438 posts
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Post by Rukaya on Mar 23, 2019 10:51:55 GMT
Picked up a 20 quid ticket for today with ATG TheatreCard, can't complain at that price! First time seeing it so I'm intrigued.  |
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1,578 posts
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Post by anita on Mar 24, 2019 10:47:25 GMT
I'm afraid my husband was right about this [ he saw the original London production late 60s or early 70s]. He said it would appear too dated. It did.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2019 15:03:54 GMT
I've been theatre going for over 20 years and never seen a professional production of this. Some Final year students did it as a local showcase I went to circa 1997 so it's not a show done too many times.
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Post by kirstylovesmusicals on Mar 24, 2019 19:27:41 GMT
I can’t wait for this to come to Sunderland. Booked 4 performances and may book more depending on how I feel that week. It’s such a classic and I love it for what it is.
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Post by Dr Tom on Mar 26, 2019 22:27:00 GMT
Hasn’t planned too, but nipped back tonight as there was a front row seat available with a good offer.
Upper Circle was closed and I had a seat free next to me at the front, but otherwise reasonable numbers. No official reviews back yet, so must still be in previews.
Very smooth and a few tweaks since the first preview. The projector on the umbrellas worked, which I don’t think it did before. The dry smoke was thankfully turned down. The nudity seemed less rushed. And only real snag I noticed came with the skipping.
Also, they sang How I Love My Hippy Life, which I’m sure they skipped last week.
Sound quality wasn’t quite as good for some reason.
There is snow on stage (there was last week as well, but I forgot to mention it).
I definitely won’t back to Wimbledon again as I have no free slots in London left, but do go if you get a chance.
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879 posts
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Post by daisy24601 on Mar 27, 2019 9:38:26 GMT
Just checked for tickets for Friday night and there are hardly any sold! Why isn't this selling?
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 27, 2019 11:08:39 GMT
It’s a show of its time really. A bit dated now.
I enjoyed the production at the Vaults in a small immersive venue but did think it would struggle in a large conventional space when the tour was announced.
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Post by stevej678 on Mar 27, 2019 11:57:59 GMT
£20 ticket offer for Monday-Thursday performances in Manchester using code HAIRMCR.
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1,046 posts
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Post by jgblunners on Mar 27, 2019 21:00:46 GMT
Well it’s the interval and I’m not quite sure what I’m watching... I think this might be one of those ‘you had to live through it to understand it’ things. Audience are giving a warm reception but the upper circle is closed and it’s a ghost town here in the dress - a shame, as with a packed crowd the atmosphere could be amazing... sending this on tour to mid-to-large houses was perhaps not the best idea.
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Post by singularsensation10 on Mar 27, 2019 21:53:02 GMT
Saw this last night. They absolutely did not capture the heart and true potential of this show, in my opinion. It seemed caricature-y and pantomime like at times... I did not feel endeared or warm towards the tribe, nor did I believe they were a tribe at all. I certainly didn’t believe they’d ever smoked a joint or been high. It felt all too placed and perfectly choreographed which goes against the vibes of the tribe. Poorly cast also, is Jake Quickenden really that much of a draw? Is Marcus Collins that much of a draw that it’s worth rewriting the show to make him far more featured than any other person?
A real shame as this is one of my favourite shows, if not my absolute favourite show, when done right. Hair has the potential to be life-changingly touching and beautiful, as it poses some really deep questions, many of which are still prevalent in this day and age. We should fall in love with the tribe in act 1, and therefore be invested to go on the bad trip with Claude in act 2. In stead, it was very presentational and over the top (thus my pantomime comment) and lacked the heart that is needed if we are going to want to join the tribe and be invested in their story. I need to feel personally invested in them for this show to work... in stead I was left cold and in some cases irritated by some characters.
One of the positives is there were some wonderful vocals from the ensemble.
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1,046 posts
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Post by jgblunners on Mar 27, 2019 22:26:56 GMT
The pros: it’s brilliant production-wise. The look, feel, and sound are just right and I thought very highly of all aspects of the design. Most of the cast are very hard-working and very talented. The cons: as singularsensation10 said, it just doesn’t feel genuine. I think it probably did when it was in very intimate venues and led by true MT actors. Berger did not feel like a hippy tonight, he felt like the high school jock who smoked some weed and decided he was king of the pack. Marcus Collins’ character was... what? A black activist? Too broadly drawn for me to actually believe him. While I have criticisms of Quickenden (who, despite possessing a decent voice, has possibly the worst diction while singing that I’ve ever heard in a musical) and Collins, Daisy Wood-Davis was actually pretty decent, although I wanted a bit more passion from her. Paul Wilkins was the saving grace of the principals, the character I felt came closest to being truly genuine. The supporting principles and ensemble were all fantastic. Stunning vocals and great fun to watch. I hope for their sake that they don’t end up playing to 1/3- full houses for the whole tour. I enjoyed it, but I wish I’d seen it at the Vaults. Oh, and I still have no idea what actually happened in Act One. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2019 14:00:15 GMT
Bit off topic but a few years back I was at some touring show featuring Paul Nicholas and I saw a chap who I've seen on a few occasions when I've been autograph collecting at various stage doors. This chap is well into his 70's and has seen a lots of theatre over the years/ seen a lot of greats on stage etc.
Anyway he was showing me a programme from the original production which he wanted to get signed by Paul, the cast featured a young Richard O'Brien, Elaine Page, Peter Straker, Tim Curry, Floella Benjamin, Marsha Hunt etc a number of whom he'd got it signed by over the years - a brilliant piece of theatre memorabilia.
Paul was shocked to see it after so many years too and actually pointed out another name who was coming around in touring production soon.
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Post by david on Apr 2, 2019 18:54:14 GMT
Just had an email through for the Manchester stop. Using the code HAIRMCR at checkout, tickets for Monday - Thursday only are £20.
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Post by djp on Apr 3, 2019 0:59:28 GMT
Please report back djp. I know which company is doing the deal and I think the upper circle will be packed. Incidentally, by the time you pay the admin charge this company is asking, the price is not that far below the discounted price the tickets have been going at directly from the theatre (with the various offers). The main difference is, with the theatre offers you can choose to sit near the front where this show is best appreciated. I do see this being a hard sell to a modern audience, but it is a relatively cheap show to tour (small number of cast, crew and musicians, simple set that doesn't take up too much space etc). So, hopefully all the discounting has been accounted for in the planning. Looked fuller than on seat buying plan a couple of days before - but not sure if they decamped circle to stalls.
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396 posts
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Post by djp on Apr 3, 2019 1:43:19 GMT
Saw this last night. They absolutely did not capture the heart and true potential of this show, in my opinion. It seemed caricature-y and pantomime like at times... I did not feel endeared or warm towards the tribe, nor did I believe they were a tribe at all. I certainly didn’t believe they’d ever smoked a joint or been high. It felt all too placed and perfectly choreographed which goes against the vibes of the tribe. Poorly cast also, is Jake Quickenden really that much of a draw? Is Marcus Collins that much of a draw that it’s worth rewriting the show to make him far more featured than any other person? A real shame as this is one of my favourite shows, if not my absolute favourite show, when done right. Hair has the potential to be life-changingly touching and beautiful, as it poses some really deep questions, many of which are still prevalent in this day and age. We should fall in love with the tribe in act 1, and therefore be invested to go on the bad trip with Claude in act 2. In stead, it was very presentational and over the top (thus my pantomime comment) and lacked the heart that is needed if we are going to want to join the tribe and be invested in their story. I need to feel personally invested in them for this show to work... in stead I was left cold and in some cases irritated by some characters. One of the positives is there were some wonderful vocals from the ensemble. I think the ensemble are great - they sound great, look like a unit, and can act well and they do the brave stripping bit boldly- even if the story does not quite build to it properly.
I agree there's something wrong with it . The story does have a flow and sub stories running, before it hits the we are running out of time ending, that comes from nowhere for no reason. Here it doesn't work for the major male characters , which leaves the female leads, who are good, with problems with nothing much to work with too.
The main culprits are Quickenden who acts as well as one might expect from someone whose CV shows a panto, Peter Pan the musical, multiple reality shows, presenting and winning SCD . He was just annoying, his buttocks were annoying, his singing was weak and his acting unconvincing. and he was abetted by Collins, whose singing was weak, or his sound was turned down, and acting almost as unconvincingly. His CV in the brochure is worth a read though - as its almost a dissertation length X factor vote for me speech as he tells us -
The humble boy from Liverpool has never forgotten his roots and is now one of the city’s most beloved singing sons. Marcus has proved that with hard work, tremendous talent, and a little bit of help from Gary Barlow, he has been able to live his dream of pursuing a sustained and continued career in music and entertainment.
The musical itself could be so much better with some rewriting- take out the gratuitous naughty words song. Rewrite some clear plot development in between the drugged up haze, use the big numbers better, add another good , and if you want to have hippy undress, don't stick them all on for one quick flash- which is wasted because we can only focus on one of them before they vanish. A few topless moments might make the free love point better
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Post by alece10 on Apr 3, 2019 5:48:37 GMT
I know it's a minor point but Jake Quickenden won Dancing on Ice not Strictly Come Dancing.
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421 posts
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Post by Distant Dreamer... on Apr 3, 2019 6:55:51 GMT
I know it's a minor point but Jake Quickenden won Dancing on Ice not Strictly Come Dancing. Does that mean his dancing is a bit poor in the show? Maybe they should convert the floor to ice for him!  |
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Post by alece10 on Apr 3, 2019 9:17:07 GMT
I know it's a minor point but Jake Quickenden won Dancing on Ice not Strictly Come Dancing. Does that mean his dancing is a bit poor in the show? Maybe they should convert the floor to ice for him! I believe he zooms around on rollerskates as it's a touring production the cant ice over the stages |
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421 posts
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Post by Distant Dreamer... on Apr 3, 2019 10:34:49 GMT
Does that mean his dancing is a bit poor in the show? Maybe they should convert the floor to ice for him! I believe he zooms around on rollerskates as it's a touring production the cant ice over the stages Ohhh that would have been fun on ice! |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2019 23:33:05 GMT
Saw this last night. They absolutely did not capture the heart and true potential of this show, in my opinion. It seemed caricature-y and pantomime like at times... I did not feel endeared or warm towards the tribe, nor did I believe they were a tribe at all. I certainly didn’t believe they’d ever smoked a joint or been high. It felt all too placed and perfectly choreographed which goes against the vibes of the tribe. Poorly cast also, is Jake Quickenden really that much of a draw? Is Marcus Collins that much of a draw that it’s worth rewriting the show to make him far more featured than any other person? A real shame as this is one of my favourite shows, if not my absolute favourite show, when done right. Hair has the potential to be life-changingly touching and beautiful, as it poses some really deep questions, many of which are still prevalent in this day and age. We should fall in love with the tribe in act 1, and therefore be invested to go on the bad trip with Claude in act 2. In stead, it was very presentational and over the top (thus my pantomime comment) and lacked the heart that is needed if we are going to want to join the tribe and be invested in their story. I need to feel personally invested in them for this show to work... in stead I was left cold and in some cases irritated by some characters. One of the positives is there were some wonderful vocals from the ensemble. I think the ensemble are great - they sound great, look like a unit, and can act well and they do the brave stripping bit boldly- even if the story does not quite build to it properly.
I agree there's something wrong with it . The story does have a flow and sub stories running, before it hits the we are running out of time ending, that comes from nowhere for no reason. Here it doesn't work for the major male characters , which leaves the female leads, who are good, with problems with nothing much to work with too.
The main culprits are Quickenden who acts as well as one might expect from someone whose CV shows a panto, Peter Pan the musical, multiple reality shows, presenting and winning SCD . He was just annoying, his buttocks were annoying, his singing was weak and his acting unconvincing. and he was abetted by Collins, whose singing was weak, or his sound was turned down, and acting almost as unconvincingly. His CV in the brochure is worth a read though - as its almost a dissertation length X factor vote for me speech as he tells us -
The humble boy from Liverpool has never forgotten his roots and is now one of the city’s most beloved singing sons. Marcus has proved that with hard work, tremendous talent, and a little bit of help from Gary Barlow, he has been able to live his dream of pursuing a sustained and continued career in music and entertainment.
The musical itself could be so much better with some rewriting- take out the gratuitous naughty words song. Rewrite some clear plot development in between the drugged up haze, use the big numbers better, add another good , and if you want to have hippy undress, don't stick them all on for one quick flash- which is wasted because we can only focus on one of them before they vanish. A few topless moments might make the free love point better
Talking of bizarre programme bio details - In the recent Fame programme it said in Jorgie Porter's bio that she ate a Crocodile penis when on I'm A Celebrity! |
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Post by Jonnyboy on Apr 8, 2019 21:32:00 GMT
What on earth did I just watch? Visually it’s strong and the production itself is decent enough but as a musical... it’s like being the non-drinker at a party where everyone is wasted. Do you need to be on drugs to connect with it? So little plot, and characters I didn’t care about. Okay, the ending is strong but there’s so much WTF in this, I was waiting for it to end.
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Post by richey on Apr 8, 2019 22:14:40 GMT
I have no idea what the heck I watched. The first act was ok but the second act, thanks to some pretty major sound issues (where the vocals were inaudible over the loud music) and an over abundance of dry ice meant I hadn't a clue what was going on. The cast are very enthusiastic and there's a few good tunes in there but it just didn't work for me. Still, it's one to tick off my list and I got a cheap ticket so I'm not complaining. The rest of the audience (and my hubby who wasn't that eager to go) seemed to enjoy it at least.
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Post by Dr Tom on Apr 8, 2019 22:19:50 GMT
Most of the second half is the hallucination. But I think it's a show you need to have seen more than once to follow it properly, particularly with the minimal set.
Surprised people are seeing it for the first time, considering this production had a long run in Manchester before. I guess this says something about how people compare fringe theatres to mainstream venues.
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2,244 posts
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Post by richey on Apr 9, 2019 6:09:28 GMT
Most of the second half is the hallucination. But I think it's a show you need to have seen more than once to follow it properly, particularly with the minimal set. I guess this says something about how people compare fringe theatres to mainstream venues. I actually go to Hope Mill quite a lot, for some reason this passed me by on it's original run. I guess it was a show that I hadn't really fancied seeing until I saw all the reviews for it |
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2,244 posts
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Post by richey on Apr 9, 2019 9:14:06 GMT
There were two references I was puzzled about. Someone got called a snowflake, which I thought was a pretty modern term, has that been added?
Also the songs referencing Manchester, are the the same on all the tour stops or does it change to reflect where they're playing?
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