Nachtland - Young Vic

[partytentdown]

Have I missed something? Has there been a fall out between the two?

[mrnutz]

As I walked past the YV last night on my way to the OV, I was reflecting on the fact that there's rarely anything programmed there that I want to see these days.

I saw some really innovative and exciting things there pre-2018, across all three spaces.

Is the current AD out of his depth?

[princeton]

We're veering away from the play to the Young Vic in general - so maybe a new thread.

I agree with Parsley that, disappointingly, I don't think Kwame has really made the expected long-term inroads at the Young Vic. I was excited about his appointment having admired many of the plays that he wrote in the early 00s (especially Elmina's Kitchen), and his direction of other people's work. Also he had experience as an AD elsewhere and people spoke highly about him as a collaborative leader. However, I've found his time at the Vic pretty patchy.

His initial announcements promised much, and often delivered, and I'm very sympathetic to any AD who had to navigate their way through the Covid-related closures. Since 2018 he's directed five productions there - one a year which seems a fair rate. However, three of those he also wrote, two of which he'd already directed elsewhere (and the third was mired in controversy about the authorship of the piece).

There's been work which I've seen during his tenure, particularly during the early years, which I've admired/enjoyed and there have been critical and box office successes (inc a very good streaming offer once the theatre re-opened). That said, almost all of the work which has had extended life: Death of A Salesman, Best of Enemies, Collaborators and Oklahoma, was brought to the Young Vic by other directors and/or commercial producers as a try-out. Also for a theatre which has three performances spaces it feels there should have been so much more (in 2016 there were c18 full productions across the three houses)

I can't help but think lately he's only had one eye on the Young Vic and stretched himself too thinly. His focus seems to have been elsewhere - developing, directing and writing films, writing a musical at New York's Public Theatre, last year he was appointed Artistic Adviser at Manhattan Theatre Club, and this year he's joined the board of the TV production company The Story Collective in what sounds like a fairly hands on capacity. All of this is, presumably, agreed by the Young Vic board but I do wonder how much of the current season was down to him and how much to the very experienced Executive Director Lucy Davies.

I think in many ways he was a very good appointment, and maybe he only intended to do five years in the role and Covid has meant that he feels he's needed to stay longer, but it's probably time for him to move on.

[oxfordsimon]

Perhaps it is a matter of spreading himself too thin. Running a three space venue should be a full time job. There shouldn't really be time to direct films or develop a Disney musical in the US.

[MrBunbury]

I admit that even for me the Young Vic has ceased to be the place to go for exciting and international theatre that is was under David Lan. I feel a bit puzzled by the fact that the Maria and the Clare are barely used. I had great hopes for Kwame because he arrived with a great reputation and very interesting work done in Baltimore and I like that the Young Vic has a different vibe, but I miss the surprise and excitement (even just to discover the set and the seat configuration of the previous years).

[Jan]

Feb 2, 2024 0:19:35 GMT parsley1 said:

Feb 1, 2024 23:59:55 GMT alicechallice said:

I think they're speculating that Kwame might be stepping down as AD.

I don’t ever think he found his footing

For a start there have been huge gaps in programming and I don’t know why this has been the case

There used to be a good and regular schedule in the Main House as well as Maria and The Clare with a wide variety of shows

The plays which have been staged during his tenure have been received coolly at best

I think personally the current AD is distracted with political sentiment and posturing rather than showcasing quality work

I used to go a lot during the David Lan era but Kwame totally changed the programming and I've only been once during his entire reign - I'm not the sort of audience he was aiming for and that's fine. But I get the impression he's been trying to programme in a bit more broadly popular way more recently - maybe due to commercial constraints - and the recent Pinter tempted me back.  

On Romola Garai, having read the backstage story on the McKellen "King Lear" and her antics in that company it doesn't particularly surprise me she's bailed on this one if something better came along. Obviously if it is due to illness (which they might not disclose) I'm doing her an injustice. 

[matildaswinton]

I don’t know anything about her behavior in previous work, but I saw her in Indian Ink in New York about 10 years ago and thought she was excellent. Was looking forward to a new stage role for her! Still, excited to go considering the rest of those involved.

I do have my 1st preview tickets still up for grabs on the notice board, at a great price. I have already rebooked for a later date.

[Jan]

BTW if Kwame is stepping down they should do whatever it takes to replace him with Robert Icke.

[partytentdown]

If anyone goes to this in the next few days, please can you post the running time? Thanks

[jamiet]

On the pre-show information it says 1h40 no interval.

[partytentdown]

Feb 20, 2024 13:51:28 GMT jamiet said:

On the pre-show information it says 1h40 no interval.

Thanks!

[theatrelover123]

Saw this tonight. 100 mins bang on.

[Being Alive]

Thought it was pretty good as well.

Not the play I was expecting but a very enjoyable and thought provoking one nonetheless.

All cast very strong - laughs and drama done equally well.

Strong 3 for now, 4 once they've had a bit more time.

[theatrelover123]

Enjoyed it. Good cast. Play funny and interesting in places. Strong opening night. My only gripes were that there were a few too many absurdist/unexplained/boundary pushing parts that jarred. I felt like they should have gone all the way or cut them.

[nash16]

Feb 6, 2024 14:32:57 GMT Jan said:

BTW if Kwame is stepping down they should do whatever it takes to replace him with Robert Icke.

They definitely won’t want to do that.

[nash16]

Feb 20, 2024 21:41:07 GMT theatrelover123 said:

Saw this tonight. 100 mins bang on.

Thank you for this. Going Saturday night, but was worried how late it was going to go.

[Being Alive]

Feb 20, 2024 23:29:28 GMT nash16 said:

Feb 6, 2024 14:32:57 GMT Jan said:

BTW if Kwame is stepping down they should do whatever it takes to replace him with Robert Icke.

They definitely won’t want to do that.

Please for the love of god don't do this.

[rumbledoll]

Feb 6, 2024 14:32:57 GMT Jan said:

BTW if Kwame is stepping down they should do whatever it takes to replace him with Robert Icke.

Oh wouldn’t it be quite something! I’d probably need to move to London for that
I’d take Icke in any form and shape but I am not sure he would want to be an Artistic Director.. Maybe I’m wrong.

[raiseitup]

I'm afraid I didn't get on with this so well last night. I thought the concept was an interesting one but found the script lacking, the constant breaking of the fourth wall unbearable, the absurdist elements totally unwarranted and its arguments well-trod and delivered more like a Ted Talk than a play.

[ThereWillBeSun]

@jan : I saw that King Lear had no idea there were issues! I saw Romala in The Writer and thought she was brill. I was tempted by this play but I have to be a lot more picky with shows now...

[Rory]

Not much early buzz or feedback on this, surprisingly.

[nash16]

Feb 23, 2024 9:27:24 GMT Rory said:

Not much early buzz or feedback on this, surprisingly.

Angus Wright.

Black slashed boxer briefs sole attire.

Nightclub scene.

It’s getting hard to move past and write about the rest of the play given that all three elements listed above happen at the same time on the Young Vic stage in this.

The rest of the play is 1hr 40minutes of arguing & a mix of marriages and rebound relationships that are all illogical. The sympathy of the play lies heavily, and sadly only, with one character, which makes it a play we’ve seen countless times before. Even if the initial debate is fun.

[partytentdown]

I have to admit this slightly lost me last night. There was an interesting debate about art Vs artist buried in quite a lot of surreal nonsense that went over my head. I guess the fact it's translated also added to the slightly stilted feeling of the script. I came out more baffled than satisfied but maybe that's the point. One man in the balcony guffawed loudly after almost every line as if to remind us that he understood what was going on.

[wannabedirector]

I saw the first preview on Tuesday and my overwhelming thought was that this is Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins’ “Appropriate” but recast to Germany (and with a much more on the nose inciting incident) and played for laughs. The tone is confused, only added to by some of the textual and directorial choices, in lighting, music, movement. So many muddled messages in there that not one sticks. Still, it’s a wild, crazy evening.

[Steve]

Feb 23, 2024 12:11:57 GMT wannabedirector said:

Still, it’s a wild, crazy evening.

I love that line!

That's why I loved this tonight, because it's a "wild and crazy evening" where I had no idea where it was going, my eyes popping, teeth gritted, the non-realistic mysterious bits rubbing up chaotically against the grubby materialist provocative comedy bits to make a proper theatrical experience, all acted by a fantastic cast.

Some spoilers follow. . .

This is like Macbeth's witches brewed a play that mixes Yasmina Reza's consideration of the subjective value of Art in "Art," Lilian Hellman's consideration of the power of greed in "The Little Foxes," with a bit of Brecht and a pinch of Hitler.

Obviously, it's the pinch of Hitler that rankles. . .

On the "MJ the Musical" thread, we've been fretting about how much we do or don't care that MJ (who can't personally benefit from our ticket money) may have done some very bad things, even though his music is a glorious dance party.

Similarly, do we care that the most impressive sequence in "Apocalypse Now," uses the grand, frightening and astonishing "Ride of the Valkyries" by Wagner, a massive antisemite, or is it ok cos he's dead?

Well, Hitler's dead too, and his art isn't as good as Wagner's, so his art is the apotheosis of cases involving whether art is tainted by the evil of its creator, and the set-up in this play is that the painting Daddy left John Heffernan's Philipp and Dorothea Myer-Bennett's Nicola might be by Hitler, and certain buyers might pay a premium for the Hitler name. To sell or not to sell?

Are the buyers suckers whose money it's ok to take, or are you tainted by evil for taking the money?

There are lots of twists and turns as the other characters push and pull the owners of the painting in lots of ways, and it's at once very uncomfortable to watch but also great fun not knowing what's going to happen. . .

At times, I worried that the distinction between stereotypical things the characters were saying, and what the playwright believes, might be crumbling (for example, like anybody else, not all Jews stereotypically believe the same things about "Palestine," or any other issue, and it's unfair to suggest otherwise), however, I think the character/playwright line ultimately stayed safely separate, despite my teeth fraying at times lol.

One of my very favourite moments in the play, towards the end is very Wagnerian (gulp), both mischievous sendup and absurd homage, and it gives Heffernan, at his most hilariously banal, and Myer-Bennett, at her most frenziedly wired, a "wild and crazy" theatrical moment that made the whole play immediately unforgettable.

With a steely Jenna Augen pleading passionately against the amorality of filthy lucre, Angus Wright at his most Bond-villain camp, Jane Horrocks successfully cast against type as pure evil and Gunnar Cauthery as a supremely entertaining comedy dolt, this wild and crazy evening surely deserves 4 and a half stars from me.