, which would benefit everyone: writers, cast, theatres and audiences.
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