The Little Big Things - @sohoplace / NT At Home

[Rory]

Sept 24, 2023 11:52:46 GMT mrbarnaby said:

Sept 23, 2023 12:42:15 GMT Rory said:

New ads in the press today have the image we were talking about above.

Are they reading this thread? 👀

Will that new ad keep everyone happy now?!

Will keep us happier! 😜

[andrew]

Sept 23, 2023 12:08:23 GMT mattnyc said:

If this were a film, I 1000000% would agree with what you said about them “glossing over” the hardships of the ICU but for a musical wanting to cover a lot of ground and also not be 3 hours long, I understand that choice. There would have been some fantastic dramatic moments with the family in those scenes and when looking back I do wish we had a few more “heartbreaking” scenes with them but again for the structure and medium here, I understand it.

I appreciate that. To be clear, I don't think they needed to include all of the things I was listing about his situation, I just wanted to give examples of how many incredible moments that man has been through and how amazed I was at the lack of much drama that seemed to find it's way into the show, and in the same vein how the score being generally a bit banal is also flabbergasting. I don't know what I missed, everyone seems to be crying buckets in this thread and it just lacked any depth to do that for me. The easy comparisons are similar shows about darker material like Next To Normal or Fun Home where I too was overwhelmingly pulled into the world of the characters. Obviously it's just not a musical for me.

[david]

Day 1 of my London trip and what a joyful and positive start to it thanks to tonight’s visit to the @sohoplace. I hadn’t really planned on seeing this when putting my theatre schedule together but early positive reviews posted tempted me to buy a ticket during the theatre week sale a few weeks ago. I ended up in the first balcony in A52. No issues with this seat and a great view of Luke Halls’s wonderful video design that lights up the stage floor during the 2.5 hrs. 

Director Luke Shepard (who I am a big fan of) and his team have done a really good job here in bringing Henry’s story to the stage. A nice mix of musical numbers from Nick Butcher and Tom Ling sung by the cast that worked well in driving narrative forward. Though as a score, it wouldn’t be one that would make me rush out and buy an OCR if available.

Cast wise, a really good cast has been put together. For me, it was Amy Trigg as Agnes who was the standout with some great comedy moments. Linzi as always was a joy to watch and listen to. 

On rating this one, I settled for a 4⭐️rating. Despite it being a really good show and everyone on their feet during the bows, from my viewing there was something missing from it to give it a 5/5 rating. Having had time to reflect on it, I think the issue for me lies in the book from Joe White. I have no doubt that it it a great story to tell and the message it sends is a very positive, overcoming the odds story, but for me it needed a bit more of the heart breaking stuff that was obviously hinted at during the show, particularly during the ICU scenes but never fully explored. I wanted to go on that emotional rollercoaster with the characters with a bigger mix of emotional lows as well as the ultimate highs of what both Henry and his family have achieved. Certainly I didn’t feel that I had been in that journey to get that emotional connection.

[alece10]

Some cryptic posts on X just now about an announcement tomorrow. Cast recording?

[darvsplanet]

New single ‘Feel like this’ is now out on Spotify

[usbuzzer]

Sept 26, 2023 23:44:12 GMT darvsplanet said:

New single ‘Feel like this’ is now out on Spotify

I immediately knew how to sing this in my head even though I've seen it a few weeks ago, so maybe it's not as forgetful as we all say . Great news!

[Someone in a tree]

Im enjoying the songs dropped so far. They are quite generic but when i link it to the syrupy and emotional story then it takes me to a happy place.

Plus my ears are enjoying a break from sibelius and nina simone!

[backtothetheatre]

What is the best side to sit on for this, or do they play to all sides equally?

[Sam]

Sept 27, 2023 11:07:39 GMT backtothetheatre said:

What is the best side to sit on for this, or do they play to all sides equally?

I was in C33 of the stalls, which was a great view, but I thought they did a good job of directing to all sides.

[andrew]

Sept 27, 2023 11:07:39 GMT backtothetheatre said:

What is the best side to sit on for this, or do they play to all sides equally?

I chose to be on one of the longer sides which I reckon was slightly better but there's honestly not much in it.

[mattnyc]

Listening to “Guide You” and crying again.

[anthony40]

I listen to Magic at the Musicals regularly and for the first time last night I heard an add promoting the show.

As yet I've not heard them play any songs from the show (it's probably just too new). I also saw a reel on Twitter.

[bram]

Very watchable and well performed. For me just a little too busy at times. Loved the choreography and BSL.

[colelarson]

Saw this production this afternoon and having read Henry Fraser's inspiring memoir I was not sure a Musical adaptation would work, but I think it did very well and is a definite must see.

The tunes are a similar style to Dear Evan Hansen. All of the cast sing beautifully and I adored hearing 'Miles and Miles' live after listening to the recording.

Lots of changes to the true tale for example he went on holiday with his friends rather than brothers. But the story on stage made sense to condense the characters and it had me gripped, I felt the time flew by.

There where some very touching moments with the choreography like the 2nd act with the two Henry's aerial displays and use of BSL.

I left with my heart full and feeling just as inspired as the memoir did; as Henry says "Everyday is a good day" and this Musical leaves you feeling very good and smiling.

[seeseveryshow1]

I also saw today’s matinee (28 September).
Booked it basically because I wanted to see the new venue. It’s a beautiful room, and every seat has its own two armrests! The staff were most thoughtful and courteous.

I was unfamiliar with Mr. Fraser’s story, and all of it was new to me. I found most interesting how he learned to paint, and regret the show didn’t tell more about how he developed that skill and how his unique style brought him fame.

There seemed to be a lot of extraneous songs and choreography. I preferred the introspective moments the most, as well as Harry’s interactions with his healthy young self, Agnus, and Kate.

The staging is diverting and the lighting effects are magical. The show has several particularly touching moments in Act 2. I wished it sustained a more serious dramatic tone throughout. I found the ensemble numbers generally distracted from the telling of the story.

[seasider]

I saw the matinee today and absolutely loved it. The right mix of serious and comical which mixed together to tell a moving but inspiring story. Strong performances from the two Henry’s and from Kate and Agnes.
The audience clearly thought it was great and gave it a fabulous reception.

[theoracle]

Sadly not as good as I’d hoped. People around me loved it but I found it over amplified with the songs unmemorable and plot structure rather weak. Even the flying felt gimmicky to me. I would’ve appreciated a documentary or a straight play but this just seemed very thin and not what I’d hoped for in Soho Places first musical. The cast are clearly very talented though but sadly wasted on this I think

[starlight92]

I saw this last night (front row of the stalls, so I got some confetti on me in Act 2!) and I enjoyed it, though I do think it was lacking a bit in depth. Mixed thoughts below:

- Spoiler for the ending: To me it felt like the ending was too easily resolved. We didn't see Henry struggle with painting with his mouth, get frustrated and have to keep at it to improve. We just had a scene where his dad introduced him to the idea, and then it cut to showing all his paintings. Same with the rift in the family after they argued about who's to blame for Henry's accident, and it seemed like his parents might split up. Like others have said, there were times when it needed to emotionally punch you in the gut a bit more, and really delve into what happened. There were still lots of moving moments though - at one point in Act 2 I remember feeling like I wanted to burst out into tears but an uplifting song quickly followed, so I didn't have time to process this and only teared up a bit in the end.
- I liked the songs, I just can't remember them. Might just take a few listens though. The only song I wasn't too keen on was Henry's mum's, just as it felt a bit unnecessary, since she already reacted to the news of his accident, and the song took away the momentum of finding out what happened next. Also, there was a lot going on onstage when everyone was singing and dancing, so it was hard to know where to look! But the whole thing was very energetic.
- Also have to echo the praise for Amy Trigg, she was excellent, very witty. Also liked Gracie McGonigal as Katie (although she had a terrible costume) and Malinda Parris, she was an absolute firecracker.
- Maybe I've just seen Frozen the Musical too many times, but I kept thinking they were about to say 'Let it go' in 'Guide You' 

 A strong three stars, verging on four but not quite there. 

[Mark]

Went and bought Henry Frasers “The Little Big Things” memoir following my second viewing and it really is a great read. There are many factors which are different in the adaptation - Henry went on holiday with friends, not his brothers, for a start. However the main running theme I found which is the same as the musical is that “can’t” isn’t in his vocabulary and the overriding feeling of hope throughout and support from his family. Very much worth a read.

[jr]

Just posted on noticeboard. Free stalls ticket for tonight 4/10. Unable to attend. If around Soho and can attend, DM and will email ticket.

[mkb]

I've got this earmarked as a replacement show for this coming Saturday afternoon (following the cancellation of a performance of Death of England at the National).

I see there are TodayTix offers for tonight. Have they been doing them on Saturdays?

[mkb]

Oct 5, 2023 14:01:42 GMT mkb said:

I've got this earmarked as a replacement show for this coming Saturday afternoon (following the cancellation of a performance of Death of England at the National).

I see there are TodayTix offers for tonight. Have they been doing them on Saturdays?

To answer my own question for the benefit of others, TodayTix Rush didn't appear to have any seats released at 10am this morning.   I was in instantly, and I can't imagine I was competing with many for today's matinée, and the online seating plan on the official website didn't seem to show any tickets disappearing.

My guess is that, like with the TheatreMonkey-referenced offer that is limited to Monday-Friday performances, I suspect TodayTix isn't getting any allocation on Saturdays.  It's an odd sales technique when you've got a fair few unsold seats less than four hours before showtime.

[mkb]

I wrote too soon! They have just released £30 Rush tickets. Why did they advertise them for 10:00 then wait until after 11:00 before making them available?

[Rory]

I am hearing that an extension announcement may be coming soon.

[greatauntedna]

Oct 7, 2023 11:55:58 GMT Rory said:

I am hearing that an extension announcement may be coming soon.

Really? It’s been so easy to get tickets.