Oliver! - Chichester Festival Theatre / Gielgud

[crabtree]

the production at Leeds last christmas was sufficiently different and darkly Dickensian

[Phantom of London]

If going to an evening performance the car park is free after 8pm, so only have to pay up to 8pm. However the car park is a nightmare to get out of after a Festival Theatre show.

On the bypass going into Chichester there’s a nice Lidls, you cannot beat their bakery. Didn’t know about the Co-op, I have to check it out. Usually use the Tesco Metro near the station, if going by train, with a visit to Caffè Nero thrown in.

[Someone in a tree]

Jul 11, 2024 0:20:27 GMT kit66 said:

Jul 10, 2024 22:14:18 GMT mrbarnaby said:

Nothing about this looks new or different …. In fact looks like a cheaper version of the brilliant Palladium version. Hardly a surprise.

I'm surprised about this as Les Brotherston's designs especially for New Adventures are usually creatively original, visually stunning and exciting.

I wonder how much is Brotherston (and Bourne) and how much is Cameron-i want the colours of my life-Mackintosh ?

[fiyero]

Jul 10, 2024 18:03:26 GMT alece10 said:

I'm not sure your average Chichester audience member is capable of "leaping to their feet".

The only theatre where I have been told off for joining in with a standing ovation as the person behind couldn't see.

[blamerobots]

Jul 10, 2024 22:14:18 GMT mrbarnaby said:

Nothing about this looks new or different …. In fact looks like a cheaper version of the brilliant Palladium version. Hardly a surprise.

I think by the way the set looks it's one of those productions designed around being able to tour it easier in the future.

It specifically reminds me of the look the Les Mis tour staging has; do we reckon they just didn't want to pay Sam Mendes and the revival creative team again?

Not to say it looks bad; I really want to see it. But maybe when I can get cheaper tickets on sale in London.

[bimse]

Jul 11, 2024 11:04:13 GMT fiyero said:

Jul 10, 2024 18:03:26 GMT alece10 said:

I'm not sure your average Chichester audience member is capable of "leaping to their feet".

The only theatre where I have been told off for joining in with a standing ovation as the person behind couldn't see.

I got “told off” for joining a standing ovation at Leeds Playhouse after a matinee of My Fair Lady. I apologised and afterwards had a nice chat with the couple behind me.

[meister]

Went last night. Solid production with good work by Fagin & Nancy and it does just have banger after banger! Not sure how it ‘has been fully reconceived’ (according to the marketing blurb) except made to look more like Les Mis with a circular revolve and a large scenery piece spinning around. Definitely designed to be seen from the front so if you are round the sides forget it! West End bound, so inevitable I guess. Partial standing ovation.

[Someone in a tree]

How creatives ignore the sides of the Festival theatre is onE of my bugbears

[mrbarnaby]

Jul 12, 2024 16:09:08 GMT Someone in a tree said:

How creatives ignore the sides of the Festival theatre is onE of my bugbears

The problem is that the director and choreographers never sit on the sides- so don’t see how bad it is.

Also when it’s a show like this that is going straight into a proscenium- pretty sure they just don’t care.

[ceebee]

There are many things to like about this production of Oliver, namely the orchestrations which are stunning. Simon Lipkin's Fagin is superb, Oscar Conlon-Morrey's Bumble is a lesson in comic timing and Aaron Sidwell's Bill Sykes is concentrated explosive anger. Raphael Korniets played Oliver tonight beautifully. The set will work much better in London - good use of the dual revolve though possible over-reliance at times, especially rotating the central scenery repeatedly. I was waiting for barricades and "Do you Hear The People Sing"... It's much darker than recent west end versions, but there's more attention to detail in the actual characterisations. I loathe the panto-creep that is happening with shows - playing for cheap laughs, and the Thenardification of the Bumbles is just a cheap Mackintosh enhancement. All in all, the production values are faultless and it's 3.5 stars from me (rounded up to 4). This show will sit better in London but there's not enough in it to make me return and pay £150 for a decent stalls ticket.

[amyja89]

Glad to hear this doesn't go for anything 'panto-y'. Have ghastly memories of Omid Djalili ruining what would have otherwise been a great performance as Fagin at Drury Lane by dropping in a handful of wink wink fourth wall break topical jokes to the audience.

[jampot]

Jul 13, 2024 1:14:04 GMT amyja89 said:

Glad to hear this doesn't go for anything 'panto-y'. Have ghastly memories of Omid Djalili ruining what would have otherwise been a great performance as Fagin at Drury Lane by dropping in a handful of wink wink fourth wall break topical jokes to the audience.

You do get that in this production..

[ceebee]

Jul 13, 2024 1:14:04 GMT amyja89 said:

Glad to hear this doesn't go for anything 'panto-y'. Have ghastly memories of Omid Djalili ruining what would have otherwise been a great performance as Fagin at Drury Lane by dropping in a handful of wink wink fourth wall break topical jokes to the audience.

Apologies if I wasn't clear - when i referred to panto-creep, I meant that it has crept into this production (rather like the silly ad-libs in Les Mis etc initiated by Matt Lucas... and Julian Clary as Herod in JCS). Consequently there were some shout outs last night from rear stalls/circle by the easily confused. Mackintosh cheapens his productions by allowing this genre seepage to happen.

That said, Simon Lipkin did some brilliant improv last night when a coin for one of his gang of boys rolled offstage in to the orchestra pit. He stared for a second then turned, said "You've lost it now!" then picked up the boy and held him over the pit so he could recover the coin from the conductor, to whom he then said "I don't know why you're laughing..." When things like that happen it is wonderful to see and Lipkin is quite perfect as Fagin - far less mugging around than Djalili and definitely one of the best you'll see.

[BurlyBeaR]

Jul 13, 2024 1:14:04 GMT amyja89 said:

Glad to hear this doesn't go for anything 'panto-y'. Have ghastly memories of Omid Djalili ruining what would have otherwise been a great performance as Fagin at Drury Lane by dropping in a handful of wink wink fourth wall break topical jokes to the audience.

Neil Morrissey did it when it toured. Including inserting “Bob The Builder” references. I left at the interval. 

[theatrefan62]

Brian Conley did it too in the tour. Hated it. Agree, I also saw Omid and it completely ruined an otherwise excellent performance.

[Jan]

Jul 13, 2024 6:28:42 GMT BurlyBeaR said:

Jul 13, 2024 1:14:04 GMT amyja89 said:

Glad to hear this doesn't go for anything 'panto-y'. Have ghastly memories of Omid Djalili ruining what would have otherwise been a great performance as Fagin at Drury Lane by dropping in a handful of wink wink fourth wall break topical jokes to the audience.

Neil Morrissey did it when it toured. Including inserting “Bob The Builder” references. I left at the interval. 

At the Sheffield Crucible once there was a production of Cherry Orchard which had (ancient comedian) Eric Sykes cast as the ancient servant Firs. It was a traditional Chekhov production. On his first entrance Sykes walked downstage and looked around and said "I've never played a snooker hall before". This anecdote is often offered up in support of the proposition that Sykes was a national treasure but I'm with the producers who fired off an immediate heavy-duty complaint to Sykes' agent - it's a form of egomania really, the thought that the character is secondary to the actor playing them. 

[Someone in a tree]

I haven't seen Oliver since a John Major government, aren't the Bumbles- i shall scream-a bit panto though? Also, Bart did change a lyric to "Who will change the scene for me?" (Or to something similar) To show off the revolving stage.

[ceebee]

Jul 13, 2024 7:30:59 GMT Someone in a tree said:

I haven't seen Oliver since a John Major government, aren't the Bumbles- i shall scream-a bit panto though? Also, Bart did change a lyric to "Who will change the scene for me?" (Or to something similar) To show off the revolving stage.

Yes, it's a fair point about the "who will change the scene for me" - all I can say is to go and see this production.  There's a huge amount to like about it and I think it will get good reviews.   The Bumbles in this production are excellent (Oscar Conlon-Morrey and Katy Secombe) - they work well together delivering some great comedy.  However in the second half particularly, this production borrows/steals from Les Mis (which I know Bart's Oliver inspired).   Tbh, I'm not sure Cameron Mackintosh's revisions were necessary - strikes me as somewhat egotistical to feel the need to tinker the way that he does, sacrificing threads pulled through from Dickens for expedience at the expense of depth of plot/storytelling.  In my view, the revolve is over-used, the projections don't suit CFT but will definitely work well at the Gielgud, and it is clear that this is definitely a show that will eventually tour.  The star of this show is the music and that, perhaps, is exactly what the creative team wanted, and the decent sized band of 12 playing 26 instruments definitely does the score justice.

[danb]

Jul 13, 2024 9:22:03 GMT ceebee said:

Jul 13, 2024 7:30:59 GMT Someone in a tree said:

I haven't seen Oliver since a John Major government, aren't the Bumbles- i shall scream-a bit panto though? Also, Bart did change a lyric to "Who will change the scene for me?" (Or to something similar) To show off the revolving stage.

Yes, it's a fair point about the "who will change the scene for me" - all I can say is to go and see this production.  There's a huge amount to like about it and I think it will get good reviews.   The Bumbles in this production are excellent (Oscar Conlon-Morrey and Katy Secombe) - they work well together delivering some great comedy.  However in the second half particularly, this production borrows/steals from Les Mis (which I know Bart's Oliver inspired).   Tbh, I'm not sure Cameron Mackintosh's revisions were necessary - strikes me as somewhat egotistical to feel the need to tinker the way that he does, sacrificing threads pulled through from Dickens for expedience at the expense of depth of plot/storytelling.  In my view, the revolve is over-used, the projections don't suit CFT but will definitely work well at the Gielgud, and it is clear that this is definitely a show that will eventually tour.  The star of this show is the music and that, perhaps, is exactly what the creative team wanted, and the decent sized band of 12 playing 26 instruments definitely does the score justice.

That concerns me also ceebee. He thinks that he is the custodian of the show and only he knows how it should be.

[SuttonPeron]

With how expensive the Gielgud run is, I´d expect a much larger band than 12 players. It´s made me want to see it even less.

[ceebee]

Jul 13, 2024 10:23:53 GMT SuttonPeron said:

With how expensive the Gielgud run is, I´d expect a much larger band than 12 players. It´s made me want to see it even less.

It sounded a bit thin at times but I blamed the CFT roof/acoustics. I'm sure they'll beef it up through clever processing when installed in London. Similarly, automation will improve the scene changes in London whereas CFT feels belt and braces.

[theatremiss]

I saw this last night and really enjoyed it. I thought Simon Lipkin, was a really good Fagin and he did a great ad lib without really missing a beat. I was sat in Row B at the right of the stage as you look at it, right on the aisle (towards the front not the side wall) and I felt like I was missing stuff as things were out of view. It’s a shame as these are seat I always sit in and never had a problem before. I am returning to a more central seat in a few weeks.
Edit: for anyone who has seen this, just before Act 2 when they actors come on stage singing in the pub. Were they playing Fings Ain’t Wot They Used T’be on the piano. Or where my ears deceiving me? 

[blamerobots]

Yes, very much looking forward to Simon Lipkin in this which I thought was inspired casting. Fingers crossed that he can be on the West End even more in the future, maybe as Beetlejuice if the stars align...

How is the singing? Is it all very sprechgesang as usually is or is the actual sheet music being read this time? Seen too many Oliver!'s where they've just clearly listened to the film soundtrack record and it painfully retreads all of the liberties taken in that version.

[ceebee]

Jul 13, 2024 16:00:47 GMT blamerobots said:

Yes, very much looking forward to Simon Lipkin in this which I thought was inspired casting. Fingers crossed that he can be on the West End even more in the future, maybe as Beetlejuice if the stars align...

How is the singing? Is it all very sprechgesang as usually is or is the actual sheet music being read this time? Seen too many Oliver!'s where they've just clearly listened to the film soundtrack record and it painfully retreads all of the liberties taken in that version.

Following the sheet music which is updated orchestrations and contains some lovely surprises - hard to explain, but it's a fresh take without betraying the original score. The music was by far the best thing for me. Felt fresh, crisp, punchy, springy.

[Dave B]

Exceptionally frustrating first visit to CFT this evening. An 'issue' with no other details provided leading to a just over 15 minute late start meant it impossible to see the show and make the carefully timed last train back to London.