Dear Octopus - Lyttelton, NT

[drmaplewood]

I thought this was excellent, great set and I could have spent another hour with those characters.

[matinee]

Sorry, not for me.

Left at the interval last night as I found the whole thing rather boring.

There were a number of sleepers around me too which suggests that I wasn't the only one!

[edi]

I liked it in a heartwarming way. I expected drama and got a normal family with very relatable problems.

[bgarde]

Yes, I thought this was charming. While for me the play itself is a 3* affair, the wonderful cast, music and production pushed it above. A real pleasure. I can understand why parts of it might be considered dull - and heard a rather strong snore from behind - but it all worked for me. Lindsay Duncan was super with droll delivery but I also really enjoyed Kate Fahy as Belle. But all were on form.

[lynette]

Some interesting points above. If they had used actual 1930 accents I think this would have been ridiculed. As it is I do not understand why they have revived it. It does not compare to other contemporary work by Rattigan or Coward or the earlier Wilde. It isn’t an ‘An Inspector Calls’ because we have to impose the irony on it, we know the war is about to shake them to the foundations with the men and also possibly the women called to serve, the house possibly requisitioned, staff leaving and the chicken farmer becoming the most important person in the village. With this irony the play is ok. Without it, it is commonplace. The set was poor compared other NT sets I’ve seen and poorly used. They missed a trick at the end by not raising the flat between the hall and the dining room ( or making something happen to open the stage ) and allowing Dora to take the centre. As it was, it was muddled and messy. Lindsay Duncan was of course superb. Sinclair wasted. I think the NT should do better stuff and dig deeper into the canon.

[David J]

I enjoyed this. Well-rounded characters played by a wonderful cast in a heart-warming play.

Yes it is too long and I would shorten the amount of time with the children. Maybe sitting at the front row helped me feel engrossed in what was going on.

4 stars

[Jon]

I wonder if Dodie Smith's work aside from 101 Dalmatians and I Capture the Castle hasn't aged well which is why it's seldom revived.

[adamkinsey]

We went last night and loved it. No problem hearing any of the children and we were row G in the circle. Didn't expect it to be as funny as it was. Particularly enjoyed Kate Fahy as Belle but it was a great ensemble piece. Didn't have any difficulty with all the various familial relationships. I'm going to see it again before it closes but get a seat closer in the stalls.

[bram]

A rather staid production,not helped by the set. Which made everyone seem to be in a straight line. But entertaining enough as a period piece. Good performances all round. 

[solotheatregoer]

I've had audio issues at the last three shows I have seen at the Lyttleton. It always sounds like the mics are too low to me. My hearing is perfectly fine and I sit in the stalls, usually no further than row F or G. Thought it was just me!

[lichtie]

I had no problem with the sound when I saw it and was right at the back edge of the stalls. Including from the kids.

I thought this was basically the Downtown Abbey to the Dorfman's Corrie (Till the Stars Come Down) though the latter had greater plausibility for its era... That was my main problem here - just like Downtown, there is limited plausibility in an entire wealthy (if in this case uppermost middle class of the time rather than true landed upper class) family accepting what is basically a servant as one of them. It's amiable enough, but does nothing startling, and offers little real insight into the time it is set in, possibly because Smith was stretching beyond her own fairly narrow experience at that time (the behaviour would have probably been much more tenable in an artistic background).

[joem]

I enjoyed this, having no knowledge or expectations of this at the time of booking. It is a little dated but in a nice way and after the first few minutes when I struggled a bit with so many characters and their various relationships, I sat back and enjoyed the undemanding fare. Lindsay Duncan elevates this with her wit and timing.

Why should it be revived? Well the programme notes tell us Dodie Smith was one of just three successful female playwrights on the West End in the first half of the century. Don't we want this to be remembered? Or is class now trumping feminism???

Incidentally these are not Downton-style grandees (and of course Downton was written like 70/80 years after Octopus so surely it's the later work that gets compared to the earlier not vice-versa?) but sort of upper middle-class people. I imagine there was a fair sprinkling of families living like this at the time. I don't see any need to alter this to meet our uber-sensitive modern sensitivities.

Overall this is the yan to Rattigan's "After The Dance" yin. A staider version of the bright young things' world as it moves towards its conclusion/extinction, where family rather than flummery is still at the centre of events.

Not thrill-a-minute stuff but there are plenty of less well-crafted productions in London at the mo.

[andbingowashisname]

Mar 7, 2024 20:12:48 GMT lichtie said:

...like Downtown, there is limited plausibility in an entire wealthy (if in this case uppermost middle class of the time rather than true landed upper class) family accepting what is basically a servant as one of them. It's amiable enough, but does nothing startling, and offers little real insight into the time it is set in, possibly because Smith was stretching beyond her own fairly narrow experience at that time (the behaviour would have probably been much more tenable in an artistic background).

What you find implausible didn't seem to unduly trouble the audiences of the time, as Dear Octopus was a notable success with audiences and critics alike in 1938/39. And I believe Dear Octopus was Smith's sixth full-length play, written when she was in her early 40s, so describing her experience as "narrow" - whether that be pertaining to her life experience or playwriting experience - is just way off the mark.

The play itself is a thing of rare and delicate beauty. Sure, not much happens in terms of out-and-out drama, but the world of the play really managed to get its tentacles into me - sometimes with a gentle tickle, occasionally with a forceful prod, and often with a caring arm around the shoulder. I found it utterly charming - a quality revival, faithfully presented, with a (mostly) strong cast and keen direction. A highlight of the year for sure.

[adamkinsey]

Mar 7, 2024 20:12:48 GMT lichtie said:

there is limited plausibility in an entire wealthy (if in this case uppermost middle class of the time rather than true landed upper class) family accepting what is basically a servant as one of them.

Totally accurate, in fact. Many women in such families had a companion that often became like surrogate daughters after being with them for years.

[aspieandy]

There was a deficit of father-aged men in this period. About 800,000 were dead, and at least the same number were physically and/or mentally disabled beyond recovery.

Population of Britain then was only just over 40 million (as opposed to 68 million now) The effect on families was extraordinary and so solutions became unconventional.

Extrapolating the numbers to match today; in just a 15-year age group, about 1.4 million men would be absent from society.

[sf]

Mar 7, 2024 20:12:48 GMT lichtie said:

That was my main problem here - just like Downtown, there is limited plausibility in an entire wealthy (if in this case uppermost middle class of the time rather than true landed upper class) family accepting what is basically a servant as one of them.

A lady's companion is not a servant. An employee, yes, although that fact would never be discussed in front of anyone outside the household, but emphatically not a servant.

[showgirl]

This was spellbinding and one of the best productions I've ever seen at the NT; a clear 5 stars from me if there was a poll. Given the quality of the writing I'm mystified that it isn't done even slightly more often, but it's the first time I've ever had a chance to see this on stage in decades of theatregoing. Though it was long, it didn't outstay its welcome because it was so riveting and if anything, I was afraid it would end before each family dilemma had been resolved.

[nottobe]

Add me to the group that loved this. It does feel like a gem of a play and here is given a stylish, well acted and directed production. I can't really add to the praise. I really loved the scene between Nora and Cynthia talking about ageing and know it will be a moment that I will think about for a while.

It did remind me a bit of The Hills of California but I have to say I thought this was better.

[mkb]

Can we have a ratings poll for this please?

[aspieandy]

Mar 17, 2024 11:55:16 GMT nottobe said:

It did remind me a bit of The Hills of California but I have to say I thought this was better.

Fwiw, it struck me as pretty shrewd of Nosher Norris to have this and Till the Stars Come Down running alongside each other. 85 years apart? Families, eh.

You can spend a not short journey trying to match character with character. And when it comes to sisters, absolutely launch Jez/California into the bun fight, as well.

[david]

My last double show day of my theatre holiday sees my at the NT today. To kick start it off was a visit to the Lyttelton for today’s matinee. This one for me was 2hr 45 mins of theatrical bliss from director Emily Burns and her team. A £20 front row stalls seat was money well spent in my opinion. It was one those shows when all the different theatrical elements - writing, costume, sound, lighting, set design and cast all came together perfectly to produce a wonderfully charming and engaging piece of theatre to keep myself and the rest of this show’s audience thoroughly entertained. In all a real gem of show and I certainly have no issues giving this one a 5⭐️ rating.

From the pen of Dodie Smith, this one managed to get a really nice balance between drama and comedy in a family drama as many others have posted as being Downton Abbey on stage. I felt it was paced very well and with some brilliant comedic and biting one liners delivered superbly by this cast. I really couldn’t have asked for more this afternoon. 

[sweets7]

Saw it today and loved it. Looked gorgeous, well acted and all about that most complex of structures: families. Loved Lindsey Duncan and Howle and Carter were brilliant.

[lou105]

I also saw this from the front row midweek and, after a rough couple of days, it was just lovely to be absorbed in a well-told story, with more humour than I expected. Dr Theatre showing the ability to cross the lights, for sure!

[tmesis]

Another complete fan of this.

This could have been so twee but it was not - charming, endearing, touching and so deftly played by a top-notch cast.

It all felt like a bit of a delightful one-off at The Nash but I’d love to see more of this type of thing.

[crabtree]

I've just caught this on NTathome and loved every eau de nile moment of it. delicate and tender and complex. Superb confidence from the children and Ms Duncan simply warm and bossy and heartbreaking. So much detail. Splendid.