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Post by fluxcapacitor on Jul 8, 2024 15:27:42 GMT
I get it - it was probably the right thing to do and made the situation far more manageable since it was only ten or fifteen mins. But I can't help but be slightly annoyed by the "everything must stop for the football" thing we have in this country. But I guess I'm in the minority. Agreed completely. I don’t begrudge it, but it’s the all-conquering assumption that everyone wants to watch the football, and that everyone supports England. As a Welshman, I have no interest in watching England play and I’d be annoyed if I was forced to do so at a theatre event with no relevance, and in a multicultural city like London I’m certain not everyone in that auditorium were English or England supporters. Would it have been acceptable for Michael Sheen to hold up a performance of Nye to watch the last 15 minutes of Wales v Australia in the rugby on his iPad in the middle of the stage? If the answer is no, then this shouldn’t really have been acceptable either. |
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Post by mkb on Jul 8, 2024 16:12:56 GMT
... Would it have been acceptable for Michael Sheen to hold up a performance of Nye to watch the last 15 minutes of Wales v Australia in the rugby on his iPad in the middle of the stage? If the answer is no, then this shouldn’t really have been acceptable either. I'm neither Welsh nor remotely interested in rugby, but were Sheen to have provided a running commentary on the final moments of that game, I'm pretty sure I would have been caught up vicariously in all the emotions he was investing in it. If you're human and have empathy, how can you not be? |
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Post by fluxcapacitor on Jul 8, 2024 16:36:39 GMT
... Would it have been acceptable for Michael Sheen to hold up a performance of Nye to watch the last 15 minutes of Wales v Australia in the rugby on his iPad in the middle of the stage? If the answer is no, then this shouldn’t really have been acceptable either. I'm neither Welsh nor remotely interested in rugby, but were Sheen to have provided a running commentary on the final moments of that game, I'm pretty sure I would have been caught up vicariously in all the emotions he was investing in it. If you're human and have empathy, how can you not be? Possibly, but my point really is more generally the expectation that football is king and anything can and should give way to it (especially when England Men are playing). Truth is, my hypothetical rugby example never would have happened because no other sport is treated in that way. I also suspect Michael Sheen might himself have empathy for people in the audience who paid to watch a play and didn't necessarily want to sit there watching him watching sport on an iPad  |
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Post by mkb on Jul 8, 2024 16:49:43 GMT
If the national side (male or female) or a national player was involved in any major sports competition that had reached a nail-biting game finale with minutes to go, then I could well imagine the same thing happening. It's not just England men's football. Imagine if Raducanu was close to match point at a Wimbledon final.
If the Wales or Scotland men's football team were in a quarter-final penalty shootout, I'm pretty sure the pressure to hold up the start of shows in Swansea or Glasgow would have been even more immense than we saw in England.
If there's incessant football media coverage driving you mad and it feels invasive and presumptuous of your interest, I empathise, because I feel the same about the royal family and Love Island to name two, but the media are only being driven by what they know generates viewers/listeners/clicks.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 8, 2024 17:29:36 GMT
It’s about what the audience felt about it in the moment though isn’t it? Not what we or anyone else thinks about it who wasn’t there at the time. I’ve no time for footy (can’t quite believe I’ve booked for Dear England) but if the “vibe” in the theatre was that people wanted this, then he was right to go with it I think.
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Post by Phantom of London on Jul 8, 2024 17:39:13 GMT
I wonder if you could get a refund, that in the terms and conditions there is a penalty clause?
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Post by fluxcapacitor on Jul 8, 2024 17:50:59 GMT
If the national side (male or female) or a national player was involved in any major sports competition that had reached a nail-biting game finale with minutes to go, then I could well imagine the same thing happening. It's not just England men's football. Imagine if Raducanu was close to match point at a Wimbledon final. If the Wales or Scotland men's football team were in a quarter-final penalty shootout, I'm pretty sure the pressure to hold up the start of shows in Swansea or Glasgow would have been even more immense than we saw in England. If there's incessant football media coverage driving you mad and it feels invasive and presumptuous of your interest, I empathise, because I feel the same about the royal family and Love Island to name two, but the media are only being driven by what they know generates viewers/listeners/clicks. Afraid I disagree. England football is afforded much more gravitas than any other sporting event or team. In fairness, it’s because there is more support for them - it’s England’s national sport and traditionally has more following than all others - and I don’t resent that. People love it, that’s fine. But I think it’s unrealistic to equate it to - say - Raducanu reaching Match Point. There is no way theatres would delay the beginning of a play for that. Happy to be corrected, but I’ve also never heard of any shows in Wales being delayed, even for crucial rugby matches. This would only ever happen for the football. But I agree wholeheartedly with you about Love Island and the royal family! |
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Post by mrnutz on Jul 8, 2024 18:17:07 GMT
This is a very James Corden thing to do, and I'm sure most of the audience lapped it up. It's a unique experience that they all shared.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jul 8, 2024 18:54:41 GMT
Could one of our lovley mods set up poll, was OV was right to delay the start of the play for football? Or something simialr
Many thanks
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 8, 2024 19:02:10 GMT
Could one of our lovley mods set up poll, was OV was right to delay the start of the play for football? Or something simialr Many thanks We can only have one poll per thread I’m afraid. I’m thinking more people would be interested in opinions of the play? |
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Post by marob on Jul 8, 2024 19:42:07 GMT
Was in two minds about seeing this. Glad I got a front row ticket to Your Lie in April instead, even if anyone was on their phone I wouldn’t see them. Thankfully no flare based antics in Leicester Square either.
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Post by eatbigsea on Jul 8, 2024 21:35:24 GMT
I was lucky enough to be at Wimbledon on centre court at the time, and there were sort of sporadic cheers and muffled “yes!”s before the prolonged cheer at the moment of victory. Djokovic certainly knew what was going on (and I think his opponent did too) and in these circumstances I think you just kind of have to let people release their emotion before carrying on. I’m no particular fan of Corden (or this play, although I thought his acting was more naturalistic than Anna Maxwell Martin’s), but I think he made the right choice here.
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Post by ceebee on Jul 8, 2024 21:40:11 GMT
Surely it's up to the Stage Manager to approve and authorise this sort of behaviour? For what it's worth I too hate football- in fact I don't like any sports! "What!!!" I hear you all saying "But he's Australian!" Say no more. I'd not like sports either if I was Australian. |
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Post by ceebee on Jul 8, 2024 21:41:21 GMT
It’s about what the audience felt about it in the moment though isn’t it? Not what we or anyone else thinks about it who wasn’t there at the time. I’ve no time for footy (can’t quite believe I’ve booked for Dear England) but if the “vibe” in the theatre was that people wanted this, then he was right to go with it I think. Now wouldn't it be weird if before Dear England, Corden turned up and tried to lead the audience on a round of carpool karaoke? |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 8, 2024 21:55:16 GMT
I might find that more interesting than the play!
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Post by kathryn on Jul 9, 2024 8:22:43 GMT
I would be absolutely amazed if a single person asked for a refund or complained to the box office. I bet 90% of the audience were excited to be part of an unscripted 'event' They absolutely were. He read the room 100% correctly - everyone was buzzing. You just have to look at the videos circulating social media to see that. A unique experience that I'll remember for a long time. A special moment of cultural, coming-togetherness! I bet a large percentage of that audience had seen This Is England - football can be theatre, and embracing it like this allowed it to become part of the theatrical experience rather than a distraction from it. |
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Post by kathryn on Jul 9, 2024 8:26:08 GMT
Would it have been acceptable for Michael Sheen to hold up a performance of Nye to watch the last 15 minutes of Wales v Australia in the rugby on his iPad in the middle of the stage? If the answer is no, then this shouldn’t really have been acceptable either. If he had been performing a play in the Welsh capital with the majority of the audience using their phones to watch the match already, then yes, it would be acceptable. Because it’s less disruptive to the audience overall and helps to bring them together and focus their attention on the stage. This isn’t a hypothetical situation - we know that the context of what was happening at the time is what made it an appropriate choice. |
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Post by Jon on Jul 9, 2024 10:30:33 GMT
They absolutely were. He read the room 100% correctly - everyone was buzzing. You just have to look at the videos circulating social media to see that. A unique experience that I'll remember for a long time. A special moment of cultural, coming-togetherness! I bet a large percentage of that audience had seen This Is England - football can be theatre, and embracing it like this allowed it to become part of the theatrical experience rather than a distraction from it. Dear England, This Is England is about something completely different.... |
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Post by kathryn on Jul 9, 2024 11:08:50 GMT
I bet a large percentage of that audience had seen This Is England - football can be theatre, and embracing it like this allowed it to become part of the theatrical experience rather than a distraction from it. Dear England, This Is England is about something completely different.... D’oh!! Sorry, my brain is still tired from a busy day at Wimbledon! |
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Post by dlevi on Jul 10, 2024 6:57:19 GMT
I actually think Corden did everyone a favor by watching it and getting it out of his system so that he could concentrate on doing his job which was to act in a new play which in theory he should be focusing on. The level of distraction he would bring to the role while not knowing what was happening would've probably been intolerable. But frankly, what a self-indulgent pampered ass he is.
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Post by marob on Jul 10, 2024 12:26:08 GMT
Wonder what happens tonight. Understudy going on? Because God forbid he miss the footie.
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Post by sf on Jul 10, 2024 13:12:39 GMT
I was in the audience last night and honestly, this was the right call. Much of the audience was already completely preoccupied at curtain up, watching the penalties on their phone. Not only was the mood brilliant - it was a completely unique and surreal experience - but it helped avoided any disruption to the opening of the play. It was still over by 9.15pm! No it wasn't (and I'm seeing it tonight). I would NOT have been pleased to find myself having to get a later train home because of an actor's self-indulgent, unprofessional behaviour. And I would also not be pleased to find a performance disrupted because of rude, self-indulgent morons in the audience who didn't have the manners to put their phones away before the lights went down. |
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Post by Jon on Jul 10, 2024 13:57:30 GMT
Wonder what happens tonight. Understudy going on? Because God forbid he miss the footie. He'll catch up on it, he has performed the show while England have played before so the idea he'll pull out tonight is a bit silly. |
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Post by Being Alive on Jul 10, 2024 14:22:25 GMT
I honestly cannot believe the outrage of people on this - it's wild.
The alternative was the first 10 minutes of this play being disrupted by audience members trying to sneakily watch the penalties on their phones (it happened in other venues, I was working in one, it was a nightmare) - can we honestly say that that's a better option than waiting 10 minutes to start the play?
Also, he could have sat in his dressing room and watched the penalties and they just go up 10 minutes late with zero explanation, and then people would have had no idea why the show started late - shows start late with no explanation all the time, so they could have done that...?
Of all the options here, I fail to see how what The Old Vic went with wasn't the best one?
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Post by marob on Jul 10, 2024 14:27:40 GMT
I’m not outraged. Just think it’s stupid. Especially when I’ve been in shows where someone in the audience has keeled over and they’ve just carried on.
Incidentally, does the Old Vic have a TV Licence?
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