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Post by foxa on Sept 6, 2023 16:42:08 GMT
Jonny Lee Miller was so good in this (his physicality from the moment he enters is wow) and Tanya Reynolds who was new to me also wonderful.
The first time I've seen one of Sam Holcroft's plays, though I read Rules of Living which I found really appealing,
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102 posts
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Post by pws on Sept 6, 2023 17:44:22 GMT
Saw this on Monday.
There were some, odd, empty seats but it was otherwise full.
It zips along and is very funny in parts. It's definitely a play you do not want an interval for.
JLM prowling round the stalls kept it moving, but all the acting is good.
Some standng ovation.
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Post by capybara on Sept 7, 2023 21:54:25 GMT
Quite enjoyed this tonight. Very meta and lots of twists and turns. I thought it was very well presented, with some lovely touches.
JLM was excellent but I especially enjoyed Tanya Reynolds’ performance as Mei.
Four stars.
Special mention for the Almeida staff who dealt superbly with the gentleman who suffered an epileptic fit about 30 minutes in. They were calm, considerate and did not rush the man or his friend.
JLM was quick to notice the disturbance, said “off” and brought the show to a halt which lasted about 15 minutes.
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Post by mrnutz on Sept 9, 2023 8:41:29 GMT
I saw the matinee yesterday and really enjoyed it for a good hour but after that it began to seem too long and quite an ordeal; not because of the play itself but being forced to sit in those cramped, uncomfortable seats for 2 hours with no interval was quite gruelling and definitely impacted my ability to concentrate and the overall experience. Plus I had a huge person on my right who impinged on my space and a leaner on my left (no doubt due to the pillars), so I had even less room than I should technically have done. In my opinion the play should and could have been a bit shorter - by at least 15 minutes - or should have included an interval. I'm sure others would argue against an interval on the basis that it would break the continuity, but in that case, edit it a little. Besides, though it was very clever and layered, I felt it became a little too intricate and could have lost some of its complexity, or the final stage could have been reached sooner with some pruning in the middle. Based on my initial reaction I would have enthused about it and said it was one of the best things I'd seen in ages; it was still very impressive but somewhat less could have been more. I completely agree with this - I enjoyed it and thought all of the performances were great, but I would have enjoyed it so much more with 20 minutes trimmed from the run time or a 'wedding-themed' interval in the middle to break it up. It ended at 22:39 last night so more than 2h10m of sitting in a fairly uncomfortable wedding seat. Sometimes less is more, people! 3/5 |
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Post by mattnyc on Sept 16, 2023 16:56:51 GMT
Enjoyed this very much this afternoon but yeah, this needed an interval, being at this theatre. Those seats aren’t comfortable for any amount of time but two+ straight hours can be torture on your back PLUS it was insanely hot in there today. It’s almost as if they discussed how to make the audience miserable and did just that.
But the play was very good and Jonny, as always, was magnificent.
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Post by partytentdown on Sept 16, 2023 18:56:56 GMT
I've listed a Single ticket on the noticeboard for Monday, £22 if anyone fancies it
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471 posts
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Post by mistressjojo on Sept 18, 2023 21:24:26 GMT
Saw this tonight and very much enjoyed it. I didn't miss the interval at all, and my seat in the rear stalls was comfortable enough.
The whole cast is solid, but it really is the JLM show.
Much more my thing than Next to Normal (which was good, no shade here. But this was more my speed.) Although there was singing !
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Post by shakeel on Sept 20, 2023 21:01:41 GMT
Thought this was very mediocre. The framing device added very little, I thought. And the overall message just felt quite shallow — yes, authoritarianism is bad and involves complicity. Not sure it needed 2 hours to say that.
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Post by seeseveryshow on Sept 22, 2023 23:06:45 GMT
I started checking my watch barely 45 minutes into it tonight. Excruciatingly uncomfortable seating. I was in stalls A4, a terrible side seat. Claustrophic. Sound was tough when performers had their backs to us.
After more than 2 hours of this long and disappointing play, I was delighted to exit. Easy access by bus to and from Angel tube station. Lobby foyer area seemed nice. The theatre itself not so much. Saw similar trough urinal at the Menier last night, and thought it was disgusting in both venues.
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1,470 posts
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Post by mkb on Sept 24, 2023 1:58:38 GMT
When you strip away all of the exterior dramatic froth, the nub here is a simple proposition that art does not need to convey literal truth, only the essence of the truth. I am unconvinced that Sam Holcroft's script makes a compelling case, and I could find counter arguments.
But those layers of froth provide a clever framework and an intriguing watch for the most part. I was particularly amused that at one point we have a play within a play within a play. I don't think I have encountered such a three-level iteration before.
Jonny Lee Miller, all shaven-headed and commanding, is a revelation, and Tanya Reynolds also supplies a stand-out performance.
Two-thirds through I found time dragging a tad, and longed for an interval. The pacing here definitely demands it.
Four stars.
One act: 14:04-16:05
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Post by aneild on Sept 27, 2023 20:21:10 GMT
I really enjoyed this. Thoroughly well-acted, and it has a nice central conceit. It was maybe too clever for its own good in the end, but it was a tremendous twisty ride while it lasted.
On the other hand, this was my first time in the front row of the Almeida circle. The legroom is absolutely crippling, which, combined with the tight bench seating, was non-ideal for me at six feet tall. Lucky the show was so enjoyable but I wouldn't sit there again.
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Post by mattnyc on Sept 27, 2023 21:00:21 GMT
It’s a show I’ve thought a lot about in the weeks since i saw it. Especially being American where book banning is in fashion again, it really hit home for me.
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1,828 posts
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Post by Dave B on Nov 28, 2023 10:14:36 GMT
West End Transfer!
Trafalgar Theatre 20 Jan - 22 April
Jonny Lee Miller & Tanya Reynolds return.
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Post by mattnyc on Nov 28, 2023 10:29:57 GMT
Oh, wow. I’ll miss the intimacy of this show from the Almeida but I definitely would absolutely love to see this again.
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5,139 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Nov 28, 2023 10:54:23 GMT
I thought this was good at the Almeida (3 stars) but it'll lose so much going to a theatre that's almost twice the size I think...
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1,052 posts
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Post by David J on Nov 28, 2023 11:09:58 GMT
I thought this was good at the Almeida (3 stars) but it'll lose so much going to a theatre that's almost twice the size I think... Hmm was tempted by the £20-£35 seats at the back of the dress circle. Maybe I’ll wait for possible rush tickets |
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898 posts
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Post by bordeaux on Nov 28, 2023 11:45:47 GMT
Eleventh theatre ticket for 2024 booked - it's been years since I've had so much booked going into a new year.
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Post by theoracle on Nov 28, 2023 13:15:52 GMT
The dullest most frustrating show I’ve seen this year… how this got a transfer and not Spring Awakening is beyond me
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Post by coco on Nov 28, 2023 13:35:21 GMT
The dullest most frustrating show I’ve seen this year… how this got a transfer and not Spring Awakening is beyond me Though I enjoyed A Mirror, I also found it frustrating that Spring Awakening didn’t get a transfer… Maybe the producers think JLM could ensure the box office? |
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Post by theoracle on Nov 28, 2023 13:40:16 GMT
The dullest most frustrating show I’ve seen this year… how this got a transfer and not Spring Awakening is beyond me Though I enjoyed A Mirror, I also found it frustrating that Spring Awakening didn’t get a transfer… Maybe the producers think JLM could ensure the box office? When I went no one around me seemed to know he was - everyone was there for Michael Ward |
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Post by coco on Nov 28, 2023 15:16:53 GMT
Though I enjoyed A Mirror, I also found it frustrating that Spring Awakening didn’t get a transfer… Maybe the producers think JLM could ensure the box office? When I went no one around me seemed to know he was - everyone was there for Michael Ward Interesting to know that! |
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Post by solotheatregoer on Nov 28, 2023 16:51:35 GMT
Oooh so happy this is transferring! I loved it at the Almeida but I am curious to see how this translates in a less intimate setting. I'll be booking regardless.
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Post by andbingowashisname on Nov 28, 2023 18:05:04 GMT
The dullest most frustrating show I’ve seen this year… how this got a transfer and not Spring Awakening is beyond me Probably the major reason that this transfer is happening is that the play that was scheduled to open at the Trafalgar Theatre in January has been delayed, leaving a slot wide open for a brave producer with a show ready ready to go. Step forward the Almeida and partners... |
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Post by Rory on Nov 28, 2023 19:38:34 GMT
The dullest most frustrating show I’ve seen this year… how this got a transfer and not Spring Awakening is beyond me Probably the major reason that this transfer is happening is that the play that was scheduled to open at the Trafalgar Theatre in January has been delayed, leaving a slot wide open for a brave producer with a show ready ready to go. Step forward the Almeida and partners... Interesting. I wonder what they had lined up? I had heard it was a musical. I am pleased to see 'A Mirror' is transferring as I didn't get a chance to see it at the Almeida. |
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Post by barelyathletic on Nov 29, 2023 12:59:45 GMT
One of my best of the year having seen it at the Almeida. Delighted it's got a transfer. A really original and intriguing piece about the power of theatre. And JLM is terrific, as are the rest of the cast.
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