5,139 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Nov 8, 2023 16:58:52 GMT
I am unclear the best place to see the show from....does anyone have a sense? Clearly this isn't starting until June, but I am sure some people on this board are "in the know" :-) Current best guess is somewhere near the front of the either 'platform' section would give you the best view of this without your seating position potentially being part of a fairground ride midshow! |
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Post by danb on Nov 8, 2023 17:20:17 GMT
It looks like the basic structure is the same as ‘Newsies’ with the spinning central area being the gimmick. I plumped for the end of one of the 2 platform sections, for a bit of ‘whoosh’ with a decent overview. I’m quite cynical of them raising the prices for the next booking period two days after the first. Greed pure & simple.
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Post by christya on Nov 8, 2023 17:48:24 GMT
And still no front row to be had! I'm thinking of going twice, once front of First Class Carriages and once front of one of the platforms, but only if they'll sell me the damn tickets...
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Post by bobbievanhusen on Nov 8, 2023 18:00:06 GMT
It’s a 4 show weekend, not 5. 5 would be extremely brutal!! They have 2 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday. Do we know what the preview period is? Which performance will be press/opening night? People count Friday as the weekend, making it a 5 show weekend which is what I think the original poster meant. Who counts Friday as the weekend? Is Friday no longer the end of the week? If I can skate 3.4 miles around Battersea Park on a Saturday morning at the age of 50, I'm sure people in their 20's could cope with a few laps of a theatre each day |
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4,171 posts
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Post by anthony40 on Nov 8, 2023 18:04:36 GMT
Just a whimsical idea but after seeing the seating plan online today I thought wouldn't it be great if the whole block of seats moved right or left mechanically (likes a fairground, but not at that speed) so the audience moved with the trains.
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Post by danb on Nov 8, 2023 18:11:17 GMT
A true 5 show weekend is just across Sat/Sun like when Kenwrights (bless) Joseph used to do a 3 show Saturday, or like gruelling panto schedules. I could well imagine them ‘slotting’ in an 11.30 show ‘due to demand’ (from their accountants).
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2,676 posts
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Post by viserys on Nov 8, 2023 18:33:26 GMT
Just a whimsical idea but after seeing the seating plan online today I thought wouldn't it be great if the whole block of seats moved right or left mechanically (likes a fairground, but not at that speed) so the audience moved with the trains. That's half what I'm expecting (like an old-fashioned railyard roundhouse). But I don't think it will be possible, because it would mean there'd be tiny "gaps" where the tracks on the platform (that moves) connect to the outer track and that may be dangerous for the skaters. |
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Post by benj on Nov 8, 2023 18:46:42 GMT
Just a whimsical idea but after seeing the seating plan online today I thought wouldn't it be great if the whole block of seats moved right or left mechanically (likes a fairground, but not at that speed) so the audience moved with the trains. That's half what I'm expecting (like an old-fashioned railyard roundhouse). But I don't think it will be possible, because it would mean there'd be tiny "gaps" where the tracks on the platform (that moves) connect to the outer track and that may be dangerous for the skaters. I’m imagining that the whole section in the ‘wheel’ will turn (like original CATS production in London) to face the audience and have the best view of the racing. Who knows! Looking forward to finding out in 6 months! |
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1,561 posts
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Post by showtoones on Nov 8, 2023 18:59:07 GMT
Call it what you want... a 5 show weekend or a 4 show weekend plus Friday, but it's still 5 shows in a row over 3 days. That is a lot physically...
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8,096 posts
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Post by alece10 on Nov 8, 2023 19:33:38 GMT
They have advertised a cast of 40 so if there are lots of swings then they could spread them out over the weekend.
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Post by d'James on Nov 8, 2023 23:42:01 GMT
What do we think are the chances of a bridge?
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Post by erik24601 on Nov 9, 2023 0:07:44 GMT
What do we think are the chances of a bridge? I mean…… SURELY there will be a bowl and a bridge……….. PLEEEEEEEEEEEEASE |
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1,481 posts
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Post by steve10086 on Nov 9, 2023 3:22:23 GMT
What do we think are the chances of a bridge? None. |
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Post by danb on Nov 9, 2023 7:03:01 GMT
What do we think are the chances of a bridge? Have you been in the Troubador? 🤣 we could have a bridge, but it’d be linking nothing to nothing, with not a lot else around it. As much as I’d love to be wrong, I don’t think so. |
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2,676 posts
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Post by viserys on Nov 9, 2023 7:50:53 GMT
What do we think are the chances of a bridge? The Troubadour seems about as stable as a house of cards, so I don't think they could install an extremely heavy bridge in there. And the bridge in Bochum keeps breaking down and is often out of commission for weeks on end, so it seems a lot of trouble and cost for something that isn't really needed. I'd rather see a completely fresh approach to the stage sets. |
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Post by bobbievanhusen on Nov 9, 2023 8:31:17 GMT
Call it what you want... a 5 show weekend or a 4 show weekend plus Friday, but it's still 5 shows in a row over 3 days. That is a lot physically... It's actually 7 shows over 5 days. Wednesday-Sunday.
I guess thats why they have the Monday and Tuesday off, to rest up those weary legs
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Post by d'James on Nov 9, 2023 8:41:06 GMT
What do we think are the chances of a bridge? The Troubadour seems about as stable as a house of cards, so I don't think they could install an extremely heavy bridge in there. And the bridge in Bochum keeps breaking down and is often out of commission for weeks on end, so it seems a lot of trouble and cost for something that isn't really needed. I'd rather see a completely fresh approach to the stage sets. Yes, but that bridge is 35 years old. I haven’t seen the new version there because it sounds like they’re determined to ruin the magic. The bridge may not be essential to the show, but it IS spectacular. I am interested in seeing new ideas for the show but I really hope it’s on more than one level. |
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1,380 posts
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Post by BVM on Nov 9, 2023 11:10:40 GMT
What do we think are the chances of a bridge? Awwww the bridge! Am a massive set design geek and the Starlight bridge is probably my fave set "item" of all time (sorry Sunset house - relegated to second). My hunch sadly is very unlikely. I've been wondering a lot what the set will be like and this week's unveiling of the seating plan has obviously fuelled that. Completely guessing as obvs the plan doesn't tell you much but I do wonder if it's all on one level - kind of like the Parkett tracks in Bochum and paddock in London. Unless it goes uphill to the horizontal section at the back behind Platform in front of Locomotive. But I don't think there will be linking of different levels via a bridge of similar. Plus new design means they won't want to copy Napier. I kinda think - just cos of well everything, there won't be vast amounts of physical (expensive) set and the race tracks won't be particularly "built up" like the outer AV track. That huge bank of Locomotive seats very much behind and above all the set. Massive use of projections as is normal now and possibly video and my guess is a large back wall to take projections. You'd hope stage will be bowl shaped so perhaps a higher level along the back wall like the US tours and very first bowl UK tour (not cos bowls are a Starlight thing but cos they are a roller skating thing). Michael Harrison also not exactly known for big expensive sets! (That said you'd think this won't be cheap!) So something technically impressive but not with huge amounts of physical set is what am thinking. This is all a complete guess though! |
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1,380 posts
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Post by BVM on Nov 9, 2023 11:19:02 GMT
Just occurred to me that poor Richard Stilgoe seems almost as invisible in the promotion of this now as he was in 1984!
Does anyone know if he has done the (ALW confirmed extensive) revisions to the book and lyrics for this version? If so you'd have thought we might have heard from him. If not who has ALW been working with.
Stilgoe was there for all The Other Palace workshops. Though I just remembered that the lyrics for I Got Me were written by someone called Lauren Aquilina. No idea who she is and haven't heard of her before or since!
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Post by andypandy on Nov 9, 2023 11:30:16 GMT
Call it what you want... a 5 show weekend or a 4 show weekend plus Friday, but it's still 5 shows in a row over 3 days. That is a lot physically... It's actually 7 shows over 5 days. Wednesday-Sunday.
I guess thats why they have the Monday and Tuesday off, to rest up those weary legs
The Bochum show in germany did 5 shows in a row Friday night and 2 Saturday then 2 Sunday. Hard work yes, impossible no / the momentum carried us through. Oh and the bridge in Bochum hardly breaks down. I don’t know why someone said so - I was in the show there. Broke once in whole time I was in the show. |
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1,380 posts
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Post by BVM on Nov 9, 2023 11:34:37 GMT
Yes Bochum has done Friday night then 2 shows Sat and 2 shows Sun as long as I can remember. One of the most physically taxing shows there is. But very much do-able for young fit people.
They also get a decent rest as have 2 days off (Mon and Tues) where as in most musicals it's just one (Sunday). So it's swings and roundabouts.
The bridge does break more in the last 5-10 years but I think that's simply as was built in 1988 and is old rather than any inherent design issue. That said I have seen very few completely no bridge shows (lately a few where it moves and rotates but doesn't extend so they can't skate across it). They are well reported on the German FB groups however.
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Post by d'James on Nov 9, 2023 12:56:16 GMT
What do we think are the chances of a bridge? Awwww the bridge! Am a massive set design geek and the Starlight bridge is probably my fave set "item" of all time (sorry Sunset house - relegated to second). My hunch sadly is very unlikely. I've been wondering a lot what the set will be like and this week's unveiling of the seating plan has obviously fuelled that. Completely guessing as obvs the plan doesn't tell you much but I do wonder if it's all on one level - kind of like the Parkett tracks in Bochum and paddock in London. Unless it goes uphill to the horizontal section at the back behind Platform in front of Locomotive. But I don't think there will be linking of different levels via a bridge of similar. Plus new design means they won't want to copy Napier. I kinda think - just cos of well everything, there won't be vast amounts of physical (expensive) set and the race tracks won't be particularly "built up" like the outer AV track. That huge bank of Locomotive seats very much behind and above all the set. Massive use of projections as is normal now and possibly video and my guess is a large back wall to take projections. You'd hope stage will be bowl shaped so perhaps a higher level along the back wall like the US tours and very first bowl UK tour (not cos bowls are a Starlight thing but cos they are a roller skating thing). Michael Harrison also not exactly known for big expensive sets! (That said you'd think this won't be cheap!) So something technically impressive but not with huge amounts of physical set is what am thinking. This is all a complete guess though! I agree. I think a bowl would be great. They need something for Trax to do flips off (assuming they’re still in it) and I didn’t like the things they wheeled on and off stage on the last couple of tours. |
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Post by danb on Nov 9, 2023 13:31:32 GMT
What do we think are the chances of a bridge? The Troubadour seems about as stable as a house of cards, so I don't think they could install an extremely heavy bridge in there. And the bridge in Bochum keeps breaking down and is often out of commission for weeks on end, so it seems a lot of trouble and cost for something that isn't really needed. I'd rather see a completely fresh approach to the stage sets. …or just a bridge done differently. They could raise it from below but I doubt there’s any sub-stage to hide the gubbins. They could go ‘Frozen’ style but any ‘wing space’ would have to be taken from the existing playing area (and there’d be a gap where it joins). It might be high ceilinged because of the need for so many tv lights but I doubt theres anything like the support required for a set piece even half the size of the Bochum/Apollo bridges. |
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Post by steve10086 on Nov 9, 2023 16:05:21 GMT
“ Audiences will be immersed in a world of speed, song and spectacle as an incredible cast of 40 whizz around and above, performing some of musical theatre’s most beloved hits, including AC/DC, Make Up My Heart, Light at the End of the Tunnel and the iconic Starlight Express.”
And above?!
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1,442 posts
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Post by theatrefan62 on Nov 9, 2023 16:08:14 GMT
Wouldn't surprise me if the set is mainly the skating flat/sloped tracks and the money mostly goes on the cast, skate training, insurance etc.
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